Highway
to Highway
Seward to Glenn Highway Connection
The Seward Highway to
Glenn Highway Connection project (H2H) will explore connecting
the Seward and Glenn Highways into Anchorage's first freeway
through the city. The actual route has not been chosen yet.
A consistent part of the plan is that a length of the highway
will run under surface level with broad walkways and road crossings
above.
Previous transportation
studies and adopted plans have recommended connecting these
highways. The environmental review process began in July 2008.
The purpose of the project, alternatives to meet the needs,
and the project's effects on the natural and human environment
will be determined through the National Environmental Policy
Act (NEPA) process.
The project's team promises
that "Together, we will find a solution that balances transportation
needs, engineering safety, community values, environmental compatibility,
and financial feasibility."
Originally budgeted at
$750 million, Anchorage Citizens Coalition sees the project
falling far from the mark on all those criteria compared with
many alternative uses of the money. The freeway also challenges
Anchorage 2020 goals to protect and improve neighborhoods, maintain
clear, healthful air, provide transportation choices, and reduce
congestion.
Contents:
Will
this project create the city envisioned in Anchorage 2020?
What
can you do?
Public
Meetings & Hearings
H2H-
Documents for Review
An article in
the Anchorage Daily News on August 6, 2008.
Costly connection: the crosstown highway
Quoted is Anchorage
Citizens Coalition's president John Weddleton who "believes
the cost of the highway is too much, when other projects would
help the city more." Great story.
However, a couple of facts
were off base:
1. Darrell Hess is quoted as
saying the freeway would remove "200,000 trips per day from
Tudor, 15th, Gambell and Muldoon."
In fact: In 2006 highway planners estimated 100,000 trips would
be removed from other streets. Even that number is a sham. Fully
2/3 or 65,000 would come from the existing Gambell-Ingra corridor.
Only - - 8500 from Lake Otis - 8500 from Northern Lights - 3000
from 15th - 9000 from 3rd would come from other roads according
to the computer model. Unfortunately, those trips come at a
cost of increased pollution for Fairview's families. Only one
other part of town projects increased pollution - folks along
the new Bragaw Extension though Far North Bicentennial Park.
In Anchorage we've shown increased pollution equals increased
asthma in our children.
2. The Daily News reported
the 2005 cost at $581 million.
In fact: The 2005 estimate closes in on $775 million:
$575 Highway to Highway
$63 Airport Heights Interchange
$50 Tudor to 20th
$33 Bragaw Interchange
$26 Gambell Ingra to Whitney\
$22 McCarrey to Ingra-Gambell
$3 3rd Avenue resurface
Note that these projects do
not include widening planned for the New Seward. - Haven't seen
those costs yet.
At the Chamber of Commerce's
Business and Economic Development meeting on August 6, 2008,
the assumption was that a freeway would be built - somewhere.
The Daily News explained that the state is buying properties
along the Hyder right of way. Wonder which route the state is
betting on....
When asked for a "land use
and transit study" where infill and redevelopment served by
transit and sidewalks would take enough trips off the road to
eliminate need for a freeway - staff explained they researched
that a few years ago and it wouldn't relieve congestion. Hmmm.
Then how come it works in other cities? Portland is now working
for 60 percent of its downtown commute to come by transit, compared
with 40 percent today. Anchorage's highway study estimated transit
all the way up to 2 percent.
Could it be "When all you have
in your hand is a hammer, everything looks like a nail?"
For
the cost of this freeway, we could have streetcar lines or more
city buses
By Walt Parker and John Weddleton
Published as a Compass article in the Anchorage Daily News August
18, 2007
A
lot of people think the Fairview Freeway is a great deal. No
more red lights! A quicker commute!
But
where will the construction money come from? What about the
air pollution that we know causes asthma for children living
nearby, and what happens when energy costs climb? Do we care
about the economic drain on Anchorage in general, and downtown
in particular? How quickly will we zip around town after traffic
doubles? And finally, how we will pay to maintain what we've
already built?
