Humboldt County Association of Governments staff led a discussion Oct. 16 on the draft Regional Transportation Improvement Program (RTIP) and the TAC’s recommendations for the 2026 State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP).

Staff explained the STIP is a biennial, five‑year programming process funded from the State Highway Account; the county’s target programming amount for 2026 was shown in staff materials as about $2,334,000. The TAC recommendation the committee reviewed would program roughly $3,000,000, an amount that includes about $650,000 of overprogramming to fund whole phases of projects now rather than waiting for later STIP cycles. Staff explained overprogramming borrows against future STIP shares and reduces available capacity for the 2028 cycle.

The TAC recommended five projects and phase allocations: Arcata’s South Arcata Multimodal Safety Improvement Project (SAMSIP) — $700,000 for PA/ED; City of Blue Lake — $625,000 for a critical phase of its truck route project; City of Eureka — $750,000 for the Hawthorne and Humboldt bike boulevard construction; City of Ferndale — $425,000 for the Francis Street/Eugene Street roadway and ADA priority; and City of Fortuna — $500,000 for PA/ED on the Kenmar and Ross Hill Road intersection improvements. Staff noted several projects currently proposed for funding are not yet listed in the 2022 RTP and would require RTP amendments before STIP programming (Eureka and Ferndale projects were specifically identified).

Public comment from Colin Fisk of Citizens for Responsible Transportation Priorities urged the PAC to prioritize projects that demonstrably advance RTP goals and to avoid investments that increase vehicle miles traveled (VMT). Fisk said the Fortuna project "appears primarily designed to increase vehicular capacity and reduce congestion ... which means increased vehicle miles traveled," and he urged TAC and the PAC to weigh RTP policy alignment more heavily in recommendations.

Representatives associated with Fortuna responded that the Kenmar/Ross Hill project is part of a larger planning effort including interchange improvements, Strongs Creek Trail and connections to the future Great Redwood Trail and that the city considers the intersection work crucial to supporting infill economic development on a 75‑acre mill site and to reducing commuter VMT over time by enabling more local jobs and improved multimodal access.

PAC members asked clarifying questions about the overprogramming approach and the STIP funding timeline, and suggested staff return the CRTP comments to the TAC for further consideration. The PAC provided direction to staff to carry the TAC recommendation forward into the November draft RTIP, to include required RTP amendments for projects not yet listed in the RTP, and to transmit public comment (including CRTP’s letter) back to the TAC for response. Staff said the draft RTIP will go to the TAC in November and to the HCOG board for adoption on Nov. 20; the finalized RTIP must be submitted to the California Transportation Commission by mid‑December.

Ending: The item was discussion only; the PAC did not take a binding vote on the RTIP recommendation but provided direction to staff and to the TAC to proceed with the draft RTIP and to consider public comments.