Anchorage Daily News

Planners are looking at seven ways to connect Anchorage's two freeways, but there's only one that makes any sense. Forget invading long-established neighborhoods, parks and city greenbelts. Most of the seven alternatives offered by the state and federal governments are there just for legal cover. DOT and the rest of us know full well we're not going to demolish Rogers Park and trash the Chester Creek greenbelt to connect the Glenn and Seward highways. Community councils in neighborhoods crossed -- or demolished -- by alternative routes are adamant in their opposition.

The route that makes the most sense is the route we have now -- Gambell and Ingra through the east end of downtown. The affected community council, in Fairview, welcomes the freeway, with conditions.

That's because the design that makes the most sense is the sunken freeway that would be partly covered with overpasses, parks or commercial buildings that would produce a closer-knit Fairview neighborhood. Done right and with imagination that reaches beyond the guardrails, the highway connection creates an opportunity to make Fairview a better place to live.

For the rest of Anchorage and Southcentral commuters, it's a question of traffic.

Swift, safer flow is the goal. Congestion is the enemy.

But while there may be only one logical route to connect the freeways, there's more than one way to beat congestion. Any highway connection plan should include improved public transit.

Public transit long has been a poor stepchild in Anchorage transportation planning -- or at least in funding. That's changed somewhat recently -- 2008 was a year of record ridership for People Mover, and this year popular demand forced the continuation of some routes the city had aimed to cut.

Financial constraints have Mayor Dan Sullivan talking about route cuts and fare hikes, and that's a big step backward. So how realistic is the talk about including studies of rapid bus transit and light rail in our highway-to-highway planning?

As realistic as we want to make it.

Most of us who live in Anchorage and the rest of Southcentral aren't about to give up the freedom, range and convenience of our cars and trucks -- unless alternatives save enough time, stress and /or money to be practical. Given the estimated $700 million price tag of the H2H project, doesn't it make sense to build with it transit systems that become those smart alternatives?

Instead of building to catch up with our needs, why not get out in front of them in economical ways?

What if we had a clean, efficient and timely rapid transit rail or bus corridor from South Anchorage that also offered transit riders free wireless service? Riders could work, text and surf at will to and from work -- and not endanger anyone with distracted driving.

What about the same wireless service on a commuter train from Mat-Su?

Or what about incentives for telecommuting, which helps keep wheels off the road at rush hour, when congestion is worst?

The idea is to be smart and nimble about transportation in Anchorage and think about it in terms of how Anchorage works -- for the sake of better neighborhoods, smoother traffic and cleaner air.

Hockey great Wayne Gretzky had the right idea -- don't skate to where the puck is, skate to where the puck is going to be.

It's not yet settled that H2H will happen. If it does, it should be more than a high-speed dash through town.

BOTTOM LINE: If H2H gets the green light, let's do more than just connect freeways.

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