Colin Fiske, CRTP
Within the city of Eureka state highway US-101 consists of Broadway to the south, and the one-way “couplet” of 4th and 5th Streets to the north. This corridor carries some of the heaviest car and truck traffic in the region. It is also one of the busiest areas for people walking and biking. It passes through some of the most walkable neighborhoods for hundreds of miles around—a great place for the new housing the city is building, except for one major problem: the state highway is not safe for people walking, biking or even driving.
Historically, Caltrans designed all of their highways, including these streets, with the goal of moving as much car and truck traffic as possible. People walking, biking or rolling outside of a vehicle were barely considered. The tragic, but predictable, result is that these are now the most dangerous streets in our region. Almost every year, drivers hit and kill pedestrians and bicyclists on US-101 in Eureka.
The Coalition for Responsible Transportation Priorities (CRTP) has been fighting for safety improvements to these streets for years, and we are starting to see results. This year, the South Broadway Complete Streets project will finally add protected bike lanes, traffic calming designs, new pedestrian crossings, and significant intersection safety upgrades between Herrick Avenue and the Bayshore Mall. Corresponding plans have been drawn up for two other projects covering the rest of Broadway but have not yet been funded.
Unlike Broadway, safety improvement plans for 4th and 5th Street have not yet been fully developed. Last fall, CRTP conducted two walk audits in the corridor, documenting numerous pedestrian safety and accessibility hazards. (Read the full report on our website at transportationpriorities.org.) We are also analyzing past crashes in the corridor and your reports on the Street Story platform to comprehensively assess the problems and identify solutions.
Caltrans is already paying attention and will be making some safety improvements to 4th and 5th Streets soon, including more high-visibility crosswalks, no-parking zone markings near crosswalks, and flashing beacons to alert drivers to crossing pedestrians. These are important changes, and we applaud them, but they are not nearly enough to make the street safe for everyone. And, like the Broadway improvements, they are not happening fast enough. With every year of delay, more lives are lost.
To help us advocate for safety improvements on 4th and 5th Streets, visit the Street Story website (streetstory.berkeley.edu) and report your experiences of hazards, crashes, and near-misses in this area. We’ll review your reports and use them in our research and advocacy.
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