Mayor Berkowitz and People Mover Looking to the Public to Help Make Transit Choices

Mayor's Corner

5/4/2016

ANCHORAGE – Mayor Berkowitz and People Mover are asking for public participation to help design an ideal transit system for people living, working and playing in Anchorage. They have initiated an ongoing conversation, Anchorage Talks Transit, to discuss and advance transit priorities in our community.

“Anchorage residents depend on public transportation,” said Mayor Berkowitz. “Their input is critical to create the transit system that we need for today and tomorrow.”

Anchorage Talks Transit encourages the community to think about transit choices. These require a balance of priorities and available resources.

People Mover has teamed with national transit expert Jarrett Walker, to facilitate this process. Jarrett has led similar projects throughout the US and Australia.

“When you look at how transit works, there are certain tough choices it forces us to make,” explains Jarrett. “They are choices that have to do with values and, really, why we should be running transit in the first place. Our jobs, as transit planners, is to ask the questions clearly, and that's what we're doing in Anchorage Talks Transit."

The Anchorage Talks Transit kickoff event will be held on May 5th at 6:30 PM at the Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson Center. Everyone is encouraged to attend and join a conversation that will lead to policy and service changes, with the goal of providing Anchorage with the best possible transit system.

To learn more visit www.PeopleMover.Org/TransitTalks or contact Michelle Felix at (907) 343-8491.

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