What’s green and yellow all over and costs $52,000? Nope, it’s not a sports car with a flashy paint job or the world’s wealthiest duck, though water is supposed to run off of it pretty easily. It’s four new crosswalks on G Street in Arcata, branded with Cal Poly Humboldt’s logo and shining a blinding neon. 

The crosswalks are part of the “Green and Gold Corridor” project that Cal Poly Humboldt and the city of Arcata started working on together in 2022, when they decided to turn G Street into a nexus between the university and the city. Other additions to the street included Cal Poly Humboldt banners and flags. These crosswalks, located on G Street where it intersects at 14th and 8th streets, are the last addition to the collaboration. 

Emily Sinkhorn, Arcata’s environmental services director, told the Outpost that the city and Cal Poly Humboldt felt the crossworks would beautify the area and be symbols of the link between Cal Poly Humboldt and the university. 

“We saw an opportunity for G Street as a key connector between the city and the university,” Sinkhorn said, “and the crosswalks as physical reminders of that connection.”

The crosswalks were designed by Humboldt’s marketing team and reviewed by the city’s engineering and transportation departments. They’re made out of non-slip highly visible plastic. $12,000 came from the city, courtesy of American Rescue Plan Act money from 2021. Cal Poly Humboldt paid for the remaining $40,000. A Sacramento-based contractor put in the sidewalks. 

“The City and the University are always working together to strengthen the connection and relationship between students and the Arcata community, like hosting events in the downtown area, opening The Campus Store near the Plaza, and now, through the ‘Green & Gold Corridor,’” a statement from Cal Poly Humboldt to the Outpost said. “All of these efforts help students feel a stronger sense of belonging, make them feel more welcome, and encourage pride in the town where they live and learn.”