FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 13, 2014
JUNEAU – Today, Representative Geran Tarr (D-Anchorage) and Representative Andy Josephson (D-Anchorage) released the following statements on Thursday’s route decision for the U-Med road.
“Residents of Airport Heights, Russian Jack, and Mountain View strongly oppose this road, and I stand with them,” said Tarr. “In our December meeting, the Airport Heights Community Council passed a resolution calling for additional impact studies to be conducted down Bragaw. There are four schools – Clark Middle School, East High School, Russian Jack Elementary, and the Alaska Native Cultural Charter School – that all have students crossing Bragaw to get to and from school. Furthermore, residents of Russian Jack can barely exit their neighborhood due to traffic on Bragaw. Moving forward at this time is premature. These dangers the community already faces will just be exacerbated. DOT may have consulted with other stakeholders, but it ignored the community by not taking into account the full costs of this project. The community’s safety, the loss of vegetation, and quality of life are at stake.”
“This road is not affordable with budget deficits exceeding $1 billion, and while the Anchorage School District continues to cut teachers. Twenty million dollars for the U-Med road could have gone a very long way to fix ASD’s budget gap,” said Josephson. “I’m happy that the road design includes bridges and roundabouts like the community has requested, but the traffic impact on Bragaw intersections to the north was left unaddressed.”
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