Background

The Eureka Non-Freeway Alternatives Project has prioritized an extension of Waterfront Drive along a three mile stretch of coast currently free of roads. The extension would begin at Del Norte street in the North and continue to Herrick avenue in the South. The Palco Marsh and Del Norte Street Fishing Pier and Park are at the North (pictures 2-5). The Elk River Marsh Wildlife Area is to the South. Between these are pockets of City property strong together along the Railroad right-of-way. This is the only area on Eureka's southwest side which people may use to relax after a long days work, take a stroll, walk the dog, fish off the pier, bird watch, or ride their bike.

The Road

In 1996 Eureka's City Council asked Caltrans to officially abandon the freeway "bypass" through Eureka. Caltrans agreed and is now liquidating the property they acquired in the 70's originally for the project. Approximately $7 Million will be collected from the auctions, with the stipulation that the money be spent on projects in Eureka that improve the safety and operation of the Highway 101 Corridor. To further this goal, a public meeting was held in January, 1997 to solicit community input. When attending this initial meeting we informed Caltrans of our concerns regarding an extension of Waterfront drive from Del Norte street down to Herrick avenue. While such a road would alleviate some congestion along Broadway, this "band-aid" solution would only hold a few years, until once again traffic would be "bumper to bumper," both on Broadway and Waterfront drive.

The Cost: $5,300,000

In addition, we believe that such a project is a poor use of scarce funds. And at $5.3 million, many smaller safety related projects could be pursued along 101 in Eureka. Several such projects identified by Caltrans staff (but not prioritized) were improving "T street south, connecting to 7th @ Myrtle" and "Realigning 5th at R and 6th at Myrtle." Expanding the bike route system and improving the bus system would be city-wide long-term solutions.

Impacts

More relevant to our cause, however, is the nature of the area from Del Norte to Herrick. This area is relatively free of industrial activity and is returning to it's natural state. While many coastal communities have already built up their waterfronts, Eureka has not. This is a tremendous opportunity. We can do it right the first time -- creating a waterfront that is alive and public from the start. This area is vital to such a vision. It is currently home to three public access areas, one pier, and two preserved and recovering wetlands. As stated above, many people use this area on a regular basis. If a road is built through the area, the natural feel would be ruined. The peace and quiet essential for the area's enjoyment would be broken. And on the other end of town, Historic Oldtown would be affected. This extension is capable of 40,000 cars per day and will be channeling them into Oldtown where they will counter the efforts being made to revitalize that area. With a multitude of cars zooming by, Oldtown's allure will be tarnished. And all for short term gain. It has been proven that traffic "expands to fill capacity" time and time again. Long term solutions must be pursued that deal with the traffic congestion in Eureka in a sustainable manner.

Caltrans Recommendations

Unfortunately, the final staff report and recommendation prioritizes the extension of Waterfront Drive and ignores our negative comment. We believe proper process was not followed when Caltrans staff failed to inform us (via a contact sheet) of pertinant project timelines, specifically City Council, County Supervisor, and HCAOG meetings regarding this issue. David Morrow, a Caltrans open-house attendee asked to be part of the steering committee, was given verbal assurance, yet was never notified of meetings. In addition, David has uncovered concerns over probable CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act) violations, which Caltrans denies.