Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson is proposing to reinstate a law criminalizing jaywalking in response to a concerning increase in pedestrian deaths. This proposal has sparked debate, with some arguing that the 2023 removal of jaywalking laws contributed to the fatalities, while others contend that the city's infrastructure issues are the primary cause.
Pedestrian cross the Old Glenn Highway in Eagle River during subzero temperatures on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024. of the city’s rules for roadway users. Proponents of that overhaul are pushing back on the mayor’s proposal to reinstate jaywalking, saying there’s little evidence to link the fatalities to the reform.
Advocates of last year’s code overhaul said it is meant to improve safety and to set the city on a path toward improving its infrastructure for bicyclists, pedestrians and other modes of non-motorized transportation.And they’ve pushed back on the idea that revoking the jaywalking laws was a major factor in the high number of deaths. Assembly Vice Chair Meg Zaletel in September called the idea “frankly ridiculous corollary.
In a statement, the mayor’s office said that LaFrance’s top priority is public safety, and the administration will “deploy all the available tools to create a safer environment for everyone.” All but two of the fatalities happened on high-speed or major roadways, including multiple-lane highways like Minnesota Drive and the Seward Highway, and major arterial roads like Northern Lights Boulevard and Tudor Road.that it’s not clear whether the change in law is connected to the death toll, whether the people killed knew about the jaywalking reform and whether they changed their behavior because of it.
LaFrance and Sulte’s proposal was set to be introduced during Tuesday’s Assembly meeting, and members won’t vote until a later meeting. If approved, it would institute a $40 fine for jaywalking: crossing a roadway while within 150 feet of a crosswalk, pedestrian tunnel, or overhead walkway. People could also be ticketed for failing to cross at a right angle to the curb, or for not taking the shortest route to the opposite curb.
Pedestrian Safety Jaywalking Anchorage Alaska Road Infrastructure
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