 ROADS
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 FMATS Requests State Support
FY2011 Capital Budget Funding Priorities
With the second session of Alaska's 26th Legislature having convened in January 2010, FMATS has been busy growing a case for support to attract State funding for the fiscal year 2011. With the potential for a federal allocation decrease looming on the horizon, securing State funds has become an even higher organizational priority than in years past.
In addition to submitting a diverse list of specific transportation infrastructure projects, FMATS has emphasized the primary importance of its request for $5 million in flexible funds. If received, these flexible funds would extend the effective reach of the existing FMATS spending program, typically $8 million annually, by supplementing the ever-changing needs that arise during the project development process. It would also help the City of Fairbanks, City of North Pole, the Fairbanks North Star Borough and FMATS as they struggle to come up with the required local match for federally funded projects.
The following is the list of Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) projects selected by the FMATS Policy Committee as candidates for State investment based on community priorities, funding needs and construction readiness.
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North Pole Citywide Pavement Rehabilitation (District 11)
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Fairbanks to North Pole Rail Realignment Phase 1 (District 11)
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Yankovich-Miller Hill Road Multi-Use Path (District 7-8) South Cushman Street Rehabilitation:15th to the Mitchell Expy (District10)
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North Pole Interchange Pedestrian Facilities (District 11)
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College Road Pavement Rehabilitation (District 7)
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Gold Hill Road Bicycle and Pedestrian Facility (District 8)
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Noble Street Upgrade (District 10)
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Plack Road Bike/Pedestrian Facility (District 11)
The FMATS staff met with Interior lawmakers in December 2009 to communicate these requests. FMATS Coordinator, Donna Gardino, emphasized the value of State funds in the absence of 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) surface transportation funds. "Certainly, the addition of state general funds to our program would benefit the transportation infrastructure and the Fairbanks area economy."
FMATS encourages the public to demonstrate support for these local projects. Click here for information on how to contact your elected officials. |
 PEDESTRIANS
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 Fairbanks Curb Corners
Upgrades Make Downtown ADA Compliant
When it comes to curbs, cutting corners is not only good, it is the law. Proposed upgrades to downtown Fairbanks sidewalks, expected to begin construction late this summer, will help to assure that local programs and services are accessible to persons with disabilities, a requirement under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990.
Title II of the ADA requires that pedestrian facilities be made accessible by providing curb ramps at street crossings. The ramps must meet specific standards for width, slope, cross slope, placement, and other features. A majority of the City's sidewalks, some built as early as 1960, are not ADA compliant. This FMATS project will provide many of the necessary upgrades.
According to Public Works Director Mike Schmetzer, the City plans to focus the project on main downtown pedestrian routes and will include upgrading segments of sidewalks. "The project will provide significant improvements for pedestrians in our downtown."
This project's price tag will be covered by funds made available through the federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Improvement Program and the City of Fairbanks. The improvements aim at making pedestrian facilities more accessible and, as a result, reducing transportation related emissions by making walking a more feasible alternative to driving.
Curb ramps are a small but important part of making sidewalks accessible to people with disabilities. But they are just one part. Removing obstructions such as utility poles and repairing cracks are other important factors, to name just a few. Future FMATS plans include the development of a Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan, which will target resolving such issues and improving overall accessibility and connectivity.
The Access Alaska WallBusters Advocacy Group supports and applauds this effort. WallBusters member, Rebecca Traylor, explained that sidewalk access is a key concern for this group, whose mission is to educate and advocate for the removal of barriers to independence for people with disabilities. "These essential downtown improvements give people with disabilities the same access to our downtown area as any other pedestrian."
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 BICYCLES
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 Plack Road
A Straight and Narrow Path
In a concerted effort to keep FMATS plans on the straight and narrow, North Pole residents have collected more than 1200 signatures in support of funding the construction of a bicycle and pedestrian facility along Plack Road. As a result, the project, first identified as a community priority in 1989, has reemerged as an FMATS funding priority.
Safety is the main concern being voiced by those that reside, recreate and commute along Plack Road. Serving as the primary access for 30 subdivisions containing over 1300 residential lots, this 45 mph, three-mile stretch of road has mere 11 foot lanes and no shoulders. These conditions create a hazard for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians alike.
It is projected that the need for bicycle and pedestrian safety improvements along Plack Road will grow in the coming years. Traffic volumes on Plack Road have risen by 34% since 2003, and with nearly 300 acres of adjacent developable land, a continued increase in both motorized and non-motorized traffic can be expected.
