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FMATS Newsletter
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Fall 2011 Newsletter |
October 2011 |
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Greetings!
Thank you for your interest in the Fairbanks Metropolitan Area Transportation System (FMATS) and the projects that we are involved with around the Fairbanks area.
We strive to create a safe, efficient, secure, and interconnected multi-modal transportation system for all users around the communities of Fairbanks and North Pole.
Discussed in this newsletter are some of the planning efforts that we have been a part of on over the past few months along with some future plans and projects that will soon be taking place in the FMATS area.
Thank you and we appreciate your support!
FMATS Staff
907-459-6805
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2012 - 2015 TIP
On August 24, 2011 the 2012 - 2015 FMATS Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) was officially approved by the FMATS Policy Committee. An important aspect of every TIP developed by FMATS is public input. There were a variety of opportunities for the public to comment on the TIP including two public open houses. FMATS received a number of public comments in regards to the 2012 - 2015 TIP. A summary of the comments received as well as FMATS' responses can be found in our responsiveness summary here. Significant projects to be initiated in the next four years include:
- FMATS LED Street Light Conversion - Stage III
- Gillam Way Rehabilitation
- Minnie Street Reconstruction
- Wendell Avenue Bridge project
- FMATS Pedestrian Improvements Stage I & Stage II
- FMATS Steese Expressway to Graehl Park Connector
Non-Motorized Transportation
Over the summer, FMATS has made significant progress on its Non-Motorized Transportation Plan. A public open house was held on September 8, 2011 to receive further public input on this bike and pedestrian plan. This plan is the first of its kind in the Fairbanks area and is expected to be completed this winter. If you would like more information on biking and walking conditions in Fairbanks, please review the Existing Conditions and Opportunities for Improvement report. The FMATS Non-Motorized Transportation Plan Website can be viewed here.
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FMATS Obligates Over $30 Million in Transportation Projects
In 2011, FMATS received roughly $11.5 million in federal community transportation program (FCTP) funding to improve the transportation system in the Fairbanks area. However, over the past 12 months, FMATS was able to obligate over $37 million in federal funding. The additional funds came from a variety of sources including grandfathered federal funding (for University Avenue and Illinois Street), Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) funds, and federal earmark funding. State and local funding provided $8 million to FMATS projects this year.
 | | Overhead utilities that will be relocated underground on Illinois Street. |
The largest of these obligations is the Illinois Street Reconstruction project, which is expected to go out to bid this winter with construction scheduled to begin in early in 2012. The Illinois Street Reconstruction project is one of the largest transportation projects, in terms of funding, to take place in the FMATS area in some time. In addition to a new and improved roadway, pedestrian facilities will be constructed on both sides of the road, a connection from Illinois Street to the Barnette Street Bridge will be integrated, and all overhead utilities will be moved underground. The construction on Illinois Street is expected to last two construction seasons.
In addition, other 2011 FMATS construction projects included replacement of curb corners in the FMATS area to achieve ADA compliance, the upgrade of five traffic signals in the FMATS area to incorporate video detection devices, Leasure Subdivision Area Street Improvements, the FMATS Sign Replacement Stage II project, and upgrades to Wendell Avenue. A handful of these projects, such as the Illinois Street Reconstruction project, obligated construction funding in 2011, but will not be constructed until next summer. These projects include the rehabilitation on South Cushman (Mitchell to Sanduri) and the FMATS Area Surface Upgrades project.
