Is there a need for pedestrian safety improvements in your neighborhood? Would you like to see more pedestrian trails and bike paths that connect neighborhoods, schools, parks, and commercial zones? Do you prefer to walk on neighborhood sidewalks rather than narrow road shoulders? Do you enjoy trees and landscaping along our roads? If your answer is yes to any of the above, you may want to take a closer look at the facts surrounding the much-debated Anchorage coastal trail southern extension.

Public discussions regarding the coastal trail extension have been painted as one between those who support building an extension in opposition to neighborhood residents seeking to protect their private property along with those that seek to protect the Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge. However, there is one glaring issue that has received little discussion, an issue that will ultimately force Anchorage residents to make a determination of their priorities.

The financial reality of the proposed coastal trail extension is the foremost issue that still needs to be discussed within the Anchorage community. The southern extension of the coastal trail, although paid predominately with federal dollars, will have an adverse affect on all other projects in Anchorage. In other words, the community will need to make the determination that this one project is a priority above the numerous other projects listed on the Anchorage Metropolitan Area Transportation Solutions (AMATS) Enhancement Projects 'to-do list'.

The Municipality of Anchorage is scheduled to receive $4-6 million from the federal government in 2004 for pedestrian trails, sidewalks, and other roadside improvements such as landscaping. By most accounts, federal funding of this level will most likely continue into the near future. Anchorage receives this money under what is called the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), which must be matched (9.1%) by state and local funds.

Depending on the route selected, one estimate for a southern extension is $38 million, costing the Municipality of Anchorage and the State close to $2 million a piece. Under this cost scenario, and if Anchorage allocates 100% of the trails and roadside enhancement dollars for the extension, it would take six to nine years for completion. During this time period, all other enhancement projects on the AMATS' 'to-do list' would be on hold. If Anchorage allocates just 50% of the designated funds, it would take twelve to eighteen years for completion, leaving a small piece of the pie for the other sixty projects AMATS has developed with neighborhood and community groups.

A small sample of the other sixty enhancement projects is listed below:

• Anchorage Area-wide Trail Maintenance and Rehabilitation
• Anchorage Area-wide Sidewalks/Access to Schools
• Ship Creek Trail
• Campbell and Chester Creek Trail Extensions
• Muldoon Road Pedestrian and Landscaping Improvements
• Potter Marsh Trailhead and Access Improvements
• Eagle River Greenbelt Access and Pathway
• Dimond Blvd Pedestrian Safety and Landscaping Improvements

As you can see from the small sample of projects, there are a multitude of other safety, recreation, and quality of life enhancement projects worthy of our community's consideration. Personally, I place the priority use of enhancement dollars as safety first (school-children and elderly residents' ability to safely walk to schools and commercial centers without fear of sliding off winter snow berms onto roadways), maintaining existing infrastructure second, and new recreational projects third. In my view, Anchorage's trail and sidewalk safety and maintenance needs are much greater than one mammoth project that would, at best, be an extension of an enjoyable trail already in existence.

In the end, all of Anchorage's residents will need to make their own determination of what is the wisest use of federal and local dollars, and in the best interest of the community as a whole.

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