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Mayor Mark Begich remarks
Downtown Rotary – Transportation speech
Noon; March 16, 2004; Hilton Hotel

 Thanks, Jewel Jones for that introduction. Jewel was my first boss at the city and in many ways, she still is. She’s constantly reminding me of the important issues to be tended to.

 Thanks for the opportunity to join Anchorage’s civic and business leadership who are members of Downtown Rotary.

 The last time I joined you, I was less than 30 days into this job. Now, I’m a grizzled veteran with nearly 10 months under my mayor’s belt. I’ve got to say this has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I wake up every day – sometimes earlier than others with an energetic 18-month-old – excited to get to work.

 Today I want to discuss one of the most important issues facing Anchorage, and one of my top priorities – our city’s transportation. I’ll lay out a five-point plan for improving the way we move people and products across our community. And I’ll talk about some very promising future opportunities to improve our transportation system.

 Beginning with the first settlers who commuted across the prehistoric Land Bridge, Alaska’s economic development begins with transportation. From the Chilkoot Pass and Alcan to our international airport, our state’s development has been helped – or hampered – by transportation.

 Certainly that’s the case with this city, built on the tracks of the Alaska Railroad in the 1920s and by our military veterans a generation later.

 Today, Anchorage is a bustling transportation hub for the entire state. Often, a little too bustling. Anyone trying to drive across this town knows Anchorage has a growing traffic congestion problem.

 Every day, one million trips are made through this city. The number of cars, trucks and SUVs has jumped 20 percent in just the past eight years, to 250,000 vehicles. We have two dozen major intersections that simply don’t work effectively at rush hours, where drivers stew through multiple lights.

This congestion is bad for public safety. It’s bad for the parent trying to get their kid across town. It’s bad for our economy.

We can debate all afternoon how we got here. It’s probably a combination of lack of money, lack of political fortitude, lack of community cooperation.

What we can agree on is that we’ve got to do something about it, and now. That’s why I’ve developed a five-point plan to rebuild Anchorage’s transportation system.

First, ease traffic congestion by pushing ahead on the most critical construction projects.

Second, unify Anchorage roads for better design and maintenance.

Third, incorporate community needs in our transportation network.

Fourth, build our city’s other transportation systems – especially the port.

And fifth, enhance public safety.

Let me address each of these in a little more detail.

First, relieving congestion. Last summer, the city got a good start on some projects to better move traffic, like:
• 40th Avenue at the A/C Couplet;
• Pine Street south of Debarr; and
• An Elmore Road connection to DeArmoun.

Now, we’re addressing other congestion with the 54 individual projects in our road bond package on the April 6th ballot. You should have some material on your table about these bonds.

Proposition 10 will tackle key congestion areas on city roads throughout Anchorage:

• On the southside, 100th Avenue will be extended between Minnesota and King Street and a signal installed at the Old Seward.

• In midtown, improvements at the Arctic-Tudor intersection.

• On the Westside, the Strawberry Road and Jewell Lake Road intersection will be expanded, and Northern Lights and Northwood will be upgraded.

• And on the eastside, Lake Otis intersections between 68th and Abbott will be improved to better move traffic.

The bond will have immediate impact because two-thirds of the funding is for projects scheduled for construction this year.

We’re also focusing on several areas of major congestion on state-owned roads, including Lake Otis and Tudor, and Fifth and Sixth avenues connecting to the Glenn Highway.
One major relief valve for Lake Otis and Tudor is the Bragaw-Abbott Loop connection. This short section will reduce traffic on Lake Otis at the Tudor intersection by 25 percent. The time for debate is over. We are building this extension, and we’re building it the right way.

The city has large Heritage Land Bank holdings along the route of this extension. We already have launched a land management process that will increase acreage to Bicentennial Park and protect the trails and wildlife in that area. We can build a Bragaw extension as a parkway that will be among the most scenic in our city. We expect to turn dirt next summer.

We’re also working on more immediate improvements to the Lake Otis and Tudor intersection, and I hope to announce some developments there in the next few weeks.

At the northern entry to the city is the snarl on the Glenn Highway for 40,000 commuters coming from Eagle River and the Mat-Su Valley. We all know the problem: A six-lane highway funnels cars onto four lanes heading into the city. There’s limited opportunities for more lanes between Merrill Field on the south and the existing businesses on the north. And messing with Merrill Field triggers federal government involvement with the FAA.

Our transportation people are working with the State to add two more lanes and protect Merrill Field’s access and essential purpose.

I’ve already had productive meetings with the new state Southcentral DOT Director Bill Robertson, who I believe is with us today.

I’m confident we can devise a solution to 5th and 6th avenues that makes the traffic flow, is attractive for the community, and accommodates local businesses.

We’re also working closely with Congressman Young on opportunities for federal funding for big-dollar projects that need the greatest attention – like:
• Interchanges on the Glenn Highway at Bragaw, and
• New crossings on the Seward Highway between Tudor to Rabbit Creek.

At Don’s request a few weeks ago, we supplied him a list of nearly half a billion dollars worth of needed Anchorage road projects. As we speak, Congress is working on a national transportation bill that we hope includes important Anchorage projects.

