Legislature(2025 - 2026)BARNES 124
01/22/2026 01:00 PM House TRANSPORTATION
Note: the audio ![]()
and video ![]()
recordings are distinct records and are obtained from different sources. As such there may be key differences between the two. The audio recordings are captured by our records offices as the official record of the meeting and will have more accurate timestamps. Use the icons to switch between them.
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Presentation(s): Pedestrian Fatalities and Safety | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE TRANSPORTATION STANDING COMMITTEE
January 22, 2026
1:01 p.m.
DRAFT
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Ashley Carrick, Co-Chair
Representative Ted Eischeid, Co-Chair
Representative Genevieve Mina
Representative Louise Stutes
Representative Kevin McCabe
Representative Steve St. Clair
Representative Garret Nelson
MEMBERS ABSENT
All members present
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
PRESENTATION(S): PEDESTRIAN FATALITIES AND SAFETY
- HEARD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
No previous action to record
WITNESS REGISTER
SHANNON MCCARTHY, Communications Director
Office of the Commissioner
Department of Transportation & Public Facilities
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Co-offered a presentation, titled
"Pedestrian Fatalities and Safety."
PAM GOLDEN, Statewide Traffic Engineer
Department of Transportation & Public Facilities
Fairbanks, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Co-offered a presentation, titled
"Pedestrian Fatalities and Safety."
ALEX READ, Group Chief
Central Region Design
Department of Transportation & Public Facilities
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Co-offered a presentation, titled
"Pedestrian Fatalities and Safety."
ACTION NARRATIVE
1:01:53 PM
CO-CHAIR ASHLEY CARRICK called the House Transportation Standing
Committee meeting to order at 1:01 p.m. Representatives St.
Clair, Nelson, Stutes, Mina, McCabe, Eischeid, and Carrick were
present at the call to order.
^PRESENTATION(S): Pedestrian Fatalities and Safety
PRESENTATION(S): Pedestrian Fatalities and Safety
1:02:51 PM
CO-CHAIR CARRICK announced that the only order of business would
be the Pedestrian Fatalities and Safety presentation.
1:04:23 PM
SHANNON MCCARTHY, Communications Director, Office of the
Commissioner, Department of Transportation & Public Facilities
(DOT&PF), co-offered a presentation, titled "Pedestrian
Fatalities and Safety," via PowerPoint [hard copy in the
committee file]. She began the presentation on slide 2, which
described the updated 2026 Highway Safety Improvement Plan
(HSIP). She said that DOT&PF coordinated with the Municipality
of Anchorage in updating the 2026 HSIP and will be employing
Advance Construct (AC) to capture fiscal year 2026 (FY 26)
funding. She noted that the updated 2026 Anchorage funding is
$30 million.
1:06:13 PM
MS. MCCARTHY, in response to questions from Representative St.
Clair, stated that the $30 million is U.S. Federal Highway
Administration (FHWA) funding through the highway safety
improvement program and that DOT&PF would be using AC, which
would tap into FY 27.
1:06:47 PM
MS. MCCARTHY, in response to questions from Representative Mina,
stated that DOT&PF coordinated with the Municipality of
Anchorage through the Zero Vision Task Force. The department's
members met with the mayor and her staff to improve the program
and its efficiency. She said that the lane drop traffic
analysis is coming quickly, and the lane drop project on A
Street will be moving forward using AC.
1:08:44 PM
MS. MCCARTHY, in response to questions from Representative
Eischeid, confirmed that AC stands for Advance Construct and
that it is a financial tool that can be used in different phases
of a project, including the design phase. She compared AC to
using a credit card with a payment plan. She added that using
federal dollars for a project implies a commitment to following
through with that project. She said that cancelling a project
would require significant agreement across DOT&PF and with FHWA.
1:12:23 PM
PAM GOLDEN, Statewide Traffic Engineer, Department of
Transportation & Public Facilities, picked up the presentation
on slide 3, which distinguished road diets from lane drops. She
stated that Anchorage has many one-way streets and that there is
no proven countermeasure to take away a lane on a one-way road.
She said the Vision Zero Task Force decided that a systemwide
analysis is necessary, to create safe and efficient network for
all users. She highlighted some factors to be considered in
this analysis, including the impacts to emergency response and
freight.
1:15:20 PM
MS. GOLDEN, in response to questions from Representative Mina,
clarified that a road diet occurs takes away one lane on a two-
way road with at least four lanes. She highlighted that road
diets reduce turning crashes. Ms. Golden said that there is not
enough national data to prove that lane drops are safe and
effective.
