• Anchorage Convention & Visitors Bureau states: "trails equate to dollars for Anchorage. Without trails, Anchorage could not host many of the events that bring dollars into our community."
• Tourism would be stimulated. A longer coastal trail would provide an unparalleled experience that would draw more tourists for longer stays. Tourist dollars have extensive impacts throughout the community in the form of hotel, restaurant, retail, transportation and service industry expenditures.
• Property values of homes near the trail would increase adding to the city's tax base.
• Attract business to Anchorage by creating a unique and desirable environment to work and live.
• The cost of the trail as presently proposed is $37 million with 91% of the funding coming from the Federal Highway Department.
• By law these Federal Highway Department dollars are only for trails and enhancements; therefore it does not take funding from roads, education or social services.
• The remaining 9% or $3.3 million will come from municipal, state or private funds. It is approximately the same amount of money that was spent for the South Anchorage Ball Fields off Klatt. This trail would be a 14 mile, high quality trail, with access to a wildlife refuge, that Anchorage residents could use year-round.
• Phased construction will maintain availability of funds for unrelated smaller trail projects.
• 18 changes have been proposed that could reduce the cost by $16-18 million dollars and reduce private property crossings (primarily at the base of the bluff) from 177 to as few as 25. These changes are being looked at to see how feasible they are within the confines of the EIS (Environmental Impact Statement) requirements. Details can be found at: www.friendsofthecoastaltrail.org
• The orange modified route does not require the taking of any private homes, but still allows trail users the benefits of being on the coast for long distances.
• Owners will be financially compensated for any land taken (primarily at the base of the bluff) where the trail crosses private property. This expense is part of the cost shown above.
• There will be changes to the current route based on public comment that occurred earlier in the EIS process. These should include reducing the number of private property crossings.
• The Mayor is concerned about the impacts to home owners and is actively looking at all options to make changes within the EIS parameters to reduce these impacts and still keep the trail mostly on the coast. Just one example is to work with the railroad to drop the trail below the tracks on Jarvi Dr. where plans presently have it running very close to homes. There are many others.
• Provide public access to one of Anchorage's more stunning stretches of coastline.
• The Coastal trail is part nature walk, part exercise track and part social scene that everyone can afford to use. The extension of the trail presents an opportunity for the widest variety of people: mothers with babies in strollers; kids with bikes; boomers on skis; visiting grandparents with their grandkids; tourists and bird watchers.
• Provide a new trail and access to the coast for southwest Anchorage residents who have few options.
• Numerous polls and surveys show an overwhelming majority of Anchorage citizens in support of trails and extending the Coastal trail. Details can be found at: www.friendsofthecoastaltrail.org
For additional information please contact Robin Smith at 345-4407 or Mike Jens at 346-3137.