As we focus on current areas of gridlock, we need a better way of designing, building and maintaining Anchorage’s roads. Today, many are surprised to hear that only 58 percent of the roads, or about 1,800 lane miles in Anchorage, are the city’s responsibility. Another 42 percent, or about 1,300 lane miles, are designed, built and maintained by the State.

Most callers to our office about road problems don’t know – and don’t care – who oversees what. They just want their roads plowed or potholes filled. I’ve already talked to the governor about Anchorage taking over responsibility for roads within our borders. And he’s very receptive. There are a few speed bumps, especially making sure we have a guaranteed way to pay for it if we take over this responsibility.

In the long run, I think it would be better for Anchorage and we’d see more efficient and coordinated road maintenance.

When it comes to building good roads that move traffic, let me introduce two of the city’s key officials: Municipal Engineer Howard Holtan and Traffic Director Lance Wilber.

As we design and build new roads, we must ensure that every project supports – not degrades – our neighborhoods. This is the third point in my plan. To keep Anchorage moving, we need more than just roads. We need a complete system that enables vehicles, pedestrians, transit and freight to move through our city.  This means building smart, and a meaningful public process that meets community needs. 

We are committed to listening to communities, and having informed citizens on boards who pay attention to issues, such as pedestrian safety, the way landscaping is designed, and the effects of transportation on land use. 

To enhance Anchorage’s quality of life for current residents and attract those who may want to locate new businesses here, our city’s roads must include facilities like trails and appropriate lighting.

Trails and sidewalks have great economic value because they can be built for a fraction of the cost of roads. Yet they produce considerable benefits in safety, air quality, livability, physical fitness and relieving congestion. They also contribute to our network of ways to get across town. Our children deserve safe routes to walk to school. 

Another vital transportation link is our mass transit system. For years, the bus system got a bad rap as the exclusive domain of those who avoided cars for political or moral reasons. You know that’s no longer the case when the Voice of the Times praises the bus system, as it did recently.

Today, Anchorage’s People Mover serves 3.4 million riders, a 9 percent increase over 2002. Some 40 percent of the workers at Fifth Avenue Mall and a quarter of those at Dimond Center rely on People Mover.

We’re working to significantly expand the system next summer to better serve the city. That’s why we’re asking voters to approve Bond Proposition 11. For about $1.5 million, we can get over $6 million in federal funds to maintain and improve the system. Let me introduce Director of Public Transportation Tom Wilson.

For the long-term, we are developing 20-year plan to detail how our transportation system will grow over the next couple of decades. This is a great opportunity for the public to weigh in on the transportation needs of this city.

I’ve talked a lot about roads, but there’s another municipal facility with enormous economic impact on this city and state – the Port of Anchorage. Ironically, it was the Alaska earthquake – whose 40th anniversary we mark in 12 days – that made the Port of Anchorage Alaska’s dominant marine facility. Anchorage’s port suffered only minor damage from the earthquake and tsunami and was operational again within days.

Today, the Port serves 90 percent of Alaska’s population, with more than four million tons of material moving across its docks each year. That works out to nearly five tons of goods for every man, woman and child in Alaska. The Port generates more than $750 million each year in direct economic activity and is the 22nd largest container port in North America, just behind Baltimore.

 We’re in midst of a huge expansion at the port to accommodate Alaska’s growing economy, attract bigger cruise ships, and fulfill our state’s vital military security role. We expect up to 2,000 direct and in-direct jobs during construction, which begins next year. And according to port consultants, the new expanded facility will generate 700 new port jobs and an additional 1,600 jobs in the community. Let me introduce the man overseeing the Port of Anchorage, Gov. Bill Sheffield.
 
Another important city transportation facility is Merrill Field, which played a vital role in World War II’s Aleutian Campaign as a base for the 11th Air Force. Today, Merrill is Alaska’s busiest general aviation airport and the 104th busiest in America.

It’s also one of the nation’s few airports with a taxiway link directly to a hospital. This can save those valuable minutes in critical situations. Merrill is also an economic powerhouse for Anchorage. With over 40 aviation businesses and 900 aircraft, the airport generates millions of dollars in the city each year.

 As we improve Anchorage’s transportation system, our obligation must also be to enhancing the safety of the traveling public. That’s why, despite budget constraints, we decided it was vital to reconstitute a Police traffic unit.

Every national study shows that aggressive enforcement of traffic laws saves lives, makes communities safer, and is good for the economy through insurance savings.Anchorage disbanded its traffic unit in 1996. We’re bringing it back.

 We’ve got five officers assigned to the unit now, with five more to come. Already it’s working. Between Thanksgiving and the end of January, the unit had written more than 1,600 citations – everything from running red lights to speeding and driving without insurance. I’m convinced this hard-working unit will help make Anchorage’s streets safer.

 We’re also making Anchorage’s extensive trail system safer with the volunteer Trail Watch. This program is a great example of community partnership, where a problem was identified and hundreds of volunteers stepped forward to help.

 We kicked off this program last fall down at the lagoon. And within minutes, it had already paid off when a couple of Trail Watch volunteers came to the aid of someone who had fallen on the coastal trail. Today, more than 250 Anchorage citizens have stepped forward to make our trails safer with Trail Watch.

 This city was built by pioneers who recognized that transportation was the key to Anchorage’s economic prosperity. Our challenge today is to build on their foundation - to expand our city’s transportation system to create new opportunities for Anchorage residents today and tomorrow. Thank you.

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