A North Pole Middle School survey, conducted in 1994 as part of the North Pole Bike Plan, ranked the Plack Road path project among its top 3 priorities. The need continues to be echoed by current day students, like 5th grader Jessie Allen, who expressed her fear of this road in a written comment to FMATS. She explained a time when she was nearly run off the road on her bike. In her letter she encouraged funding this "spendy, but worthwhile" project because "in the end, it could save a life".
Safety is not the only motivation behind this project. Once constructed, the Plack Road
Bicycle and Pedestrian Facility will improve connectivity and quality of life. The proposed facility's proximity to the Chena Lakes Recreation area and the Badger Road
Bike path will provide a beneficial link between these valuable community resources.
In 2008 FMATS programmed $475,000 for preliminary design of this project. An additional $427,000 was programmed for 2011. Once the preliminary design alternatives are available, the public will have a additional chance to weigh in on the process at a public open house, most likely in the fall of 2010.
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 FREIGHT |
 Efficient Movement of Goods
Long-Range Plan Looks at Freight
Fairbanks is geographically positioned such that, regardless of the course taken at this statewide energy crossroads, the area will see an increase in freight traffic on its roadways. In preparation, the soon to be completed FMATS 2010-2035 Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) will include recommendations on how to improve our roads to more efficiently handle freight movement.
The specifics as to what will be needed to accommodate future freight volumes will hinge largely upon what form the transport of natural gas takes.The present uncertainty complicates the immediate development of a comprehensive freight plan, in the interim a basic freight element is being included in the 2010-2035 LRTP update and will suffice until the next LRTP revision in 2014.
This LRTP update, which is in the final stages of development with consultants at Kittleson & Associates, includes input on existing conditions eleven Fairbanks area freight stakeholders. Interviews were conducted soliciting data to identify bottlenecks, safety issues and other constraints.
By and large, the freight stakeholders expressed satisfaction with the performance of the Fairbanks area freight transportation system. That is not to say Fairbanks is free of issues. One particular issue pointed to repeatedly as an impediment to freight movement was the traffic delay associated with having 35-40 railroad at-grade crossings within Fairbanks. Although realignment of the railroad to a location outside of the City has been proposed as a long-range project, the funding does not currently exist.
In the meantime, short to medium range improvements could be made by taking advantage of the low hanging fruit. Feasible near term recommendations to improve signage, pave roadways, reconfigure intersections, and coordinate signal timing could go a long way towards increasing operational efficiency. One example identified in an interview is the confusing intersection at Peger and Van Horn Road, which many mistake as being an all-way stop.
The complete LRTP will include roadway, pedestrian, bicycle and transit needs, in addition to the freight needs, and will be available for public comment in the Spring of 2010. A summary of the comments received at the November 2009 Open House is now available. |
 TRANSIT
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 Statewide Coordination is Key
Governor's Coordinated Transportation Task Force Recommendations Report
The Governor's Coordinated Transportation Task Force (CTTF), established by Administrative Order under former Governor Sarah Palin, is charged with developing recommendations on how the State can efficiently and effectively coordinate community-based transportation services, particularly for the benefit of those with special needs.
The CTTF Recommendations Report, which calls effective coordination in Alaska as "challenging, at best", provides a framework for the development of State-level policy, for the collection and management of data to guide decision making, and for the increased support of local-level systems that meet local needs.
According to the report' more than 25% of Alaska's population are said to have "special needs". This group includes senior citizens, Medicaid recipients, low-income individuals, and those affected by physical or developmental disabilities, mental illness, brain injuries, dementia or substance abuse problems.
Obviously there is no shortage or need; but funding is another story. Fairbanks North Star Borough Transportation Director and Task Force member representing transit, Glenn Miller, says that coordination itself will lend itself to stretching available funds. "Coordination of existing and future transportation resources not only maximizes the efficiency of those resources, but also offers transportation services to those desiring services that are currently not offered." Mr. Miller requested and FMATS passed a resolution of support for the CTTF Recommendations Report, in recognition of the value of such coordination.
Governor Sean Parnell has extended the duration of the work of this Task Force to April 15, 2010. |
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For More Information, Contact Us!
800 Cushman Street, Fairbanks, AK 99701
ph: 907.459.6805 fax: 907.459.6783
tlcallear@ci.fairbanks.ak.us
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