Residents Gather to Talk About Proposed Pedestrian-Only Main Street

Pedestrian and vehicle traffic conflicts in downtown Talkeetna have been brought up by community members over the years, most recently in 2025. Last summer, residents were surprised when a new proposal to close Main Street to vehicle traffic and reroute it on smaller side streets and alleys nearly happened. 

The Mat-Su Borough ultimately did not approve the new traffic proposal and asked for additional information and a more thorough plan, including public input.

Talkeetna residents gathered at the Sheldon Community Arts Hangar this week for a conversation about the potential for a pedestrian-only Main Street. Hosted by the Talkeetna Chamber of Commerce and the Community Council, the event attracted more than 80 residents. 

Talkeetna Chamber of Commerce President Marne Sheldon says the proposal last year was to test the new vehicle routing on six Saturdays for a limited time window each day.

“It was only meant to be idea-gathering. Empirical data is always good. You usually don’t get that until you try something. So we were willing to give it a try.”

Last summer, residents raised concerns about employee parking, accessing rental homes, and routing for vehicles. This year, it would still be limited to certain days and times. Sheldon referred to the map from last year, but invited residents to propose new solutions. 

Multiple speakers noted the lack of parking around the downtown area. Resident Ruth Wood who worked on a community transportation effort 20 years ago, notes two main issues.

“The two things are making sure you do not cut off anybody’s access and having parking and an ability to get people into town.”

Residents Troy Smiley and Holly Stinson say to make Main Street an actual street with designated sidewalks. Stinson goes on to say that the alleys are not big enough for some vehicles. 

“The north and south alleys are not built to carry that traffic. They’re often blocked. It’s crazy to think of doing this in my opinion. We don’t have the infrastructure.” 

Sheldon says they are gathering a work group made up of members from the Chamber of Commerce, Community Council, public, and Borough representatives to help address community concerns and draft a plan for the Mat-Su Borough soon.