1:17:41 PM
MS. GOLDEN, in response to Representative McCabe, defined his
example as a reversible lane. She said that while there are 14
projects underway, more are being proposed, emphasizing the
Vision Zero Task Force's need for a systemwide analysis. Ms.
Golden said pedestrian fencing on 5th Avenue in Anchorage is one
project being considered.
1:21:02 PM
MS. GOLDEN, in response to Representative Stutes, clarified that
a lane drop refers to a two-way road, while a road diet refers
to a one-way road.
1:22:13 PM
MS. GOLDEN, in response to a series of questions from Co-Chair
Carrick, stated that DOT&PF is waiting for the analysis to be
complete before moving forward with the road diet project on
Northern Lights Boulevard. She said that the project has been
moved to FY 27 but not cancelled. She said that she is familiar
with delivery schedules on only a few projects currently.
1:24:16 PM
MS. MCCARTHY, in response to Co-Chair Carrick, added that the
intent of slide 3 was to demonstrate the road diet and lane drop
projects that have been proposed in the last 12 to 18 months.
MS. GOLDEN said that the HSIP funding plan is available on
DOT&PF's website.
1:25:09 PM
MS. GOLDEN, in response to a series of questions from
Representative Eischeid, stated that DOT&PF is waiting for a
traffic analysis of Ingra Street and Gambell Street. She said
that she does not have the timeframe on the systemwide analysis
yet and that she needs that system analysis to know how many
projects DOT&PF will be moving forward with in Anchorage. She
stated that it will be five to seven years before a proven
safety countermeasure can be confirmed. She noted that neither
increased nor decreased speed necessarily increases pedestrian
safety. She emphasized that there are many factors regarding
increasing pedestrian safety, including number of driveways,
origins and destinations of drivers, pedestrians, and bikers.
1:31:34 PM
MS. MCCARTHY, in response to a series of questions from
Representative Mina, stated that HSIP is a very different kind
of program, as it is data-driven and offers fewer opportunities
for the public to weigh in. She said that DOT&PF does plan to
present the project to the public and to ask for feedback.
REPRESENTATIVE MINA asked about studying the impact of road
diets that occur in the winter when a lane is lost due to snow
being plowed to the sides of the road.
MS. GOLDEN responded that that is a complicated scenario. She
explained that there are variations in seasonal traffic. She
emphasized that she does not know the timeline of the Anchorage
Metropolitan Area Traffic Solutions (AMATS) project analysis.
1:34:57 PM
MS. GOLDEN moved to slide 4, which provided the updated 2026
HSIP spending plan, including projects on Tudor Road and the
intersection of Ingra Street and Gambell Street. She moved to
slide 5 and provided a brief recap of the Highway Safety
Improvement Program, which is a federally mandated program
including 29 different kinds of projects. She said HSIP is the
only program that requires a cost-benefit analysis. She added
that HSIP accounts for only 5-6 percent of total federal aid
spending.
MS. GOLDEN moved to slide 6, which listed pedestrian and
bicyclist proven safety countermeasures. She also described the
process of determining the best countermeasure for a situation.
She moved to slide 7, which showed the process of moving from a
concept to a project and explained her role in the project
planning process. She continued to slide 8 and described the
process of project development and delivery.
1:41:40 PM
MS. MCCARTHY continued to slide 9, stating that HSIP projects
can be the department's most controversial, particularly because
they can change the way a person uses infrastructure. She added
that often HSIP projects are presented to the public after a
solution has been identified.
1:43:38 PM
MS. MCCARTHY, in response to Co-Chair Carrick, described the
different pedestrian safety fencing used in both Fairbanks and
Anchorage, explaining that it can come in different forms, but
must be crash-worthy. She highlighted that there are limited
options for aesthetics.
CO-CHAIR CARRICK expressed concern with the disregard for safety
barriers and asked if there has been support for those projects
in Anchorage.
1:45:38 PM
ALEX READ, Group Chief, Central Region Design, Department of
Transportation & Public Facilities, responded that studies have
shown an 86 percent reduction of crashes with pedestrians
involving mid-block crossings. He agreed that there has been
mixed input from the community. He added that pedestrian
fencing is a proven safety measure but limits pedestrians'
ability to cross where they want. He included that DOT&PF has
received dissatisfied feedback with the fencing aesthetics in
Anchorage.
1:47:01 PM
CO-CHAIR EISCHEID reinforced that the Minnesota Drive pedestrian
fence was not fully supported by the public. He emphasized how
important the public process is before completing a project. He
also expressed concern regarding jaywalking in Anchorage.
1:48:33 PM
REPRESENTATIVE MINA asked if the three-year cost-benefit
analyses of HSIPs are available.
