A Mat-Su Borough Safe Streets program representative gave the Wasilla Planning Commission a 15‑minute briefing on July 22 about a comprehensive safety action plan developed under the federal Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant program and what it could mean for Wasilla.

The plan, the presenter said, is a prerequisite to apply for federal implementation funds to build projects the borough and its municipal partners recommend. "We make mistakes, but we shouldn't have to die because we make a mistake," the presenter told commissioners while describing the Vision Zero approach the SS4A grants support.

The plan collects crash data and recommends targeted projects and policies. The presenter said Mat‑Su used five years of reported crash data to prioritize fatal and serious‑injury collisions, and that crashes are concentrated in the Wasilla area along the Parks Highway and other higher‑speed arterials. She told the commission the borough recommended 16 candidate projects and focused its implementation application on safety around schools and projects already included in the borough transportation improvement program.

Why it matters: only jurisdictions with an approved action plan are eligible to apply for SS4A implementation grants, which can fund construction of recommended projects. The presenter said past SS4A awards in Alaska included a $25 million Municipality of Anchorage project and that Mat‑Su’s application seeks roughly $16 million in construction plus $350,000 for continued Safe Routes to School planning.

Supporting details: the presenter summarized borough findings that roughly 5,000 reportable crashes occurred in the borough over five years, including 57 fatalities and 159 serious injuries. She described recommended projects that could affect Wasilla specifically: a path connection linking Wasilla High School and Wasilla Middle School along Bogard Road, a roundabout and path at Paradise Lane and Wasilla Fishhook, sidewalks on West Point Drive near commercial areas, and measures to reopen and rehabilitate the Parks Highway underpass (mitigating groundwater, installing lighting and cameras) to improve pedestrian access to Newcomb Park.

The presenter emphasized that the plan is an incentive tool rather than a mandate and that local governments choose whether and how to implement projects. She recommended commissioners and staff review chapter 7 of the Mat‑Su plan for the list of recommended projects and noted that another national SS4A implementation funding round is expected next year.

Commission discussion and next steps: commissioners and staff discussed coordination with city public works and the borough; the presenter said the borough application was coordinated with city public works and the school district. The presenter recommended using the plan to guide grant applications and capital planning; she also noted that implementing projects is contingent on award decisions and available match funding. Commissioners were invited to follow the borough plan and consider it when reviewing local projects and capital work that could be combined with street and utility upgrades.

Taper: staff and the presenter said the commission should expect continued outreach as grant decisions are announced and suggested the commission consider the plan when reviewing future local land‑use and transportation projects.