Statewide Transportation Improvement and how you can shape it

Few things are as important to a community's growth as transportation planning. The Statewide Transportation Improvement Program, or STIP, is a key tool shaping improvements and maintenance of our roads, bridges, and public transit systems. If you've never heard of it, you're not alone. But understanding the STIP and how you can influence it is crucial for anyone who cares about their community's future.

The Alaska Statewide Transportation Improvement Program is a plan that helps keep Alaska's transportation systems running smoothly. Think of it as a roadmap for the next four years that shows how Alaska will take care of its roads, bridges, ferries, and buses. While the plan covers most ways people get around, it doesn't include airports or ports unless they're connected to ferry services.

The STIP matters because transportation is a big part of everyone's daily life. Whether you're heading to school, going to work, or running errands, you use transportation. A good transportation plan ensures you can get where you need to go safely and quickly. When the STIP works well, roads are safer, traffic moves better, and people can easily reach important places like schools, stores, and hospitals. Poor planning leads to dangerous roads, traffic jams, and reduced opportunities for Alaskan growth.

The Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF) is always ready to hear from you. Right now, they're looking at changes to their 2024-2027 plan with "Amendment #2," which is available for review and comment until March 20, 2025.

You can submit your comments online through the DOT&PF's interactive website, https://dot.alaska.gov/stwdplng/cip/stip/. There, you'll find a comment form specifically designed for this purpose. If you prefer, you can also email your comments directly to the department to dot.stip@alaska.gov. No matter which method you choose, your input is valuable and will be considered.

It isn't only the state, by the way. Every municipality has some sort of plan that documents the needs, wants, and priorities of our most basic infrastructure. The cities have their plans, and the Borough has an areawide plan as well. The cities and Borough also always need updates and comments from the public.

To read the Mat-Su Borough's Long Range Transportation Plan, visit https://matsugov.us/plans/lrtp.

To read the City of Wasilla's Official Streets and Highway Plan, visit https://www.cityofwasilla.gov/services/departments/planning-department/official-streets-highway-plan. The cities of Palmer and Houston both put their transportation plans into the larger Comprehensive Plan for their communities to maximize public input.

You might think your opinion doesn't matter much, but that's not true at all! When people who use the roads and trails share their thoughts about transportation plans, it makes a real difference because it is coming from the actual users. By telling planners what you think, you help make sure the STIP and municipal transportation plans include what your community really needs. Maybe you want safer roads, better bus service, or new bike paths - whatever matters to you is worth sharing. Remember that many of the people writing the plan may not know your community well at all.

Christian M. Hartley is a 40-year Alaskan resident with over 25 years of public safety experience and public service. He runs a freelance business, Big Lake Writer, from home in Big Lake that he shares with his wife of 19 years and their three teenage sons.