MS. GOLDEN responded that all reports are public. She said that
specific project reports may not be published but can be
provided. She added that DOT&PF's last year of finished crash
data is from 2024. While DOT&PF has more data, any data from
after 2024 is not certified yet.
1:50:24 PM
REPRESENTATIVE NELSON asked if there is an average of dollars
spent versus lives saved by DOT&PF.
MS. GOLDEN responded that DOT&PF has a minimum predicted cost
ratio for ranked projects, which can become very technical. She
said that a more expensive project should have a higher
predicted cost ratio.
1:52:00 PM
MS. GOLDEN, in response to a question from Representative
McCabe, explained that there are national studies that consider
reducing access points to a driveway. She said that different
countermeasures have different effects on different types of
crashes.
REPRESENTATIVE MCCABE said that a lot of this is education. He
shared his experience with a change in infrastructure in his
district. He described the dissatisfaction that some business
owners had with the change.
1:55:41 PM
CO-CHAIR EISCHEID highlighted the tragic death of 30 pedestrians
in Anchorage over the last 2 years. He said that the
statistical value of a person is a cold calculation and asked
what that calculation is.
MS. GOLDEN replied that she does not currently know the
calculated cost of a human fatality. She estimated between $10
million and $20 million, but that value may be lower in HSIP
calculations.
1:57:38 PM
MR. READ continued the PowerPoint on slide 14, which showed the
current configuration and proposed changes for the intersection
of Ingra Street and Gambell Street. He described the
improvements that will be made, including new street lighting
configurations and relocating utilities underground.
MR. READ continued to slide 11, which demonstrated proposed
pedestrian safety improvements on 5th Avenue between Concrete
Street and Karluk Street.
2:01:46 PM
CO-CHAIR CARRICK asked how long the Minnesota Drive pedestrian
barriers have existed.
MR. READ responded that the Minnesota pedestrian barriers were
constructed in 2024, so there is not enough data yet from the
project. In response to another question from Co-Chair Carrick,
Mr. Read stated that only increased lighting and a safety fence
are being considered so far to increase pedestrian safety.
2:03:20 PM
REPRESENTATIVE MINA asked how this barrier is being prioritized.
MS. GOLDEN responded that this project was nominated a few years
ago. She said that sometimes blocking access can be the
quickest safety solution, adding that this could potentially be
an interim solution.
2:05:21 PM
MS. MCCARTHY moved to slide 12, which highlighted safety
measures taken in the Kodiak area. She also highlighted the
Smart Pedestrian Lighting Pilot, which she is excited to install
and study.
2:06:37 PM
REPRESENTATIVE STUTES expressed hope that DOT&PF will educate
the people in Kodiak that this lighting system will be
installed.
MS. MCCARTHY agreed that informing the public is important. She
said DOT&PF will be sending a public information officer to the
installation to create materials to educate the public.
MS. MCCARTHY continued slide 12, highlighting the installations
of guardrails, which are mitigation features, but not safety
features.
2:09:01 PM
REPRESENTATIVE STUTES said that this is good news. She
expressed hope that recalled guardrails in Kodiak will be
replaced soon.
MS. MCCARTHY responded that guardrails are a very complicated
subject. She said that old guardrails were not recalled but new
standards were passed, allowing old guardrails to remain in
place until new guardrails are available.
2:10:20 PM
MS. MCCARTHY moved to slide 13, which highlighted the
intersection of Parks Highway and Sheep Creek Road in Fairbanks.
2:11:38 PM
CO-CHAIR CARRICK asked about westbound sidewalk traffic and if
there is any plan for a bike path.
MS. GOLDEN responded that DOT&PF is looking for funding for a
bike path.
CO-CHAIR CARRICK explained the standard practice for drivers in
this intersection. She asked how far the demonstrated barrier
between lanes would extend.
MS. GOLDEN responded that the barrier would be about as long as
the solid white line that currently separates lanes. She added
that, due to the speed of the highway, the barrier must be
traversable. Ms. Golden added that DOT&PF plans to install a
similar safety feature at the intersection of Egan Drive and
Vanderbilt Hill Road in Juneau.
CO-CHAIR CARRICK expressed excitement for this project and her
hope to better understand it.
2:15:23 PM
MR. READ moved to slide 14, which highlighted safety projects in
the Matanuska-Susitna (Mat-Su) Borough. He explained the safety
advantages of roundabouts and their drawbacks. He described
each of the six projects planned in this area, including
estimated start dates and specific safety features.
2:19:13 PM
REPRESENTATIVE MCCABE described his pet peeve intersection in
the Mat-Su Borough. He suggested building an official turn lane
and asked about funding.
