Caltrans wants feedback about traffic structures along Broadway

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Caltrans is seeking input on temporary structures along Broadway. This will determine what permanent changes will be made to protect bicyclists and pedestrians. (Courtesy of Caltrans)

Temporary traffic structures have been in place along Broadway Street for about a month, rerouting cars and adding a protected bike lane along the road. Caltrans is asking for feedback on the pop-up structures to inform what measures the agency will take to change the stretch of Highway 101.

The cone delineators and paint along Broadway are an attempt to address pedestrian and bicycle safety.

“Humboldt County and the city of Eureka have unfortunately had the distinction of being some of the most dangerous when it comes to pedestrian and bicycle fatalities and injuries. That’s a trend we’d like to change,” said Beth Burkes, executive director at Humboldt County Association of Governments in a Caltrans video.

In the most recent year of available data, the CA Office of Traffic Safety reported 32 pedestrian fatalities and injuries in 2019, and 14 bicycle injuries in Eureka.

This means Eureka has the third highest rate of injuries and deaths, out of 94 similar sized cities.

The pop-up structures, which were installed May 12, are temporary and will go through June. They include delineators and paint, a protected bikeway between Hawthorne and Wabash streets, curb extensions near Papa & Barkley and closure of acceleration lanes. Parts of the median lane have also been closed to see what traffic flow looks like for future pedestrian traffic through the area.

“We urgently need to make improvements for Broadway,” said Colin Fiske, executive director for the Coalition for Responsible Transportation Priorities in a Caltrans video. He said the pop-up is the first step to make improvements to Broadway Street, and said they’re not going to be an exact copy.

The survey can be accessed online, at

Sage Alexander can be reached at 707-441-0504

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