04/02/2009 08:00 AM House COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS

HB 173-TRANSFER RAILROAD LAND TO DOTPF: FAIRBANKS                                                                             
                                                                                                                              
8:57:27 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR HERRON announced  that the next order  of business would                                                               
be  HOUSE BILL  NO. 173,  "An Act  authorizing the  conveyance of                                                               
certain  land   of  the  Alaska   Railroad  Corporation   to  the                                                               
Department   of  Transportation   and   Public  Facilities;   and                                                               
providing for an effective date."                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
8:57:58 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE   SCOTT   KAWASAKI,  Alaska   State   Legislature,                                                               
speaking  as the  sponsor of  HB 173,  said the  story of  HB 173                                                               
began over  100 years ago  when Captain E. T.  Barnette attempted                                                               
to establish a  trading post at the junction of  the Tanana River                                                               
and  the Valdez  Eagle trail.   Along  the way,  Captain Barnette                                                               
beached  his boat  and  had  to find  other  passage.   He  found                                                               
passage on a vessel that was  travelling on the Tanana River from                                                               
which  he  then  travelled  up  the Chena  River  upon  which  he                                                               
ultimately beached  on a high  spot on  the river bank.   Captain                                                               
Barnette set  up canvas tents,  offloaded supplies, and  began to                                                               
build the  trading post which  ultimately became Fairbanks.   The                                                               
first  road was  likely around  the existing  Cushman Street  and                                                               
likely connected  Captain Barnette  and his  men to  the outpost.                                                               
The second  road connected one side  of the Chena River  with the                                                               
other side  that is now  a steel  bridge.  Although  many bridges                                                               
have been constructed in various  areas of Fairbanks, the Cushman                                                               
Street Bridge  remains an important  part of commerce  and serves                                                               
as an arterial passageway in  Fairbanks.  He related that traffic                                                               
jams are  common and conditions in  the area are difficult.   The                                                               
Department  of Transportation  & Public  Facilities (DOT&PF)  and                                                               
the City  of Fairbanks have been  working on plans to  expand and                                                               
open the city  to commerce.  Representative  Kawasaki opined that                                                               
Fairbanks is  finally at the point  at which it can  proceed on a                                                               
project  to construct  a new  Barnette Street  Bridge.   In fact,                                                               
funds have been  appropriated.  However, the  Alaska Railroad Act                                                               
requires  legislative approval  of all  land transfers,  which is                                                               
why  the  legislation  is  before  the  committee  today.    This                                                               
legislation  is  supported  by the  Alaska  Railroad  Corporation                                                               
(ARRC), DOT&PF,  the City of  Fairbanks, and the  Fairbanks North                                                               
Star Borough,  the Fairbanks Convention and  Visitors Bureau, the                                                               
Downtown  Association, and  the  Fairbanks  Chamber of  Commerce.                                                               
Furthermore, thousands  of residents on  both sides of  the river                                                               
approve this plan for safety, beautification, and commerce.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
9:01:45 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  GARDNER inquired  as  to whether  there has  been                                                               
opposition to HB 173.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  KAWASAKI related  that there  have been  concerns                                                               
from  residents  when the  plan  scoping  originally discussed  a                                                               
bridge  across Barnette  Street.   However, he  pointed out  that                                                               
currently  the   Illinois  side   of  the  project   contains  no                                                               
sidewalks, no  pedestrian travel  lanes.  The  point is  that the                                                               
downtown traffic  flow would be  problematic.  He stated  that no                                                               
organized group is opposed to the proposal.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
9:02:35 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE HARRIS inquired as to why HB 173 is necessary.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  KAWASAKI answered  that the  Alaska Railroad  Act                                                               
requires that any  land transfers between the state  and the ARRC                                                               
be  approved by  the legislature.    He characterized  HB 173  as                                                               
cleanup legislation.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
9:03:45 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DAVID  VAN  DEN  BERG,  Executive  Director,  Downtown  Fairbanks                                                               
Association,  related  support  for  HB  173  to  facilitate  the                                                               
