Transportation chiefs talk turkey

RCAA decries lack of ongoing support for bike trails

David Courtland, Humboldt Sentinel
6/24/09

Eureka

Regional state and county transportation officials talked about funding challenges to projects at a Wednesday town hall meeting in the Eureka Marina’s Wharfinger Building.

The California Transportation Commission held the well-attended meeting, hosted by the Humboldt County Association of Governments, to hear public comments as well as presentations by officials.

Humboldt County public works director Tom Mattson said that like every county in Northern California, Humboldt needs much more money for current projects than is available.

Mattson said about every two years the department has to deal with declared disasters like floods, on top of maintaining 1,207 miles of roads and 167 bridges at an annual cost of $100 million.

Asked how proposed county budget cuts will affect his department, Mattson said it could continue with its current projects for about a year.

“The current budget proposals call for deferring funds, we’re fighting that diversion,” said Mattson, adding his department has about $900,000 in reserve. “That second year, I don’t think I can get through it, I don’t think any county can.”

Jennifer Rice of the Redwood Community Action Agency said that while she is generally able to get grants for community projects such as bicycle trails, there is virtually no ongoing state mechanism for funding non-motorized transportation.

Arcata mayor Mark Wheetley presided over the forum, which also included presentations from Del Norte, Trinity, Mendocino and Lake county officials. Wheetley suggested holding transport-focused town hall meetings more often in Humboldt County, as the area’s unique challenges have less to do with traffic congestion as compared to the rest of California.