Civic Affairs committee recommends Phase 1 study to model Broadway crowding and traffic

The Civic Affairs Committee on April 21 recommended that the Skagway Assembly approve Phase 1 of a visitor‑use management study aimed at documenting pedestrian crowding and vehicle congestion on Broadway.

The committee's recommendation asks the Assembly to consider a Phase 1 contract with a visitation‑management consulting team led by Steve Lawson. Lawson told the committee his approach combines site scoping, observation‑based counts, time‑lapse video and protocol development so local staff can repeat monitoring in future seasons. "Visitor use management is a process to identify, implement, and adapt strategies and actions to balance opportunities for visitor enjoyment of a destination with protecting desired conditions for the destination's residents, visitors, and resources," Lawson said.

Why it matters: Committee members and residents have raised concerns about peak‑day crowding on Broadway and the safety and quality‑of‑life impacts of high passenger loads. Tourism director Jamie Bricker told the committee the town has long debated measures such as one‑way traffic and partial street closures but lacks objective, visual tools to evaluate proposals. "If you've gathered the data, then you get into the phase 2 modeling and you can see the real effects of shutting down Broadway to car traffic, or testing one‑way traffic on four‑ship days," Bricker said.

What Phase 1 would do: Lawson described Phase 1 as a peak‑season visit by one or two consultants to perform site scoping, set indicators (for example, people per sidewalk segment, vehicle volumes at intersections), collect multiple days of data (targeting the highest boat/passenger days), produce time‑lapse video, and deliver an analyzed baseline report. The protocols and monitoring tools would be handed to borough staff so the community can continue long‑term monitoring without repeated consultant trips.

Cost and scope: Committee discussion noted an estimated Phase 1 fee in the packet of about $65,000 for a Broadway‑centric scope; Lawson said the larger fee reflects a Phase 1 that includes repeated monitoring, analysis and reporting rather than a short site visit. Lawson explained that a broader menu version of an earlier proposal had lower immediate costs because it scoped a shorter site visit and reserved full monitoring for a later phase.

Debate and next steps: Members emphasized phasing as a pragmatic, resource‑management choice and discussed whether to prioritize Broadway or a multi‑street study. Lawson recommended a phased approach to both manage cost and learn from early work, while saying models can incorporate planned street geometry changes. Several members also urged that monitoring include high‑pressure days so the analysis captures stress conditions. The committee amended the recommendation to clearly ask the Assembly to approve Phase 1 and noted the manager indicated the fee would be charged to sales tax funds.

Vote and outcome: The Chair moved to recommend Phase 1 of the DJ&A visitor‑use management proposal focused on Broadway; the motion received a second and passed on a voice vote. The recommendation will be forwarded to the Assembly for consideration and funding approval.

What remains open: The recommendation does not itself change street operations or impose passenger caps; those policy choices would be made later using the study's findings. The committee also asked the consultant to clarify deliverables and the specific schedule of data collection before the Assembly considers funding.