How To Use H Street – No Deliveries In The Left Lane
How NOT to use H Street between Ninth and 11th streets for deliveries. Were any trucks to use the right-side green lane for deliveries as intended, traffic – including emergency vehicles – could be halted in its tracks. Photos by KLH | Eye
January 16, 2013
Subject: Double Parking of Delivery Vehicles on “H” Street in Arcata
Dear Beverage Distributors, Foodservice Suppliers and Business Owners,
In October 2011, following several weeks of significant underground utility, sidewalk and street reconstruction work, the City of Arcata re-opened “H” Street between 9th and 11th Streets.
The design intent of the new street configuration is for the left lane to be used for “through traffic” and the right lane for right turns, delivery parking, access of on-street parking and shared bicycle traffic.
Not as planned.
Since the time of the re-opening, citizens, business owners, transit operators and emergency service providers have expressed safety concerns to City staff regarding delivery vehicles double parking on “H” Street in the left lane, effectively blocking “H” Street to large vehicles for the time that the delivery vehicle is parked.
Parking in this manner is not only disruptive to the normal flow of traffic, it also creates a potentially hazardous situation should an emergency vehicle need to get through in an expedited manner.
Although limited enforcement has been conducted to-date, the practice of delivery parking in the left lane will no longer be allowed. We ask that you please notify all delivery personnel and instruct them to use either the right lane (west side) of “H” Street or, preferably, adjacent alleyways for delivery parking; this will help traffic to flow normally and ensure the passage of public transit and emergency vehicles.
Sincerely,
Morgan Kessler
Deputy Director of Public Works
Cc: Randal J. Mendosa, City Manager
Tom Chapman, Police Chief
Arcata City Council
