Bond package would greatly benefit Anchorage

Later this month, the Anchorage Assembly will vote on the bond package that will go to the voters in April’s municipal election.

As president of the Building and Construction Trades Council of Southcentral Alaska, I cannot overstate the importance of bonds for our city and our economy.

A large portion of the bond package will improve our roads and parks — both critical pieces of our city’s infrastructure.

The road projects include, among other things: school zone safety, traffic calming, lighting and signal upgrades, drainage improvements, intersection resurfacing, and rehabilitation of key thoroughfares such as Dowling Road.

Some of the park projects are: a Tony Knowles Coastal Trail to Ship Creek Trail connection, all-inclusive playground development, improvements to Ure Park in Spenard, Campbell Creek Trail rehabilitation, and Chester Creek Complex Facility safety, security and disability upgrades.

These projects’ benefits are threefold: they increase quality of life, improve public safety and create good-paying local jobs.

The vast majority of Anchorage residents commute to work by car. Improving the quality and safety of our roads makes a tangible difference in the everyday lived experience of many in Anchorage.

Parks are one of Anchorage’s crown jewels. From skiing to Little League baseball to dog-only trails, parks offer a diversity of recreational opportunities and increase the quality of life in Anchorage. As we struggle with out-migration and population loss, we must realize that world-class parks are a competitive advantage for our city.

As for public safety, pedestrian deaths and other serious accidents have been far too common in Anchorage this past year. Public safety improvements are a clear priority in the bond package, for motorists, pedestrians and recreationists alike. Anchorage should be a safe place to drive, walk, bike and recreate. These projects will go a long way in ensuring that reality.

Finally, these road and park projects will create thousands of good-paying jobs for Anchorage residents. Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, alongside Congressman Don Young, voted for the bipartisan infrastructure bill in a true showing of statesmanship. They know critical infrastructure investments build our state and put Alaskans to work. A strong municipal bond package is value-added to the federal infrastructure money coming to our state in the next few years. We must seize this opportunity.

Now is the time for Anchorage to put its foot on the gas and invest in projects that strengthen our economy and make our city a better place to live, work and recreate. Infrastructure improvements should not be isolated one-offs but instead, be consistent investments that work in concert. That is why I encourage the Assembly and mayor to adopt a robust municipal bond package and the voters to pass it in April’s election.

Shane D. Linse serves as president of the Building and Construction Trades Council of Southcentral Alaska.

The views expressed here are the writer’s and are not necessarily endorsed by the Anchorage Daily News, which welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a piece for consideration, email commentary(at)adn.com. Send submissions shorter than 200 words to letters@adn.com or click here to submit via any web browser. Read our full guidelines for letters and commentaries here.