Funding Approved for Talkeetna Crosswalk

Talkeetna residents will see a new crosswalk to the Library in the near future. Funding for $70,000 has been approved in this year’s State budget. Borough Manager Mike Brown says the Borough us excited about the project.

Since the Talkeetna Library was built more than 10 years ago, the community has asked for a crosswalk at this site. Pedestrians and cyclists 

use the paved path along the west side of the Spur Road, but there is no safe crossing to get to the library on the east side.

Crossing the Spur Road is dangerous because of speed and increased  traffic from tourism and community growth, according to the funding request document provided to the State by Talkeetna Community Council. A crosswalk will make the area more visible to drivers and bring attention to pedestrians in the roadway.

The Mat-Su Borough included the project in their 2023 Bike and Pedestrian Safety Plan, but the Spur Road is maintained by Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, or D-O-T. Though there was no funding available for the project in the 2024 budget, D-O-T Commissioner Ryan Anderson supported the project moving forward with a letter of support.

The Talkeetna Community Council handled much of the outreach for the project to show the State Legislature that it was a community priority.