MS. GOLDEN responded that Section 130 funds are less than $2
million per year. She expressed interest in initiating a
conversation with the Alaska Railroad Corporation.
REPRESENTATIVE MCCABE emphasized the need to better protect cars
turning at that intersection.
MR. READ responded that improvements to that intersection are
already included in the Main Street project.
2:21:53 PM
REPRESENTATIVE NELSON asked if a specific construction in Palmer
falls under this same program.
MR. READ confirmed that that is an HSIP project.
2:22:17 PM
MS. MCCARTHY moved to slide 15, which listed safety spotlights
across Alaska. She elaborated on many of the listed successes,
which included distributing reflective gear, conducting
vulnerable road users (VRU) safety audits, and seat belt
outreach campaigns.
2:27:07 PM
REPRESENTATIVE STUTES asked about installing cameras at
intersections. She said that she has seen many people run
yellow and red lights in Anchorage.
MS. GOLDEN said that there are a couple projects in Anchorage to
address this issue, including camera projects and a red-light
indicator program. She added that now one officer can confirm
that a light was red.
2:29:00 PM
REPRESENTATIVE MINA asked about the C Street and Benson
Boulevard intersection.
MS. GOLDEN described the issue at the intersection, explaining
that pedestrians have a green light at the same time as cars
have a left turn light. She said that DOT&PF plans to use rapid
response funds to eliminate this light overlap.
2:31:00 PM
CO-CHAIR EISCHEID said he believes in the public process. He
asserted that slower speeds do result in decreased property
damage and other types of damage.
2:32:21 PM
REPRESENTATIVE MCCABE said he has been waiting for months for a
study on the effectiveness of speed reductions. He added that
constituents have requested lowering speed limits in more
dangerous areas.
2:34:03 PM
MS. MCCARTHY moved to slide 16, which showed the top five areas
for fatal and serious injury (F+SI) from crashes. She
highlighted that Anchorage Municipality is overrepresented in
its percentage of Alaska's total VRU F+SI crashes between 2020
and 2024. She also highlighted that the Kenai Peninsula Borough
has only 8 percent of Alaska's population but 15 percent of
Alaska's total F+SI crashes from 2020-2024.
2:35:48 PM
MS. MCCARTHY moved to slide 17, on which she highlighted that
the state had gone 61 days, between November 22, 2025, to
January 21, 2026, with zero pedestrian fatalities. She also
noted that there were zero vehicle fatalities between December
24, 2025, and January 21, 2026. She emphasized that zero
fatalities are possible.
2:37:02 PM
REPRESENTATIVE MINA noted that there was a bicycle fatality in
Anchorage last summer.
2:37:30 PM
REPRESENTATIVE NELSON asked about the main goal for increasing
pedestrian safety.
MS. GOLDEN responded that there are two ways to increase
pedestrian safety: crossing distance and what is done with the
reallocated space.
MR. READ added that decreasing speed is another factor.
REPRESENTATIVE NELSON asked how often people get hit as they
start versus finish crossing a street.
MS. GOLDEN responded that crash narratives are "all over the
place."
2:40:18 PM
CO-CHAIR EISCHEID addressed the biker fatality in Anchorage last
summer and clarified the details of the situation. He
elaborated on Representative Stute's earlier comment on the high
frequency of red lights run in Anchorage. He described his
experience touring the Anchorage Police Department's real time
crime center in December.
2:42:03 PM
MS. GOLDEN, in response to questions from Co-Chair Carrick,
stated that Anchorage funding was anticipated to be between $9
million and $10 million. She said that this would include AC
funding.
2:42:50 PM
REPRESENTATIVE MINA said she is primarily a pedestrian and
shared her experience of being uncomfortable as a pedestrian in
Anchorage. She requested data on pedestrian barriers' ability
to reduce crashes. She expressed concern regarding community
backlash on the Minnesota pedestrian barriers.
MS. MCCARTHY agreed and stated that HSIP does not have the same
level of public engagement as other projects. She said she
plans to increase public engagement whenever possible for HSIPs.
2:46:10 PM
CO-CHAIR CARRICK acknowledged Lauren Little from DOT&PF had been
available for questions online the entire meeting.
2:47:17 PM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Transportation Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at 2:47
p.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| HTRA HSIP and VRU's Statewide.pdf |
HTRA 1/22/2026 1:00:00 PM |
|
| Letter to DOT 12.23.2025.pdf |
HTRA 1/22/2026 1:00:00 PM |
|
| DOT Response 01.20.2026.pdf |
HTRA 1/22/2026 1:00:00 PM |