BCA ACTION ALERT UPDATE!

Visualize Anchorage and Eagle River with a network of 200 miles of painted and signed on-street bike lanes by late-summer 2014.

This can actually happen, but only with your help!

In 2010, we called out to you to support the Anchorage Bike Plan.  Your efforts led to the unanimous approval of the Bike Plan by the Anchorage Assembly.

Striping and signing of bike lanes on existing roads comprising our “core bicycle network” is a top priority in the plan, with an estimated cost of $3.1 million.  Now we must rally again to by ensuring AMATS includes funding for Bike Plan implementation.

On October 5 we posted an ACTION ALERT urging you to send an email to the AMATS Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) asking for a better allocation of 2013 and 2014 federal transportation dollars for bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure.  The draft allocation is horrible.  Within four days, the TAC had received 28 comments from BCA supporters – a rarity for the TAC.  Now we need you, our 1000+ supporters, to make your voice heard.

Help us make a difference by letting AMATS know that you support and want bicycle facility allocation that will make real strides towards implementing the 20 year Bike Plan.  The October 5 ACTION ALERT has all the details.

You must submit your comments by 5:00pm, Tuesday, October 23.

Your comments can be detailed, thoughtful, and even personal.  Or they can be as simple as “Please increase AMATS TE funding to at least $3.2 million for bicycle plan implementation in 2013 – 2014!”  The important thing is for you to let AMATS know that this funding is critical and necessary to make our streets safer for everyone.

Comments should be sent to Mr. Craig Lyon, AMATS Coordinator, at [email protected].

Do it now!  And be sure to pass this Action Alert on to others!

PROCESS UPDATE

Want to know how the sausage is made?  Here’s the process and timeline as currently proposed:

10/23 – Comment period closes on “draft AMATS TIP Major Amendment #4.”  This is the funding allocation we’re asking you to comment on.

10/25 – AMATS Policy Committee meets.  They will likely get an informational update on all the public comments you sent in on the TIP amendment.

11/1  – AMATS Technical Advisory Committee meets.  The committee and staff will review, discuss, and “adjudicate” all your comments.  Based on this process, they may revise the proposed funding levels for bike and pedestrian infrastructure in the draft TIP amendment.  This will be a pivotal meeting.

11/5 – The Planning and Zoning Commission will hold a hearing on the draft TIP amendment.    After hearing public testimony, they will make a recommendation about the funding levels in the TIP amendment.

11/13 – The Anchorage Assembly will hold a public hearing on funding levels proposed in the draft TIP amendment.  After hearing public testimony, they will make a recommendation about the funding levels in the TIP amendment.

12/6 – AMATS Technical Advisory Committee meets.  They will review public comments, Planning and Zoning recommendations, and Assembly recommendations, and then develop a final recommendation for bicycle and pedestrian funding levels for the TIP amendment.

12/20 – AMATS Policy Committee meets.  They will make a final decision on AMATS TIP Major Amendment #4, setting Anchorage’s federal transportation funding levels (and project selection) for road, bicycle, and pedestrian infrastructure for 2013 and 2014.

Through additional ACTION ALERTS, we will keep you updated on our progress.  We are also going to need a strong showing of cyclists at some or all of the above-mentioned meetings.  All of the above meetings are public.  With respect to AMATS, the Policy Committee meets at 1pm in the Mayor’s Conference Room, 8^th floor, Anchorage City Hall, 632 W. 6^th Ave.  The Technical Advisory Committee meets at 2pm in the Training/Conference Room of the Anchorage Development Services Center, 4700 Elmore Road.