Comments for “Connect Fairbanks: FAST Planning Non-Motorized Plan Update”
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City of Fairbanks Bike Lane Signing and Striping
I see at least 2-3 fat tire bikers trying to reach downtown via Illinois St every day this winter and the road conditions are a nightmare. The streets are not well plowed and the sidewalks are not at all plowed from GVEA to Garden Island. We need to widen this area with a bike lane and MAINTAIN it to prevent cars from slipping into the bikers on the ice. I'd prefer the bike lane to be separated from the street with a pedestrian sidewalk on the other side but if there were a raised lane on both sides pedestrians would try to use both. It's a very difficult and congested area for bikers and pedestrians, and very small for being such a thoroughfare into downtown. This area is currently very unsafe.
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A huge opportunity to promote biking culture in Fairbanks would be to provide scenic biking opportunities on our major roads out of town, lower in priority than protecting the safety of our bikers and pedestrians trying to access locations in city limits, but serving a wider swath of our community. Chena Hot Springs Road leads to multiple outdoor recreational areas and has good mileage for people wanting to pursue a day trip out of town on bicycles. I would advocate for a shoulder widened with a biking lane in summers for bikers and pedestrians and maintenance of the multi use trail in winter for fat tire commuters.
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So relieved to see planned action on Ballaine Rd., but this road also get a LOT of non-motorized use (running/biking/etc.). A designated path here would provide much-needed safety.
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Ballaine Road Separated Path
For safety we need a non-motorized path along Yankovich Road running the entire distance from Ballaine to Miller Hill Road. It is currently dangerous for both drivers and pedestrians/runners/bikers to not have a separate non-motorized path. Please make this a priority! It is a safety issue!
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Phillips Field Road: Peger Road–Illinois Street
the east side of this intersection is very difficult if you came across the river on the ped bridge by pioneer park you cant connect well to the ped facilities on the west side without walking in shoulders or along peger.
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this ramp down to the river is one of the only of its kind in this stretch, and regularly used by people casting rod and reel. More of these would encourage river use by pedestrians
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Chena River Walk Stage III—Segment 1
This would be a WONDERFUL addition to the town and start to connect Fairbanks more regularly to river access
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4-wheelers and other ATV vehicles create a lot of gravel spray across the bike/ped path along Farmers loop. Regular visits from a sweeper truck would help, as would a solution for the small motor users travelling along the corridor.
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This area has been parceled off and sold - the path may need to merge with Chena Landings Loop in this area and reconnect at the N-S route to the pedestrian bridge
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It would be great to see the pedestrian bridge reconnected across the Noyes slough, and repair an important pedestrian/bike connection E-W north of the river
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Phillips Field Road: Peger Road–Illinois Street
Phillips field road is such a busy road for lots of transport trucks and large vehicles, it gets pretty scary to ride on the shoulder. My small business is on Phillips field and I sometimes commute college road to avoid Phillips field, despite taking me 15 minute longer. I would like to see this become high priority instead of medium.
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City of Fairbanks Bike Lane Signing and Striping
A Green Belt with walking/biking path that wanders throughout South Fairbanks would encourage family walking in a safe setting. Also IACNVL and Rescue Mission residents will have safer options for walking. More well maintained sidewalks around both shelters, JP Jones Center, etc. are needed.
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Peger Road: Chena River – Airport Way
Improving the transition from the path along the West side of Peger to the path that goes under Peger would encourage more use there. The current transition is steep and narrow and involves a sharp turn. The path that goes under the bridge is narrow on the West side and does not allow a bike and a person to pass safely, much less 2 bikes. GVEA just destroyed the trees on the lot adjacent to that section of path. The landowner may be willing to sell that strip of land if you agreed to plant a new buffer.
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Peger Road: Chena River – Airport Way
The path under Peger Rd along the river is closed for high water often. A 2 foot high retaining wall from the upriver peninsula to the downriver high bank would keep the path open for almost every highwater event. Although the bridge abutments catch logs there are seldom any against that left bank and likely would not interfere with a small retaining wall.
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Ballaine Road Bicycle Corridor: Yankovich Road-Goldstream Road
Yankovich Rd is a very dangerous road to ride or walk on. There is absolutely no shoulder until you get to the path near the musk-ox farm. In some places the road is eroded into the driving lanes. I see bikers and walkers on this road almost on a daily basis. It would be nice to have some sort of safe passage on this road from one end to the other. Hope this can happen soon.
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Yankovich road needs the bike/pedestrian path continued to Ballaine Road in some form.
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Yankovich is used by a lot of bicyclists and pedestrians. The portion without a bike/pedestrian lane is dangerous due to limited visibility and no room for non-motorized users. A non-motorized path is needed.
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Pedestrians and cyclists need safe east-west access from Chena Pump Road along the north side of Geist Road to access the bike path that runs north along UAF.
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Chena Ridge is home to approximately 6000 people. Non-motorized transportation corridor is needed badly along Chena Ridge Road to access the pedestrian Corridor at Chena Pump Road. In the summer cyclist (young and old) and pedestrians travel along the shoulder of Chena Ridge Road daily. Erosion and rough shoulders make for hazardous cycling conditions.
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Chena River Walk Stage III—Segment 1
Should be high priority to get this built before adjacent land use changes. We should have had a river path all along the Chena River but once people had their river front homes built it became impossible.
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Phillips Field Road: Peger Road–Illinois Street
This project should be high priority.
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Chena Pump Road Roundabout Interchange
Certainly is an issue - a large residential area and all the traffic goes through this one point. Hard to imagine a roundabout being a solution.
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Geist Road: Parks Highway–Fairbanks Street
While it is a need project pedestrians are looking for the shortest route. Thus people headed to West Ridge are going to keep using the trail that diagonals across the farm fields. This route has been brought up repeatedly but as soon as the planners see the railroad crossing it is blinders on - not going there. There are pedestrian railroad crossings where the arms come down just like the ones where roads cross the tracks.
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Complete the separated path along Yankovich Road! Sure it is difficult with a narrow ROW, utilities, yards, septic systems, etc.but just adding wide shoulders is to make future generations finish the separated path. Consider winter - what do wide shoulders look like for our long winters? Snow storage!
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Ballaine Road Bicycle Corridor: Yankovich Road-Goldstream Road
The historic Skarland Ski Trail used to run along the W side of Ballaine Road but was eliminated when Ballaine Road was rebuilt years ago. The only option for the Skarland ski trail was to cross Ballaine and go on the folk path. For years DOT would come through with a loader and bury the path with icy blocks of snow rendering the path unsuable. After years of complaining this is the first year the path has remained useable. What will become of the Skarland Ski trail with the new project to upgrade the folk path? Planners - please recognize that the Skarland Ski Trail exists and skiers want to be able to ski it!!!