FMATS continues to fund preliminary engineering and design on the following projects:
- College Road Rehabilitation
- Noble Street Upgrade
- ADA Curb Corner and Sidewalk Upgrades Stage II
- FMATS LED Street Light Conversion - Stage II
- North Pole Bike Trail Rehabilitation and Connections
- FMATS Preventive Maintenance Program
- North Pole Interchange Pedestrian Facilities
Development of these projects will carry over into 2012, along with many other projects you can expect to see in the Fairbanks area in the near future. The FMATS four-year Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) can be viewed here and the list of FFY11 federally obligated projects can be viewed in its entirety here.
 | | Curb on Lacey and 5th before the FMATS Curb Corner Upgrade project. |
 | Curb on Lacey and 5th after
the FMATS Curb Corner Upgrade project. |
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FMATS Receives State Funding
FMATS is pleased to announce that as a part of the 2012 Capital Budget appropriation, $5 million was allocated for the FMATS Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). This contribution will assist tremendously in the facilitation of FMATS projects and allow flexibility in scope and schedule. In addition, the use of state funding will ultimately lessen the total cost of transportation projects by allowing FMATS to utilize a more streamlined process.
A state-funded Preventive Maintenance Program was selected as a major priority of the FMATS Policy Committee this year, with a $1.5 million allocation. The purpose of this program is to identify, evaluate, prioritize and construct preventive maintenance projects. FMATS conducts meetings on an annual basis to develop the Preventative Maintenance Program, because one of FMATS four goals is to optimize the utility and lifespan of the existing transportation system.
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Crack Sealing on Broadmoor Avenue is just one project completed in the Preventive Maintenance Program |
Preventive maintenance programs generally consist of several less costly projects, such as crack repair or resurfacing, intended to significantly extend and optimize the utility and lifespan of existing roadways. The periodic application of pavement treatments can retard further deterioration and improve the functional condition of the existing transportation system. These measures are taken in order to prevent the necessity of more costly roadway reconstruction. In preparation for potential future funding cuts at the federal level, preventive maintenance programs are gaining popularity as a cost effective option to ensure roadway quality in the Fairbanks area.
Also included in the FMATS' allocation of state funding are two pedestrian facility improvement projects. These projects will address the need for mid-block crossings and sidewalks, increased connectivity between existing routes, and improved current facilities. In addition, the current Cushman Complete Streets and Noble Street Upgrades projects will receive supplemental funding.
The FMATS Policy Committee has allocated the state funding towards the following projects:
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Project Name |
Project Description |
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Preventive Maintenance Program (State Funded) |
Begin a new entirely state funded Preventive Maintenance program in order to streamline and minimize costs as compared to the federally funded Preventive Maintenance program currently in place. This program would include streets in the City of Fairbanks, the City of North Pole, and the Fairbanks North Star Borough and associated appurtenances. |
$1,500,000 | |
FMATS Pedestrian Improvements: Stage 1 |
Supplement Phase 4 of the Pedestrian Improvements: Stage 1 project. This project will add new pedestrian facilities along Wilbur Street, Davis road, Peger Road, and Lathrop Street with possible mid-block crossings. |
$1,040,000 | |
Cushman Street Complete Streets |
Supplement the current funding of $4,658,000 on the Cushman portion of the Cushman, Barnette, and Gaffney Complete Streets project. |
$525,000 | |
Preventative Maintenance Program (Federal Program) |
Supplement the funding of the current Preventive Maintenance program in FFY13. This program will address pavement surface maintenance, traffic control signal upgrades, street light load center rehab, storm drain maintenance, reclaim/double chip, seal coat, crack sealing, roadway striping, dust control, signage replacement and intersection upgrades. This program would include streets in the City of Fairbanks, the City of North Pole, and the Fairbanks North Star Borough. |
$500,000 | |
FMATS Pedestrian Improvements: Stage 2 |
Construct new pedestrian facilities to improve connectivity within the FMATS boundary on Kellum, from Lathrop to 10th Avenue, on the south and east side; sidewalk spot repairs, as funding allows, on the north and west side of Kellum between Lathrop and 10th Avenue; new pedestrian facilities on both sides of 10th Avenue from Kellum to Cowles and on the south side of McGown from Kellum to Cowles. Construct three crosswalks at the intersection of McGown and Kellum and realign the curb corner on Cowles to the north of the library exit to align with the northwest corner of McGown and Cowles. Provide a hybrid pedestrian signal at this intersection, such as a HAWK.
