Karuk Tribe Increasing Capacity for Transportation Alternatives in Rural Community
The Karuk Tribe is nestled in the rugged mountainous terrain of Humboldt and Siskiyou Counties, and consists of Tribal properties and administrative facilities that are located in Orleans, Somes Bar, Happy Camp, and Yreka. These noncontiguous lands of the Tribe are connected by State Route 96, which is a winding, two-lane highway. Orleans, a small, remote community located along highway 96, is the location of the Red Cap Road Project.
Red Cap Road is the major access route for residents living on Karuk Tribal Land and private properties in the project area. Red Cap Road was a narrow two-lane roadway with little to no shoulder and poor line of sight, making walking and biking in the area hazardous. Pedestrians in the area had to walk on the roadway or on unimproved shoulders. The narrow roadway did not have a safe space of travel for pedestrian, bicycle, and other forms of non-motorized transportation. Due to this danger, Red Cap Road had been deemed inadequate by local residents, Karuk Tribe officials, and County of Humboldt officials.
The goal of this project was to ensure a safe, active transportation route on both sides of Red Cap Road. This project utilized the existing roadway alignment, widened the shoulders of Red Cap Road, and constructed approximately 8,250 linear feet of five-foot-wide paved bikeway and pedestrian-way. The project boundary beginning is at the intersection of Red Cap Road and State Route 96 and the project boundary ending is at the intersection of Red Cap Road and Shivshaneen Road. Traffic calming elements were also incorporated in the design of this safety project, which included striping and signage.
Funded through a grant from the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Tribal Transportation Program Safety Fund (TTPSF), this project was constructed within the existing public right-of-way and adjacent to Federal, State, Tribal, and private property and was part of thoughtful, integrated planning. The Tribe received a grant that allowed them to complete a Tribal Safety Transportation Plan where the Red Cap Road project was identified. This identification of the Red Cap Road project as part of the plan allowed the Tribe to apply for the Safety Fund grant. Another point to note is that the Red Cap Road project was also listed in the Middle Klamath River Community Transportation Plan (2011), Humboldt County Regional Transportation Plan (2014), and the Humboldt Regional Bicycle Plan. In addition, Red Cap Road scored high in an evaluation rating where this project, along with other projects, faced a Project Prioritization rating process in order to establish a prioritization ranking amongst the Plans.
This project is a great example of making it safer for people to get around while also encouraging the Walking and Biking in Indian Country Safe Routes to School Campaign by creating safe and healthy opportunity for students to travel to school. The connectivity that this project provides the Karuk Tribes’ main thoroughfare between tribal housing at the end of Red Cap Road at Shivshaneen, and services such as medical, dental, TANF and other services provided by the Tribe was of particular importance to the community.