Last [Friday] night, H2H staff asked Anchorage’s Transit Advisory Board for a resolution supporting the project, explaining Anchorage needed to protect its funding from other big projects such as Juneau Access and the Knik Arm and Gravina Island bridges.
They called the freeway a “springboard for an increased transit system,” explaining that we could to build the freeway now, and then in 10, 15 or perhaps 20 years, build out transit as, perhaps, a Bus Rapid Transit system.
The Transit Advisory Board said they’d like to hear more about how and when transit will be improved, mentioning the vast cost differences ie $700 million for three miles of freeway vs $1 million per bus route per year. They questioned how commuters would get around Anchorage once they got here, without improved transit.
H2H staff acknowledged that many neighborhoods were unhappy with the various proposed freeway corridors, and that in initial meetings, the public clearly asked for more transit. They also acknowledged that travelers come into Anchorage, not through it, so that a typical bypass is not needed here.
When asked what was the hold up in amending the project’s purpose to go beyond “relieving congestion in the Gambell-Ingra corridor,” staff responded the purpose and need was again being examined in light of recent comments, and that the FHWA, FTA and Alaska DOT would make the final determination about the purpose and need. Leaving one to ask, Where is the muni in all this?
Please attend meetings December 15th and 16th at H2H offices:
Tuesday, December 15th at 6:00pm, Sam will present land use and transportation planning in Portland and how it relates to Anchorage. This presentation will be followed by a question and answer session intended to spur discussions on conceptual planning practices and approaches.
Highway to Highway Project Office located at 820 E. 15th Avenue, Anchorage from 6:00pm to 7:30pm. Please free to invite others that you feel may be interested in this topic. We request that everyone please RSVP for the meeting so we may appropriately accommodate the people planning to attend. Julie.Jessen
Wednesday, December 16 at 11:30am, Sam will present at City Hall, 1st floor Assembly Conference Room from 11:30AM to 1:00PM on his work with land use and transportation issues in other cities, including Portland, OR, and applications (pedestrian amenities, transit service, parking pricing, urban design factors, etc.) that may potentially be beneficial for Anchorage. The focus will be on what strategies have worked well in other cities that Anchorage may wish to consider for its future.
[Source: Anchorage Citizens Coalition]
