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Commissioners,
Thank you again for all of your work reviewing the Gateway Plan and zoning code and making them even more bike,
pedestrian and transit friendly. We are particularly excited about your decision to eliminate parking mandates from the
Gateway code, a long‐needed reform which should also be extended to the rest of the city.
Please accept the following additional comments regarding some of the Gateway Plan “bike rack”/”other consideration”
items which you will be discussing at your meeting tomorrow:
 K & 11th Street redesigns. Although there is disagreement over the eventual design of the L Street corridor,
there has been widespread agreement about the need for redesigns of K and 11th Streets to allow for safer,
more comfortable use by people walking, biking and rolling. Dan Burden’s recent walk audit of these streets
provides further impetus for change. Please move forward a recommendation to City Council for near‐term
redesigns of these two dangerous streets, which divide the Gateway Area and will stymie future walkability
plans if left unaddressed.
 K & 11th Street speed limits. The Humboldt County Association of Governments (HCAOG) recommended
lowering speed limits on K and 11th Streets from the current 25 mph down to 20 mph. (Dan Burden also
recommended this.) Although this change may seem minor, a 5 mph difference at these speeds has a major
impact on both the likelihood of a crash and the risk of death or serious injury resulting from a crash, particularly
for pedestrians. A recent law, AB 43, provides new options for lowering speed limits, including providing for 20
mph limits in “business activity districts,” a category which would likely apply to much of K and 11th Streets.
There are lots of reasons to lower the speed limit here, and no good reason not to. Please recommend 20 mph
speed limits on these streets.
 Lane widths. CRTP has advocated consistently for decreasing lane widths to 10 feet in street designs in order to
calm traffic and provide more room for bike and pedestrian infrastructure. Dan Burden repeatedly emphasized
the importance of 10 ft lanes as a design standard during his recent visit. 10 ft lanes are safe and are standard in
many places, and there is just no basis for the idea that wider lanes are needed to carry higher volumes safely.
Please decrease lane widths in street designs to 10 feet.
 Parking meter revenues and their uses. We again request that parking be metered in high‐demand areas,
including the Gateway Area, and that meter revenues be dedicated to transit improvements and/or bike and
pedestrian infrastructure. Staff’s responses to our previous comments have addressed only ticket revenue, not
meter revenue, and are misleading. There are various legal ways that meter revenue can be directed to specific
purposes, including establishment of a parking or improvement district. Additionally, even if meter (or ticket)
revenue goes into the General Fund, the city can make a commitment to spend a commensurate amount on
transit and/or bike and pedestrian improvements, just as it does with Measure G funding currently. It is also
crucial to note that building and maintaining public parking is expensive, and offering it free to drivers is a major
subsidy for driving. Metering is one step toward leveling the playing field for other modes of transportation and
improving transportation equity.
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Thank you for your consideration of our comments