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$210,000 | |
Noble Street Upgrades |
Supplement the current state and federal funding on the Noble Street Upgrade project to bring this project to construction in 2014. |
$1,216,600 |
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FMATS Continues Work on Safe Routes to School Program
Over the past year, FMATS, in partnership with PDC Inc. Engineers and Information Insights, has been working on a Fairbanks-specific Safe Routes to School program. Safe Routes to School is a federally-funded program that came to Alaska in 2005, with the goal of encouraging and enabling more children to safely walk and bike to school. The Safe Routes to School Program attempts to identify the barriers to safe walking and biking, as well as potential improvements.
In 1969, 48% of students walked or biked to school compared to the 15% of children that do so today. The diminishing trend these statistics illustrate raises multiple concerns. For one thing, childhood obesity and asthma, which are on the rise, are combated by physical activity, which a daily pedestrian commute to school can provide. In addition, travel to school accounts for up to 25% of morning traffic, causing increased congestion and vehicle emissions.
FMATS recently completed the first step of a Safe Routes to School program, a Walk Zone Inventory and Engineering Recommendations Report, for each particular school within the area. Upon completion of the Walk Zone Inventory, each school has gained eligibility to receive Safe Routes to School grant funding. This funding is available in the
 | | A High-Intensity Activated Crosswalk (HAWK) Pedestrian crossing signal that was installed adjacent to the Floyd Dryden Middle School in Juneau, Alaska through the Safe Routes to School program. |
form of two types of grants, infrastructure grants, which can be used for bicycle and pedestrian facility improvements, traffic calming devices, or signage, and non-infrastructure grants, which can be used for walking and bicycling programs or school-related studies.
As part of the FMATS Safe Routes to School program, one draft grant application will be developed for a school in the FMATS area.
If you would like more information about the Safe Routes to School grant application program, please visit the Fairbanks safe routes to school website here, or contact Donna Gardino at djgardino@ci.fatibanks.ak.us
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Technology Comes to MACS Transit System
During the upcoming year, the MACS Transit System will implement significant technological advancements intended to increase user-friendliness, improve operation efficiency, and sustain ever-increasing ridership. The consulting firm Clear View Strategies, in a technology study carried out in early 2011, proposed a number of recommendations to help the MACS Transit System achieve a more hi-tech level of operation.
The technology recommendations within the study range from Wi-Fi on the buses to automatic voice enunciator boxes, designed to announce upcoming stop information, to a variety of predictive arrival and trip planning systems accessible by cell phone, kiosks, and personal computers. In addition, MACS plans to launch Computer Aided Dispatch and Automatic Vehicle Location systems which will provide real time information about schedule adherence, bus locations, passenger loads, and will help inform transfer management at the transit center. The full recommendations report can be viewed here.
 | | Smart Phone capable Predictive Arrival Systems are just one of the user friendly changes coming to the MACS Transit System. |
When implemented simultaneously, the range of improvements aims to create an enjoyable, efficient, and dependable experience for all public transit users by providing an interactive network to assist in planning and riding. In addition to the benefits enjoyed by users, these systems will aid MACS officials in National Transit Database (NTD) data collection and reporting, improve service planning and scheduling of service, and integrate fareboxes to help reconcile revenue by route, vehicle, or a particular area.
There is currently a Request for Proposal for implementing the technology improvements, scheduled to being February 1st, 2012, for the Computer Aided Dispatch/Automatic Vehicle Location system, Automated Voice Annunciation System, in-vehicle WI-FI system, Predictive Arrival System, Google Interface/Trip Planning System, and Automatic Passenger Counters. |
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For More Information, Contact US!
800 Cushman Street, Fairbanks, AK 99701
Phone: 907-459-6805 Fax: 907-459-6783
kdspillman@ci.fairbanks.ak.us
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