Alaska DOT urges ‘‘safe systems’’ approach as pedestrian deaths remain overrepresented

Alaska Department of Transportation officials told the Senate Transportation Committee on March 13 that the agency is adopting a ‘‘safe systems’’ approach across projects to drive toward zero deaths and serious injuries on state roadways. Shannon McCarthy, communication director for Alaska DOT, told the committee: "Deaths and serious injuries are not acceptable, and there are steps that we can take, some incremental, some big, that can drive us closer to that number."

The department presented five-year crash trends and countermeasures, emphasizing that pedestrians and bicyclists are overrepresented among fatalities. Pam Golden, state traffic and safety engineer for DOT, said the agency recorded 77 non-motorized fatalities over a five-year period and noted preliminary counts of 12 pedestrian fatalities in 2023 and 15 in 2024. Golden also highlighted that Anchorage—about 40% of the state population—accounted for roughly 67% of fatal pedestrian crashes.

Why it matters: DOT said the combination of higher pedestrian exposure in urban centers, roadway speed and emergency-response times in rural areas contributes to worse outcomes. "If you have a serious crash in a rural area, it takes longer for an EMS to get there," McCarthy said, noting that slower response can increase the likelihood of a fatal outcome. The department said speed is a primary driver of severe outcomes: one slide cited a break point around 35 mph where risks of serious injury and death rise sharply.

DOT described planned and ongoing actions. On engineering: the state favors roundabouts and has more than 50 in place, uses rumble strips and newer guardrail standards, and has adopted ‘‘safety edge’’ paving to reduce severe run-off-road outcomes. The department said it is updating the Alaska Traffic Manual and will require separate signal heads per approach lane on new or rebuilt signals, and is piloting leading pedestrian intervals and accessible pedestrian signals in regions including Fairbanks and Anchorage. Shannon McCarthy said variable speed-limit projects have begun design on the Seward Highway (Girdwood to Potter Marsh) and the Richardson Highway section outside Fairbanks (Eielson to Fairbanks).

On programs and policy: DOT described two safety-focused programs—the Alaska Highway Safety Office (behavioral programs, grants, high-visibility enforcement) and the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) that funds engineering projects. McCarthy said the Highway Safety Office grant application window runs March 15–April 30 and is open to tribal entities, local governments, law enforcement and some nonprofits. The department said a Complete Streets policy is under development and the agency is revising its speed-limit policy to reflect roadway context and urban issues.

Community engagement and data: DOT officials said they are expanding community outreach (the “partners in safety” events, including a Denali Borough Health and Safety Fair on March 27) and seeking public data about near-misses and local conditions. McCarthy said 511 traveler-information services are widely used—DOT reported almost 400,000 users in early 2024 and about 1 million unique accesses to 511 in 2024—and that the system now ingests live alerts from vehicles, plows and bus operators. The department described a brush-clearing contract of about $1 million along a heavy-haul corridor to improve sight distance and reduce roadside hazards.

Committee questions focused on winter tires and road damage from studded tires, how variable speed systems determine thresholds, the effect of roadway width and crossings on pedestrian risk, and whether lower posted limits change driver behavior. McCarthy and Golden told senators that studded tires damage pavement and that research, stakeholder engagement and cost trade-offs have informed department deliberations. They also said lowering posted limits alone typically yields only a small change (two to three mph) in actual operating speeds without accompanying design changes or enforcement.

The presentation also previewed targeted ‘‘vulnerable road user safety assessments’’ and three regional road-safety-audit packages for 2025, plus urban safety corridor planning in Anchorage. Officials said pilots — including temporary protected bike lanes and pilot lane drops — are being used to test designs before committing to permanent changes.

Ending: DOT staff told the committee they will follow up on several member questions and continue community engagement as projects and policy updates proceed. "We are happy to follow-up on any of the questions that we weren't able to answer today," McCarthy said. The committee adjourned with a plan to remain in contact as the legislature considers related actions.