Borough already behind in race for transportation

An effort to fast-track improvements to the Mat-Su Valley’s transportation system is welcomed, but local officials are already a lap behind in the race.

Following up on the Mat-Su Borough’s Long Range Transportation Plan, the Borough and area municipalities are meeting to fast-track some of the more immediate needs contained in the plan. For example, the plan calls for an extension of Bogard Road to create another east-west corridor between Wasilla and Palmer, along with improving the two-lane Old Glenn Highway to be completed by 2015. The problem is, as the Valley continues to grow faster than any place in the state, our roads and populations needed these improvements yesterday.

Palmer City Manager Bill Allen is pushing for the Borough, Palmer, Wasilla and Houston to jump-start and accelerate efforts to complete at least six major transportation improvements that are critical, including upgrading Knik-Goose Bay Road, the Palmer-Wasilla Highway, Old Glenn Highway and Bogard Road. The problem with the Borough’s long-range plan is that most of those initiatives that play out as far as 2025 are already past due, which means sticking to the plan would mean the Borough could take another 17 years to catch up to where we need to be today.

An accelerated timetable for those projects deemed most critical must be completed as quickly as possible and funding must be secured. The Borough cannot take “no” for an answer. It must complete these upgrades in a way that they won’t already be overloaded by the time they’re finished.

Allen is also correct when he says our transportation system will dictate to a great extent whether our economic growth can keep pace with the population. If people can’t efficiently get from Point A to Point B when out and about in the Valley, they won’t make the effort or, worse yet, decide traveling outside the area to do that critical purchasing is more convenient and hassle-free. We urge the Borough and city officials to move quickly and prioritize those most immediate needs (topping our list would be the Bogard Road extension and Palmer-Wasilla Highway upgrade). Transportation is at the heart of the Borough’s vitality and needs healthy arterials to avoid clogging up the system.