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After three years of research and community outreach, the Humboldt County Association of Governments (HCAOG) has released a draft plan aimed at reducing serious traffic injuries and fatalities across the county.

Humboldt County’s Vision Zero Action Plan — linked here — lays out a set of safety strategies to educate drivers and guide infrastructure improvements with the goal of reducing the number of traffic fatalities by 50% each year until the number reaches zero. The plan is based on the Vision Zero Strategy, which strives to “eliminate all traffic fatalities and severe injuries, while increasing safe, healthy, equitable mobility for all.”

The strategy, which originated in Sweden in the 1990s, is a departure from the “traditional” approach to traffic safety, commonly referred to as the “Three E’s” — Enforcement, Education and Engineering. Proponents of Vision Zero argue that the Three E’s are too focused on the individual and perfecting driving behavior. The Vision Zero ethos acknowledges that people make mistakes, and to avoid collisions resulting in serious injuries or fatalities, road systems should be designed to reduce the severity of crashes.

A recent Outpost investigation into the staggering number of traffic collisions in Eureka — particularly pedestrian-related incidents — revealed that, along with Fourth and Fifth streets, Broadway is one of the most dangerous thoroughfares in the county. In fact, Eureka ranks among the worst cities in the state for serious traffic collisions, according to data from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS).

Just last week, a pedestrian was struck by a suspected intoxicated driver while crossing Broadway. The pedestrian, 35-year-old James Christopher Lee, suffered a catastrophic brain injury as a result of the collision and was declared “legally brain dead,” according to a GoFundMe posting from his family. The driver, 55-year-old Raleen Olson, has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

On Sept. 16, 20-year-old McKinleyville resident Ronnie Franklin was struck by a suspected drunk driver while working in a Caltrans construction zone in Eureka. Franklin died a few days after the incident due to complications from emergency surgery. The driver, 26-year-old Selah Town, who was on probation for a recent DUI conviction, has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

On July 21, another pedestrian was hospitalized with serious injuries after being struck near the intersection of Wabash and Broadway — the same intersection where an elderly man was killed earlier this year.

Vision Zero advocates largely attribute Eureka’s high collision rate to Highway 101, which cuts right through the heart of the city, carrying thousands of vehicles across multiple lanes each day. Vision Zero strategies to reduce the number of collisions on the stretch of highway could include the installation of new traffic signals and rapid flashing beacons, adjusting signal timing or reducing the number of lanes. The plan outlines dozens of countermeasures to reduce traffic injuries and fatalities elsewhere in the county, including both urban and rural areas.

As detailed in the press release below, community members have until Nov. 9 to provide written comment on the draft plan, which is slated for final approval in mid-December.

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Press release from HCAOG:

EUREKA, Calif. – As recent tragedies on Broadway show all too clearly, the traffic safety crisis continues to negatively impact the lives of Humboldt County residents. From 2018 to 2024, there were 165 fatal crashes on Humboldt County roads. Total crashes fell over that period, but fatal crashes held steady at around two dozen per year.

The concept of Vision Zero holds that no road deaths are acceptable, and a system that shares responsibility between safe road design, safe road users, and safe speeds can get us there. The Humboldt County Association of Governments (HCAOG) has released a public draft of the regional Vision Zero Action Plan that spells out the problem and
charts a path of local action to reverse course.

The draft finds:

• 125 of the 165 fatal crashes happened outside city limits, with the deadliest stretches on US 101, Highway 299 and Highway 96, where drivers often leave the road on curves.
• 27 percent of crashes that killed or seriously injured someone involved alcohol or drugs.
• 42 percent of fatal crashes happened after dark, many on roads with no street lights.
• Nearly 30 percent of fatal crashes involved a person walking or biking.

The plan highlights 10 intersections and 10 highway segments for priority fixes, with 16 of the top 20 hot spots on state highways. Proposed countermeasures include protected left-turn arrows, brighter lighting, speed feedback signs, rumble strips and curve warnings. Countywide, the plan calls for impaired-driving awareness, a road sign audit and a safety checklist for every road project HCAOG helps fund.

This summer’s pop-up demonstrations showed what quick changes can do:

• Arcata: Temporary speed humps cut typical speeds to 22 mph.
• Eureka: A mini roundabout slowed southbound drivers from 32 to 20 mph.
• Fortuna: Radar signs near schools lowered average speeds by up to 7 mph.
• Ferndale: 62 percent of survey respondents backed permanent changes on 5th Street.

“Neighbors told us their streets felt calmer, and drivers told us exactly where the designs could be improved,” said Stephen Luther, Senior Regional Planner at HCAOG. “Now we want people to read the draft and tell us how it fits with their values for safer streets.”

How to weigh in:

• Read the draft and comment by Nov. 9: Materials available at hcaog.net/programs-projects/vision-zero-action-plan
• Public workshop on Zoom: Wednesday, Oct. 28, 5:30–7 p.m. Call-in +16694449171, Meeting ID: 852 7480 7798, Passcode: 235121 Link to join Zoom: https://bit.ly/VZAPmeeting
• Drop-in office hours on Zoom: Thu. Oct. 22, Tues. Oct 27 and Thu Oct 29, noon–1 p.m. Call +16699006833, Meeting ID 839 288 1539. Link to join Zoom: https://bit.ly/VZAPOfficeHours

The HCAOG Board will consider the final plan for adoption on Thursday December 17th .

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DOCUMENT: Humboldt County Vision Zero Action Plan

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