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101CAP Group

 

The "101 Corridor" as of May 20, 2004

The "Cal Trans" efforts still target the ultimate closure of all median crossings on the "Highway 101 corridor" between Eureka and Arcata. In their plan this MAY include an overcrossing at "Indianola Road" and if overcrossing is not used then all traffic wanting southbound access to highway 101 would have to go to either Eureka or Arcata to get to the southbound lanes. At the same all traffic looking for Jacobs ave, Mid City, Indianola, KOA and other locations to the easterly side of the highway would need to travel to Eureka, and then come North to gain access. When they want to leave they will have to travel North to Indianola road or Arcata in order to go south and get back to Eureka and points south.

The "101 Corridor Access Project" group (101CAP) has been working with the "Cal Trans" staff and local government agencies to encourage the construction of the overcrossing at Indianola road, maintain the current speeds, improve the acceleration/ deceleration lanes and install a stoplight to allow access to Jacobs ave.. This could accomplish both the access need to the existing businesses, residents and, by maintaining the speed and installing the overcrossing at Indianola road and light at Jacobs, continue to maintain a much reduced accident and injury rate in the "101 Safety Corridor". between Eureka and Arcata.

The "101 CAP" is made up mostly of business reprentatives from the twenty nine businesses whose employees and customers and residents are affected by changes to the access along the "Corridor".

Cal Trans has recently, again made it clear that they believe the only answer for the 101 corridor, "will" include the closure of all median crossing including Jacobs Ave (Airport Road), Mid City, Simpson(Arcata Redwood), Indianola, Bra Cut and Bayside. All of this could occur whether or not an overcrossing structure is built at Indianola. This will effectively create the situation described above, will create a bottleneck at the Samoa Blvd overcrossing in Arcata and I can't even imagine what "V" st between "4th and 5th" st in Eureka might look like. Can you imagine all of this and the added traffic from the new "Target" store that is supposed to open in October.

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Recent activity has included public sessions with the "City of Eureka" and the "City of Arcata" where discussions were held regarding the direction to be taken for the "101 Corridor" and the position the cities would support. Both cities felt that the the thoughts and concerns presented by the "101 CAP" group were consistent with their own concerns and should be supported, and need to be addressed in the current "101 Corridor Project" planning and environmental impact report activities.

During the most recent "HCAOG" meeting the support was demonstrated and a motion was passed to request that "Cal Trans" reactivate the "Project Development Team" and rethink the project with consideration for the concerns of the "People" that live and work in the corridor as well as the people that utilize the services and products available at the businesses located along the corridor.

The "101 CAP" group's members plan to be available at these meetings, hopefully to help them craft a plan that will include consideration for the impacts that the closure of all medians without mitigation would have on all that occupy and utilize the corridors assets.

 

Watch here for important information as it becomes available.