Alaska's Median Barrier: Balancing Traffic & Safety

0:00From the Daily News Now Network, this is Anchorage News Today, the Alaska Department of Transportation Plants to build a median barrier along a half mile stretch of 5th Avenue and Anchorage between Concrete and Carlood Streets. This fencing aims to stop pedestrians from crossing mid-block on a busy road that carries high-speed traffic from the Glen Highway into downtown. The project, funded by a highway safety program, is expected to cost between $3 million and $4 million. This is called this section 1 of Alaska's top spots for pedestrian deaths, with studies from 2013 to 2016 showing dozens of. Serious crashes, mostly involving people on foot or bikes. Footprints in the snow prove walkers still risk it, despite crosswalks half a mile apart, as drivers slow from highway speeds to 35 miles per hour. Local leaders and residents push back, arguing the barrier prioritizes cars over people and cuts neighborhoods in half. Much like a similar perforated, metal fence installed on Minnesota Drive a couple years

1:04ago. That one drew protests for lacking public input and making walks tougher instead of safer. Project managers promised more community input this time, including an open house on Wednesday, March 25th, from 430 to 630 p.m. at the Seed Lab on 6th Avenue. Their tweaking designs for better looks, like patterns on crash-tested fencing or concrete walls, while airport height rules block new traffic, lights. Studies show these barriers cut mid-block pedestrian fatalities by 86 percent, so officials hope feedback leads to a safer setup that balances. Traffic flow and foot safety for everyone nearby.