Anchorage Assembly members push state and city leaders to address high rate of pedestrians killed by drivers

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Three Anchorage Assembly members are calling connected authorities and section governments to return action to trim nan number of pedestrians killed by drivers — pursuing six deaths conscionable this month.

Assembly vice chair Meg Zaletel is among nan members who plans to present a solution during Tuesday night’s Assembly gathering to telephone for respective changes, including installing much lights laid retired successful nan national Highway Safety Improvement Program.

“Providing capable lighting, particularly successful our enarthrosis seasons, erstwhile nan conditions are dark, is captious to information successful our wintertime city,” Zaletel said. “Second, we tin little velocity limits by astatine slightest 10 miles an hr and not to transcend 35 miles an hour. The azygous astir impactful consequence to pedestrians is speed”

Zaletel’s resolution, which she co-sponsored pinch North Anchorage Assembly personnel Daniel Volland and East Anchorage personnel Karen Bronga, besides calls for a nationalist accusation run connected pedestrian safety.

This September has been nan deadliest period for fatal vehicle-pedestrian collisions successful Anchorage successful astatine slightest a twelve years. In full truthful acold this year, drivers person killed 13 pedestrians, arsenic young arsenic 24 and arsenic aged arsenic 79.

Most of nan collisions happened astatine dusk aliases overnight and connected a roadway wherever nan velocity limit is 45 mph aliases higher. And successful astir each cases, nan personification was crossing nan thoroughfare extracurricular of a crosswalk.

North Anchorage Assembly personnel Daniel Volland said that’s because Anchorage streets are not good designed for pedestrians.

“I’m concerned that things are not convenient for pedestrians, and truthful they’re choosing to transverse wherever they whitethorn not beryllium expected to,” Volland said.

The precocious number of fatal collisions comes almost a twelvemonth aft Assembly members approved a alteration to metropolis code, introduced by Volland, that got free of penalties for jaywalking. Volland said he doesn’t deliberation nan alteration is related to nan precocious number of pedestrian fatalities, and said nan alteration was made because enforcement of jaywalking fines wasn’t being done equitably, and he said a much broad solution would beryllium creating much pedestrian friends infrastructure.

Anchorage roads are handled by nan authorities and nan metropolis governments, and nan 2 jurisdictions don’t ever neatly statement up, arsenic galore residents learned during delays to snowfall plowing past year.

Volland said nan Assembly’s occupation is to perceive to constituents, group argumentation and allocate funding. He said a bulk of nan activity needed to genuinely amended pedestrian information will person to travel from nan mayor’s agency and nan state.

“Essentially we are calling to action nan administration, nan different branch of nan municipality and our authorities partners, to say, ‘We request you to do something. We request you to make these corridors safer, now,’” Volland said.

Volland said location are immoderate methods nan Assembly tin return to create safer streets for pedestrians. Among them is backing what he described arsenic “traffic calming” infrastructure, for illustration velocity bumps, roundabouts and extremity signs.

The Assembly could ballot connected and o.k. nan solution arsenic early arsenic Tuesday night.

Here’s what we cognize truthful acold astir this year’s fatal vehicle-pedestrian crashes:

Sept. 21: Crystal Anvil, 38, was struck by a car astir 7:30 p.m. while crossing West Northern Lights Boulevard, adjacent nan Minnesota Drive intersection. She was crossing nan westbound lanes, astir 500 feet from a crosswalk, police said. She was pronounced dormant astatine nan scene. The driver remained connected nan segment and cooperated pinch officers, according to police.

Sept. 20: Ambrose Aguchak, 79, was struck by 2 different vehicles while crossing nan Seward Highway, adjacent East 36th Avenue, astir 9 p.m. He was crossing nan northbound lanes, astir 500 feet from a crosswalk, police said. He was transported to a infirmary wherever he was declared dead.

Sept. 13: Kaycie Martin, 24, was struck and killed by an SUV astir 3:45 a.m. while crossing Minnesota Drive adjacent 34th Avenue. Police opportunity Martin was crossing extracurricular of a crosswalk. The driver remained connected nan segment and cooperated pinch officers, police said.

Sept. 9: Lola Giles, 29, was struck and killed by a minivan on nan Seward Highway conscionable aft 6 a.m., police said. The clang happened adjacent to mile 108.5, adjacent nan Rainbow Trailhead. The driver remained connected nan segment and cooperated pinch officers, constabulary said.

Sept. 8: Danielle Washington, 45, was struck and killed by an SUV astir 6:35 a.m. while crossing Debarr Road, adjacent Bragaw Street. Police opportunity Washington was crossing extracurricular of a crosswalk. The driver remained connected nan segment and cooperated pinch officers, constabulary said.

Sept. 8: Shannon Wallner, 42, was struck and killed by a pickup truck astir 12:30 a.m. Police opportunity Wallner was successful nan roadway connected Muldoon Road, adjacent nan East 6th Avenue intersection. The driver remained connected nan segment and cooperated pinch officers, constabulary said.

May 20: Annie Berntsen, 33, was struck and killed by a sports car driving northbound astatine 6:15 p.m. while she was crossing A Street betwixt Fireweed Lane and East 16th Avenue. She was not successful a crosswalk, constabulary said, and was declared dormant astatine nan scene. The driver, 40-year-old Larry Anderson Jr., near nan segment without notifying police. He was later charged pinch driving pinch a revoked license, leaving nan segment of an mishap and nonaccomplishment to render aid.

April 20: Terry Alexie, 36, was standing successful nan roadway connected Tudor Road, adjacent nan Seward Highway, erstwhile he was struck by an SUV astatine 12:15 a.m. He died astatine a infirmary a week later. The driver remained connected nan segment and cooperated pinch officers, constabulary said.

April 9: Phillip Lupie, 32, was struck by a car going westbound connected East 11th Avenue astir 11 p.m. The driver, 19-year-old Josiah Martinez, did not extremity and was later arrested erstwhile his conveyance was recovered astatine a adjacent residence. Martinez was charged pinch leaving nan segment of an mishap and nonaccomplishment to render aid. He was besides cited for driving without a valid license.

March 7: Anthony Johnson, 56, died when he was struck by an SUV while crossing nan northbound lanes of nan Seward Highway, adjacent Dowling Road, astir 8:20 p.m. Johnson died astatine nan scene. The driver remained connected nan segment and cooperated pinch officers, constabulary said.

March 6: Mary Rickteroff-Andrew, 52, was lying connected nan ground successful nan eastbound extremity of nan South Anchorage Wal-Mart parking batch erstwhile nan driver of a minivan drove complete her. Rickteroff-Andrew was declared dormant astatine nan scene. The driver remained connected nan segment and cooperated pinch officers, constabulary said.

March 3: Brian Pederson, 30, was the unfortunate of a hit-and-run, constabulary say. His assemblage was recovered astir 3:40 a.m., lying successful nan southbound lanes of nan Old Seward Highway, adjacent Industry Way. Officers later arrested Marsean Hadley, 29, and charged him with manslaughter, leaving nan segment of an accident, driving nether nan power and nonaccomplishment to render aid.

Jan. 30: A man, not identified by police, was struck and killed by an SUV going southbound connected C Street betwixt West Fireweed Lane and West Northern Lights Boulevard astir 9 a.m. The driver remained connected nan segment and cooperated pinch officers, constabulary said.

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