This
freeway is outrageously expensive at $150 million a mile, and
would consume 40 percent of Anchorage's expected transportation
revenues for the next 20 years. For its $725 million price tag
Anchorage could build 60 miles of streetcars - 8 routes connecting
the city along major corridors. Imagine solving congestion by
getting cars off the road! If we put that money in the bank,
Anchorage could operate 35 more bus routes on the interest alone
in addition to the 19 we have today. When we have a bus system
that meets our needs, we won't have to drive everywhere.
In
Alaska we waste scarce federal funds on earmarks and use state
general funds to build roads, instead of improving education,
health care, clean air and water. We condemn ourselves to more
traffic when our only solution for congestion is building more
roads. And busy freeways are notorious polluters. They emit
heavy metals, carcinogens and dust that send children to the
hospital and the traffic noise ruins neighborhoods.
The
freeway will drain downtown development. It does not help anyone
get into downtown but speeds us to the new malls on the Glenn
at Bragaw and Muldoon. Instead of honoring the Comprehensive
Plan, this freeway promotes sprawl and encourages young families
to move to the valley.
The
Fairview Freeway is premised on doubling Anchorage's traffic.
Maybe a new freeway can handle twice as many cars as Gambell-Ingra,
but can the feeder streets? Do you remember when they said Tudor
Road would eliminate congestion and provide a travelers' bypass?
How does it feel to drive Tudor now?
If
our only solution to transportation is to build more roads,
we condemn ourselves to that doubling of traffic. The workable
solution is to provide families with alternatives to driving.
Finally,
there's the looming maintenance problem. We build highways without
a maintenance plan. The state of Alaska says road and bridge
maintenance already falls short by $10 million a year. Who will
pay to maintain this freeway that serves mostly Mat-Su commuters?
Continued
road building won't solve our transportation problems. It hasn't
worked in other cities, and it won't work here. It's time to
demand a modern, balanced, working transportation system that
will serve our children and their children.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Walt Parker is a longtime Anchorage civic activist
and transportation consultant.
John Weddleton is past president of the Anchorage Citizens Coalition.
Public
Meetings & Hearings
October
2008 Public Open Houses: Round 2
During this second round of public meetings, the H2H project
team will present the revised Purpose & Need Statement, preliminary
alternatives, and proposed screening criteria at three identical
public open houses.
All open houses are from 6 pm to 8 pm with a presentation
at 7 pm.
- Monday,
October 27, 2008 Tyson Elementary School 2801 Richmond Ave.
- Tuesday,
October 28, 2008 Fairview Elementary School 1327 Nelchina
Street,
- Wednesday,
October 29, 2008 Bartlett High School 1101 N Muldoon Road
Other presentations:
- 10-03-08.
H2H Listening Post at Northway Mall (3101 Penland Pkwy, Anchorage)
10 am to 7 pm.
- 10-09-08
Campbell Park Community Council Meeting 10-13-08. H2H Listening
Post at Fred Meyer (1000 E Northern Lights Blvd, Anchorage).
11 am to 2 pm.
- 10-14-08.
H2H Listening Post at Fred Meyer (7701 Debarr Rd, Anchorage)
11 am to 2 pm.
- 10-15-08
Federation of Community Councils Meeting
- 10-16-08
American Public Works Association (APWA) Meeting
- 10-22-08
Alaska DOT&PF Regional Transportation Forum
- 11-06-08
Municipal Airports Aviation Advisory Commission (MAAAC) Meeting
- 11-06-08
CHUAC Meeting #3
- 11-06-08
Scenic Foothills Community Council Meeting
ACC
Board members Susanne DiPietro and Michael Howard are members
of the Citizens and Highway Users Advisory Committee.
H2H-
Documents for Review
The
project's official website is www.highway2highway.com
A background
information packet from the project consultant team is posted
here.
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