###

Anyone who’s traveled on Broadway in the last week and a half or so has no doubt noticed some curious new lane dividers and diversions. That’s because Caltrans is once again exploring ways to make this ugly, traffic-clogged throughway less terrible.

The temporary installations, known as “pop-ups,” are intended to test some proposed improvements prior to possible construction. Caltrans put some up last June, and a new set arrived on May 12. 

Here’s more info from the agency:

Caltrans is continuing to test pop-up demonstrations along the Broadway portion of U.S. 101 in Eureka. This includes temporary cone-like delineators and paint to analyze proposed improvements. Please note that Caltrans’ work north of Wabash is not associated with the pop-up demonstrations.

The Broadway Corridor has high rates of fatal and injury collisions. According to the 2017 data from the California Office of Traffic Safety, the Broadway Corridor ranks number one throughout the state for total fatal and injury collisions when compared to 93 other similar facilities.

Caltrans has a vision to eliminate fatalities and serious injuries on California’s roadways by 2050 and provide safer outcomes for all communities. This vision is planned to be achieved through the adoption of the Safe System approach, which includes six principles: deaths and serious injuries are unacceptable, humans make mistakes, humans are vulnerable, responsibility is shared, safety is proactive, and redundancy is crucial.

The Broadway Pop-Up Demonstrations are testing safety countermeasures proven to reduce serious collisions. While some of these test improvements may be an adjustment — especially for motorized users — there are many people who walk or cycle on Broadway to commute to work, exercise, shop, take children to parks, access the coastal trail, and satisfy any number of other daily transportation needs. Even one death on our transportation system is unacceptable.

Have you interacted with the pop-ups? Please take the survey! Feedback about the demonstrations will help decide how Broadway will look in the future. Travelers interacting with the pop-ups are encouraged to read more and provide feedback via a survey at broadwaypopups.com.

Broadway pop-ups and other improvement projects are being planned and designed in close coordination with our partners including the City of Eureka, Humboldt Transit Authority, Humboldt Bay Fire, Humboldt County Association of Governments, and community-based organizations.

For additional updates on these projects and others, follow Caltrans District 1 on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. You can also check out the District 1 Current Projects page for more information on these and other projects.