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DOT seeks $500,000 to clear vacated encampments; senators press department on Tudor Road pedestrian deaths and speed‑limit authority
Summary
DOT requested a one‑time $500,000 UGF to clear vacated homeless encampments in state right of way and described prior spending responding to hazards; legislators pressed DOT about pedestrian fatalities on Tudor Road, past vetoed signal funding, and whether the Legislature can set road‑specific speed limits.
The Department of Transportation and Public Facilities told the Senate Transportation Finance Subcommittee on March 12 that it is requesting $500,000 in one‑time unrestricted general funds for right‑of‑way clearing of vacated homeless encampments and described recent spending to remediate hazardous sites.
Andy Mills, Department of Transportation and Public Facilities staff, told the committee that DOT spent roughly $300,000 in Anchorage and $150,000 in Fairbanks in the previous fiscal year responding to encampments and hazardous materials. "We're required in federal regulations to address safety issues in our right of way," Mills said, describing the department's approach as a mix of contractor remediation and coordination with social‑service partners.
Why it matters: committee members said pedestrian fatalities on streets such as Tudor Road are a pressing local safety problem and sought details linking right‑of‑way cleanup to broader safety work.
Tudor Road and local safety concerns
Senator Dunbar raised multiple examples of fatalities and long‑standing community requests to lower speeds and improve infrastructure on Tudor Road, noting residents and several community councils have pushed for lower posted speeds and improvements for more than a decade. "Tudor Road has for a long time been far, far too dangerous," Dunbar said.
Committee members asked whether the Legislature can set road‑specific speed limits. Andy Mills said speed limits are set in statute and historically relied on engineering practices such as the 85th‑percentile speed, but added the legislature can set policy. "The answer to your question is yes, it is set in statute and we do work with localities on setting it," Mills said, adding that any targeted statutory changes could require follow‑on engineering and sequencing adjustments.
Past vetoes and actions
Senators referenced a previously vetoed appropriation for a signal project near the Muldoon/Tudor curve (figures cited in the hearing ranged from $5,000,000 to $6,000,000 in prior discussions). DOT staff said the project had been on an earlier priority list and that project lists evolve as the department addresses other intersections.
Ending
DOT staff said they will provide attachments and additional information on speed‑limit analyses, safety priorities and the department’s work with municipal partners. The subcommittee scheduled additional follow‑up during the FY26 hearings cycle.