Illinois  Street project.   He  noted  that DOT&PF  and ARRC  are                                                               
willing parties  in this project.   The right-of-way  process for                                                               
the Illinois Street project is the  only piece that could cause a                                                               
delay in the  project.  The Downtown Association  is very reliant                                                               
on  that project  going forward  in order  to begin  to implement                                                               
changes  to circulation  patterns downtown  that will  revitalize                                                               
downtown   and  bring   more  retail,   commerce,  and   economic                                                               
development.   In closing, Mr.  Van den Berg explained  that once                                                               
the Illinois Street  project is going, the way will  be clear for                                                               
the revitalization program.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
9:05:40 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DONNA  GARDINO, Metropolitan  Planning Organization  Coordinator,                                                               
Fairbanks  Metropolitan   Area  Transportation   System  (FMATS),                                                               
informed the committee that FMATS  is funding the Illinois Street                                                               
reconstruction  project  out  of its  transportation  improvement                                                               
program.  This project has been  in the program since 1985 and is                                                               
in  the right-of-way  acquisition phase.   This  legislation will                                                               
enable  DOT&PF to  acquire  land from  ARRC  that's necessary  to                                                               
reconstruct  Illinois  Street.   Ms.  Gardino  relayed that  this                                                               
project  is a  top  priority  of FMATS'  policy  committee.   The                                                               
initial phase  of this  project, the  Barnette Street  Bridge, is                                                               
scheduled  to be  built  this winter  and the  hope  is that  the                                                               
remainder of the project will  begin construction in late 2010 or                                                               
2011.   The critical  portion of the  schedule is  the successful                                                               
acquisition of right-of-way to construct  the project as planned.                                                               
Given  that it's  necessary for  the legislature  to approve  the                                                               
conveyance  of lands  from the  ARRC and  ARRC has  approved this                                                               
land  transfer, FMATS  encourages the  legislature to  support HB
.                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
9:06:53 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  HARRIS asked  if  money was  placed  in the  bond                                                               
issue that passed for the Illinois Street project last year.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS. GARDINO specified that the bond was for University Avenue.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
9:07:31 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DEBBIE  HICKOK, President/CEO,  Fairbanks  Convention &  Visitors                                                               
Bureau, related  support for HB  173.  She related  that Illinois                                                               
Street  is  a major  used  thoroughfare,  although it  looks  and                                                               
functions like  a tertiary  road.   Illinois Street  is dangerous                                                               
for pedestrians and bicyclists, she  further related.  She opined                                                               
that the  only bone of  contention from Fairbanksans is  that the                                                               
project hasn't yet been done.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
9:08:47 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  HARRIS  inquired as  to  how  much the  roads  in                                                               
Fairbanks  would be  impacted  if the  cruise  ship industry  has                                                               
problems in Southeast Alaska.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MS.  HICKOK  related  that  50   percent  of  the  [tourists]  in                                                               
Fairbanks  are cruise  ship passengers  that are  on land  tours,                                                               
which  is significant.    Furthermore, many  of  the cruise  ship                                                               
passengers who take  land tours come before and  after the cruise                                                               
and act as independent tourists  during those times.  The coaches                                                               
that shuttle tourists use the Illinois Street corridor.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
9:10:55 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  KAWASAKI  related that  HB  173  has been  wildly                                                               
supported by  each of the  large stakeholders  in the area.   The                                                               
residents on both sides of the  Chena River can look forward to a                                                               
safer drive  with less traffic, which  HB 173 would achieve.   In                                                               
response  to   Representative  Harris,   Representative  Kawasaki                                                               
specified  that  the next  committee  of  referral is  the  House                                                               
Transportation Standing Committee.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
9:11:34 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE HARRIS  moved to  report HB  173 out  of committee                                                               
with  individual  recommendations  and  the  accompanying  fiscal                                                               
notes.  There being no objection, it was so ordered.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
9:11:48 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The committee took an at-ease from 9:11 a.m. to 9:12 a.m.