There will be a public hearing of the Anchorage Bike Plan before the Anchorage Assembly on Tuesday, March 2nd at 6:00 p.m. at the Loussac Library. It will be vitally important to achieve critical mass of cyclists at this meeting. If you cannot attend, PLEASE send an email message to your assembly member in favor of the bike plan. Attached is a list of talking points.
Here is the link to the draft plan: http://www.muni.org/Departments/traffic/AMATS/Documents/WEBAnchBicyclePlan_PublicHearing%20Draft_0809.pdf
ASSEMBLY MEMBERS:
Chris Birch 346-3265 chrisbirch@gci.net
Matt Claman 350-3105 mattclaman@gmail.com
Dan Coffey 274-3385 274-4258 dancoffey@gci.net
Harriet Drummond 279-7763, 279-7788 harrietdrummond@alaska.com
Chair Patrick Flynn 278-8462 flynnpp@muni.org
Elvi Gray-Jackson 343-4118, Gray-JacksonE@muni.org
Vice Chair Mike Gutierrez 382-5972, gutierrezM@muni.org
Jennifer Johnston 346-1087, jjohnston@gci.net
Debbie Ossiander 688-2308, 343-4113, ossiander@gci.net
Sheila Selkregg 338-3636, selkregg@yahoo.com
Bill Starr 694-5060, 343-4114, 350-5481, starrwe@muni.org
Talking points for Anchorage Bicycle Plan compiled by an ABC Member.
HEALTH
- Forty-two (42%) of Alaskan adults do not meet recommended levels of physical activity, and 20% are completely sedentary because they don’t feel safe walking/biking in their neighborhood. The Anchorage bike plan makes walking and bicycling possible to those who are uncomfortable going to the gym, or exercising in general. When people see others out having fun on the trail, they want to join the fun; and
- The bike plan will encourage safe exercise close to their home for the two-thirds (66%) of Alaskan adults who are overweight and 36% of K-12th grade students in the Anchorage School District who are overweight or obese. Many of these individuals are or will suffer obesity-related health issues, such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer and high blood pressure; and
- By providing safe access to trails, Anchorage can help reduce the cost of obesity. Obesity costs Alaskans $477 million per year in direct medical costs, including $46 million in Medicare/Medicaid costs, and $9-10 million in costs for State of Alaska employees; and
- Health care reform will not produce healthier people unless we can make exercise cheap, easy, safe and convenient for our communities. Walking and bicycling is the least expensive, most convenient and easiest, efficient way for people to meet their 45-60 minutes of recommended exercise. The bike plan will make these two exercise options safe and convenient for all citizens of anchorage; lastly
- biking/walking make you sexy!
ECONOMICS
- The bicycle plan is a 20 year project with much less expensive chores, like painting bike lanes and signage the first priority; therefore doubling the number of miles of bicycle riding.
- A four lane road costs on average $20-80 million PER MILE, the entire bike plan is offering 508 miles of trails for only $109 million spread out over 20 years.
- Funding is coming from a number of sources, such as grants, bonds, matching funds, federal transportation funds and stimulus funds. A plan in place is necessary before eligibility for funds is determined. The bicycle plan provides a plan and makes Anchorage eligible for funds.
- The Bicycle Plan will be integrated into various other MOA development plans and future transportation projects.
REDUCTION OF TRAFFIC CONGESTION
- The reduction in vehicle use that results from travel by bicycle helps to remove some traffic from roadways and
intersections. Bicycle use is higher in summer than in other seasons, helping to relieve traffic volumes when the road network carries the greatest number of travelers. Anchorage’s LRTP states: “The lesson from evidence across the nation is emphatic—capacity cannot be added fast enough to build our way out of congestion. Other strategies are needed.” One of those strategies is to decrease car trips by increasing cycling.
SAFETY
- Bicyclists riding in areas without bike paths or lanes are nearly twice as likely to feel endangered (mostly by motorists) as are bicyclists with paths or lanes, and more than four times as likely to be dissatisfied with how their community is designed for making bicycling safe. (2002, National Survey)
- The Bike Plan inherently makes us safer, as it’s primary goal is to double the amount of utility biking while reducing crashes by one third. Due to recent improvements in Anchorage’s bike infrastructure, trends are already heading in that direction, as ridership has continued to increase the last few years, and crashes have also decreased. This is evidence that continued improvements will further reduce crashes.
1) The Anc Bike Plan makes us safer because it gives us bike lanes.
- Cyclists are 20 times more likely to get hit while riding on a sidewalk than in a bike lane, and twice as likely to get hit while riding on a multi-use path than in a bike lane.
- The eight Anchorage roadways where cyclists are most likely to get hit don’t have any bike lanes. Some have no shoulders. Northern Lights is probably the worst one, as the sidewalk is very narrow and full of obstructions to visibility such as large light poles and signs.
2) The Anc Bike Plan makes us safer because it joins up gaps in our existing bike infrastructure.
3) The Anc Bike Plan makes us safer because it includes support for education programs.
- The recommended safety education programs include web site information, brochures, PSAs, posters with riding tips, updates to driver’s license tests. These would provide tips to cyclists specifically about how to safely navigate intersections, educating school aged children about safe cycling, and supporting helmet use.
4) The Bike Plan makes us safer through improved signage.
- Some sidewalks are marked as bike paths.
- Some bike paths are not marked at all.
5) The Bike Plan makes us safer by supporting bike friendly legislation and enforcement.
- The Bike Plan recommends Title 9 be updated to reflect utility cycling
- It also recommends enforcement of bicycle related infractions.
- It also recommends public awareness campaigns to encourage drivers to be more aware of the presence of cyclists.
- It also recommends APD monitor and ticket drivers at intersections
- It also recommends APD more strictly enforce window tinting regulations.
6) The Anc Bike Plan makes us safer through improving the maintenance of existing infrastructure.
- Recommendations are made regarding snow removal in the winter.
- Recommendations are also made regarding gravel removal in the summer and also to repair those nasty cracks in the mulit-use paths.