Using various transportation grants, the city of Eureka, CA developed a plan to create a “bike boulevard” from the downtown shoreline area of Humboldt Bay into the residential part of town. According to the city’s Engineering Department, “The intent of the C Street Bicycle Boulevard Project is to provide a low level of stress bicycle transportation corridor.”
During the spring and summer of 2026, C Street was repaved, restriped to show bike lanes, and several intersections were made one-way to keep the street from being a through street for cars. Long-time residents were not crazy about the loss of a thoroughfare, but we all seem to have adapted to the one-way sections that used to be two-way.
In late August, galvanized metal planters were added at three intersections. The gray color wasn’t very appealing, but a couple of weeks later, signs saying “Art Coming Soon!” appeared in the planters beside the small lavender and California poppy plants struggling to get started.
(Top left:) Calypso painting a planter along C Street; (Other photos:) Amanda painting the planter on the opposite corner of C Street.
During late September and October, we met artists as they worked on painting the planters. Each person selected to paint a planter submitted a color drawing of their proposed design. A wide range of designs was the result. All the planters had to be completed by Halloween (Oct. 31).
Finished planters on the corner of C Street and Buhne St. The landscape scenes are taken from around the region. The yellow is a depiction of the dry grass of inland California during the late summer and fall. This planter is called Table Bluff and is by Noah T. Eddisford-Sheffler and Samantha Andrews.
Painted planters at the corner of C and 14th Streets. The “I Love Eureka”, and “Eureka Loves Me” planters were painted by Jenna Catsos whose work I recognize from her online store (penandpine.com). She also lives around the corner from the planter she decorated.
The planters on the corner of C Street and Harris St. include one view of Humboldt Bay complete with egret. The opposite side has a recognizable view of the rocky shore north of Trinidad. We enjoyed chatting with the artists we met, though often they were painting intently. We spoke to five of the twelve painters, and each worked one or more jobs, doing their painting in their non-work hours. It helped that the window for painting got them all completed before the change to daylight savings time. Otherwise, I could imagine a few of them wearing headlamps and painting in the dark on the night of Oct. 30! The results definitely improved the bike route for everyone.
