Speak Up For Safe Streets: Submit Your Comments Now

Anchorage has faced a tragic spate of pedestrian fatalities on state-owned roads this month; in the span of just one week, four people were hit and killed by drivers while they were crossing the street. These roads were designed to move as many cars, as quickly as possible, and they have become deadly for people walking and biking. Anchorage's rate of traffic violence is alarmingly high, and this has to change.

Our Call to Action

On Wednesday, Bike Anchorage sent a letter to the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF) calling for urgent action. We outlined the key factors contributing to these recent fatalities and offered practical, proven solutions to improve road safety for all users - including those who walk, bike, take transit, and drive. Here’s a summary of the most critical points:

Key Factors Contributing to Dangerous Roads:

1. Road design that prioritizes car speed over pedestrian safety.
2. Lack of frequent, safe crossings, forcing pedestrians to take risks.
3. High-speed traffic and wide roads, which increase the likelihood and severity of crashes.

Solutions That Work
Approaches like telling pedestrians to wear more reflective clothing, or stepping up police patrols to issue more speeding citations, only address the symptoms without solving the root cause. Instead, we're advocating for the implementation of safety countermeasures proven by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to prevent traffic violence and save lives. These include:

• Reducing vehicle speeds by implementing low-cost, quick-build road diets that naturally enforce safer speeds.
• Installing more frequent crosswalks and pedestrian beacons, improving their function, and protecting pedestrians when they're in the crosswalk.
• Adding protected bike lanes and other bike/pedestrian infrastructure that creates safe routes and also calms traffic.

While some of these solutions are directly under DOT&PF's control, others will require collaboration with the Municipality of Anchorage. Therefore, we also called on DOT&PF to make administrative changes to better coordinate with the Municipality and unlock access to funding and resources for long-delayed safety projects.

What Can You Do?

We need your voice. DOT&PF needs to hear from the people who use these roads every day—the people who walk, bike, or use transit. You can help by sending your own message to DOT&PF calling for safer streets. Feel free to reference the points we raised in our letter, or share your personal experience. Whether you've felt unsafe crossing a busy road or unwelcome riding your bike alongside speeding vehicles, your story matters.

Click here to access our template letter, or write your own.

This is a time of change, and with your support, we can help create a safer, more accessible community for everyone. Let’s work together to ensure no more lives are lost on our streets.