Rail track into Palmer could be converted to walking path, city council told

Palmer’s city council worked through a routine business agenda at its Tuesday, June 10 meeting. Actions taken included authorizations for city manager Kolby Zerkel to contract for road salt for winter road maintenance and separately for the purchase of a previously owned lawn mower for the Palmer Municipal Golf Course.

The road salt contract was to purchase 200 tons from Northern Gravel and Trucking for $34,000. The lawn mower, a Greensmaster 3150-C gasolines-powered 18 horsepower mower for the golf course would be purchased from Turf Star Western for an amount not to exceed $28,600.

Two important matters were raised for discussion by city public works director Jude Biafer. One is a proposal, conceptual at this point, from the state Department of Transportation and Public Facilities and the Matanuska-Susitna Borough to convert part of the unused railroad track extending into Palmer to a walking path. The current plan is for the new path to be just over one mile.

The city owns the track and right-of-way and would be involved in discussions and give approval if the project proceeds, Biafer told the council. This would be in lieu of the plan for a walking path along Inner and Outrer Springer Road that was approved by the borough assembly and voters as part of a transportation road bonds package in 2023.

A big advantage of using the unused rail track for the path is that it would improve safety, Biafer said. Currently the path parallels Springer Road where vehicles move at high speeds, he said. Using the unused rail right-of-way would also reduce the cost for the path from an estimated $2.4 million to $700,000. Because it would be less expensive the project would be done much faster.

One end of the walking path would be near Spenard Builders Supply and the route would also pass near the “Purple” gate at the Alaska State Fair grounds, improving pedestrian access to the fair. The new path would also connect with an existing walking path from the Palmer city center to the city airport that is being used increasingly by local residents. It would also pass near the Mountain Rose retirement communities, increasing pedestrian access for senior citizens.

However, the plan to convert the track will stir discussion and possible concerns from a local volunteer group working to restore a historic Alaska Railroad locomotive. The “5570” group hopes that the restored locomotive can be used for periodic trips into Palmer along the old but still existing rail track as a summer visitor attraction.

Bilafer said that if the track is converted to a pathway the rail tracks would have to be removed, so the decision to make the change would eliminate the possible future use by the restored locomotive.

In two other matters Biafer told the council that four of Palmer’s proposals for street improvements have been accepted by Mat-Su’s new Metropolitan Planning Organization, or MPO, that has been formed to coordinate federal and state-funded transportation projects in the core higher-population areas of Mat-Su, mainly the Palmer-Wasilla area.

This is important because not only are these the first Palmer projects submitted to the MPO but that all four were approved, which bodes well for future projects put forth by the city, Biafer said. Money for construction will come from the federal and state governments. Absent the new MPO it is unlikely the city would be able to fund the work.

Much of the work involves paving of local roads that are now gravel. Having pavement will improve the city’s ability to do winter snow clearing, Biafer said. On one other matter Bilafer said the city has completed spring road-striping and curb painting for 2025. Each year the city re-stripes and paints about a third of city street and curbs. City crews hustled to get the work done, putting in 15-hour and 16-hour days, he said.

In other matters, the council approved the appointment of Deputy City Clerk Benji Johnson as Acting City Clerk and authorizing the recruitment for a permanent city clerk. This follows the departure of former city clerk Shelly Acteson after a June 2 city council meeting.