Arcata council kills idea of K, L street couplet

Aug 01, 2023

While no formal vote was taken, the Arcata City Council decided to remove a section of the city’s General Plan update that would have converted K and L into one-way streets.

The proposal, part of the Gateway Area Plan — a strategy to create dense, mixed-use infill development within Arcata’s 138-acre creamery district — would have extended L Street from Alliance Road to Samoa Boulevard and attempted to make the area safer for pedestrians by narrowing the streets. However, the three Arcata City Council members who can be present for Gateway discussions because they lack conflicts disagreed and directed staff to remove that section of the plan.

“My understanding from talking to Dan Burden (a walkability expert), is that one-way streets are kind of a double-edged sword,” Mayor Sarah Schaefer said. “Yes, people are going to want to drive faster because they are the only car in that lane with nothing on both sides (so) they just see an open road and want to go faster. However, for pedestrians crossing the street, it is significantly less dangerous and less opportunities to get hit, because you are only crossing one lane of traffic as opposed to crossing two lanes of traffic coming from both directions.”

In staff direction, Schaefer asked for research into other options for traffic safety measures on K and L streets, such as a woonerf: a Dutch concept translating to “living street” that incorporates low speed limits, traffic calming and minimal segregation between pedestrian and vehicle paths.

The subject was marked by impassioned and voluminous public comment, kicking off with a woman in a neon-green frog hoodie serenading the chambers with a modified rendition of the Sesame Street theme song about Linear Park, a proposed formal greenspace on L Street.

The Arcata Planning Commission recommended the couplet against the advice of the Arcata Traffic Safety Committee, which argued it would make the street less safe.

“The main reason I support (the couplet) is public safety. One-way streets are safer for pedestrians and cyclists,” Commissioner Peter Lehman said shortly before being interrupted by jeering public commenters in the gallery. “Regardless of what changes we make to K Street, if it remains a two-way street, it’s more dangerous than if it’s converted to one way … Many people have called for an L Street linear park. In my view, there’s no reason we can’t have both the existing bike path walkway, a beautiful linear park and a new L Street.”

Councilmember Kimberley White disagreed.

“I don’t think we can have it both ways. It will be an inferior linear park and even if the engineers were able to fit vehicles, parked vehicles, bicyclists, pedestrians, strollers, rollers, wheelchairs, walkers, etc. into this space, the feel of the pathway would be significantly altered, and the peace and tranquility would no longer exist,” White said.

The overwhelming majority of public commenters opposed the couplet idea, exemplified by the first commenter, who delivered her opinions via song.

The following quote was stated in the cadence of the “Sesame Street” theme song.

“Sunny day, sweeping the gates away. On my way to where the streets are safe. Can you tell me how to get, how to get to Linear Park?” the commenter crooned. “Walk and ride with all our Arcata pride. Friendly neighbors there, that’s where we meet. Can you tell me how to get, how to get to L Street. No dangerous semi trucks or maybe a few small ducks. How much money have we already spent? Can you tell me, can we really all have affordable rent? Families come and play, everything’s A-OK here in Linear Park, it will stay that way. Can you tell me how to get, how to get to Linear Park. Don’t want no couplet in the dark, how to get to Linear Park.”

Jackson Guilfoil can be reached at 707-441-0506.

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