Alaska transportation planners are once again considering upgrading Fireweed Lane in Anchorage, an aging commercial corridor where hundreds of accidents have occurred in recent years.

Planners are targeting the 1.25-mile stretch between Spenard Road and Seward Highway, a dense mix of stores, restaurants, public schools and apartments.

Area business owners say the road, a picturesque landscape, fireweed observation point before the city grew around it, today it is dangerous, congested and poorly designed for modern conditions.

The sidewalks are narrow, too close to the four-lane road and sometimes blocked by utility poles, city planners say. In winter, they can be covered in snow, forcing people to walk in the streets.

Kristina Busch, project manager for the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, said planners are exploring options that include reducing the number of lanes to improve traffic flow. This could create much more space for features like wider sidewalks, bike lanes and, potentially, street parking.

Should Fireweed stay on its current four lanes, but possibly with new safety features like a widened sidewalk? Or should it go on a “road diet,” as planners say, reducing to three lanes with center turning lanes?

Or should it even go to two lanes?

These are key questions for the public to weigh in on, Busch said.

Other possibilities include adding roundabouts on Arctic Boulevard or Denali Street; improvements to intersections and pedestrian crossings; and the addition of road islands and the burying of electrical lines, according to the plans presented on the project website, fireweedlane.com.

“The goal is to improve safety, mobility and access for all road users,” Busch said. Reducing traffic jams and delays is another goal, she said.

The improvements could cost between $40 million and $50 million, based on an initial rough estimate, she said. The municipality, which owns and maintains part of Fireweed, is also participating in the project. The planning effort is currently funded by federal funds, but additional funds would be needed for construction.

Around 50 accidents per year

Fireweed business owners contacted for this story said they support efforts to improve the street, in part to protect children who walk to school and to reduce accidents.

“It’s a dangerous street,” said Mark Robokoff, owner of the AK Bark pet supply store. “We are constantly asked for surveillance footage because of all the accidents. So upgrades are desperately needed.

Upgrading the road and sidewalks would give the area a facelift, he said.

Robokoff had a large mural painted with portraits of fireweed and pets outside AK Bark a few years ago to dress up the area, he said. Another business across the street also recently painted its own mural focused on fireweed, he said.

“I hope I start a trend,” he said.

Robokoff said a “road diet” seems like a good idea at first glance. He generally favors adding spaces for cyclists and the many pedestrians using the area, he said.

533 vehicle accidents reported on Fireweed This happened over a recent 10-year period, most of it on A and C Streets and Seward Highway, according to project documents. Around a third of accidents resulted in injuries. Eleven involved cyclists and pedestrians.

With two lanes allowing drivers to turn around, many accidents are corner or rear-end accidents, say the planners. People trying to turn left can’t always see what’s coming.

A driver wanting to turn may see a car in one lane but not the other until it’s too late, Busch said.

Would a “road diet” work?

A previous effort to reduce willow herb avenues ended about 20 years ago, project documents show. Businesses at the time feared that fewer lanes would mean less traffic.

But planners say “road diets” are increasingly being used in Anchorage, with success.

They can reduce vehicle speeds, as well as rear-end and corner collisions, without reducing traffic, according to a video presentation of the project. A recent example is just west of the project area, along Spenard Road between Hillcrest Drive and Benson Boulevard, according to planners.

A road diet gives drivers a designated turn lane that makes turning left safer and easier, said Joe Taylor, who leads the project design team for Lounsbury and Associates, a firm based in Anchorage.

A three-lane road can accommodate 20,000 vehicles per day, “far exceeding traffic volumes on Fireweed Lane now and in the future.” video presentation of the project said.

Average traffic on Fireweed has fallen in two decades, project materials exhibition. Around 6,500 vehicles use the busiest section of the road daily. That’s down from more than 10,000.

JR Wilcox, co-owner of Quantum Laundry Lounge along Fireweed, said he believes the road is extremely busy with vehicles. He said planners should prioritize vehicle safety issues.

“It’s an old road that probably needs a little love given the number of cars that use it,” he said.

“Helping traffic flow and improving turning and parking is what they should be focusing on,” he said.

The next steps for the project include selecting a preferred alternative and submitting a review of alternatives to the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission before a final design can be selected, Busch said. Construction would take place after 2028, if funding is available.

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