03/28/2006 01:30 PM House TRANSPORTATION

HB 397-APPROP: ANCHORAGE SIGNAL UPGRADE                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR GATTO announced  that the final order  of business would                                                               
be HOUSE  BILL NO.  397,  "An Act making an  appropriation for an                                                               
upgrade  of   signal  system  emergency  devices   in  Anchorage,                                                               
contingent  upon   matching  funds   from  the   Municipality  of                                                               
Anchorage; and providing for an effective date."                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
JOHN  KIEWIK, Anchorage  Municipality,  said  Anchorage may  have                                                               
80,000  more  people by  the  year  2020.    There are  now  more                                                               
vehicles  in  Anchorage  than  people--a  problem  for  emergency                                                               
responders at intersections.  The bill will help, he stated.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
2:53:11 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  GATTO asked  about the  "opticoms," which  were bulkier                                                               
and more  expensive.  He asked  the cost of installation  of "one                                                               
of these."                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
MR. KIEWIK said  the intersection cost is about  $15,000, and the                                                               
placement  of the  light on  the  apparatus is  about $1,100  per                                                               
vehicle,  but that  part is  completed.   He said  Anchorage only                                                               
needs the intersection installs.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
2:54:15 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. KIEWIK said, in response  to Representative Neuman, one fifth                                                               
of the intersections in Anchorage have the system in place.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
BOB KNIEFEL,  Traffic Engineer,  Municipality of  Anchorage, said                                                               
that 45  intersections have the pre-emption  system installed and                                                               
there are approximately  200 intersections left, and  many are on                                                               
the state roads.   He is asking for two thirds  of the money from                                                               
the state, and the municipality will pay for the rest.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR GATTO asked for proof of the value of the system.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
MR.  KIEWIK  said  it  can't  be measured  until  the  system  is                                                               
installed.    He said  the  system  is  good for  public  safety.                                                               
"Under state  law, at a  red light,  it's pretty much  an at-will                                                               
type  thing  as  far  as  an  emergency  vehicle  going  through.                                                               
Someone may or may not yield the right of way," he said.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
2:57:04 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR GATTO said he wants to quantify the safety factor.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MR. KIEWIK  said there is a  timing mechanism which allows  for a                                                               
pedestrian  to walk  across the  intersection; it  doesn't change                                                               
instantly and allows time for a driver to react.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  GATTO asked  if  the  green light  stays  on until  the                                                               
vehicle goes through.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
MR. KNIEFEL  said it  will hold  the green light  as long  as the                                                               
truck  is emitting  a  signal, and  that amount  of  time is  not                                                               
really  measured beyond  several  seconds.   He  said  he is  not                                                               
trying to provide a much shorter  response time, but just a safer                                                               
response.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
3:00:37 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
[HB 397 was held over.]