Haines Borough engineers present crash data; residents press for signage, winter maintenance and connected sidewalks

At a recent public meeting in Haines Borough, project staff and a visiting transportation engineer presented crash and survey data gathered to support a Safe Streets for All safety action plan and asked residents for site‑specific feedback.

The presentation, led by a civil engineer with OHS and Chandler, a transportation engineer from Transportation Engineers Northwest, summarized a 12‑year crash dataset and a community safety survey. "We had almost 370 responses," the civil engineer said, calling the turnout "pretty representative of the population." Chandler said, "Over half of the crash data we received was in the Haines town site itself," and outlined a prioritization matrix that will rank low‑ to high‑cost improvements.

Why it matters: the plan will compile data and community comments into a deliverable the team expects in September that staff hope to use when advocating to state and federal agencies for project funding and implementation. Staff and commenters emphasized that the plan itself is not a construction contract but will identify priorities, policy or code changes, and concept‑level projects for future funding applications.

Key findings and community concerns. Project staff said the team compiled police, DOT and state trooper records plus local dispatch reports and added about 130 additional pedestrian/cyclist/vehicle incident reports found through fire‑department records and another set of locally obtained records. Chandler and residents highlighted recurring problems: sidewalks that end abruptly, spots with poor sight distance (notably near 2nd and 3rd avenues), limited street lighting, winter conditions that make sidewalks impassable, and confusion for visitors caused by inconsistent wayfinding.

Residents recommended several locally actionable steps: a coordinated wayfinding/signage project tied to waterfront arrivals; clearer channelization and parking adjustments on Main Street; targeted low‑cost spot treatments where sight distance is poor; and exploring a short connector road (a frequently mentioned proposal was extending or building a route via 5th Avenue) to reduce school‑bound traffic through congested blocks.

Maintenance and winter operations emerged as a recurring priority. Chandler said prioritizing sidewalk and roadway maintenance — including snow and ice clearing — can significantly reduce crash risks and will be emphasized in the safety action plan. Staff said the plan can also quantify additional maintenance resources (labor/equipment) so the borough can seek funding with concrete cost estimates.

Data and next steps. On the dataset timeframe, Chandler said the team summarized incidents from 2013–2024, with most source records concentrated in 2018–2024. Staff asked residents to add specific locations to the project map or submit written comments; they reminded online participants about a planning commission meeting later the same evening and asked in‑person attendees to sign the sign‑in sheet.

What remains unresolved. Several participants pressed how the borough will coordinate the plan with state highway projects and differing priorities in regional transportation plans. Staff said the plan can be used to document local priorities when seeking state or federal funding but did not promise specific state actions or funding timelines.

The borough and consultant team said they will incorporate the compiled crash data, survey results and public comments into a draft safety action plan due in September and will present recommended priorities and an evaluation matrix to the steering committee and planning commission before seeking adoption by the assembly.