AMATS staff seek backing for revised Anchorage planning boundary after state dispute

AMATS staff will ask the Anchorage Metropolitan Area Transportation Solutions Technical Advisory Committee on Thursday, Nov. 5, to recommend a revised regional planning boundary to the Policy Committee for approval, according to a staff memo.

The boundary sets the area covered by the region's federal transportation planning. Federal rules require an update after each census so it includes the full urban area the Census Bureau defines. The boundary may reach beyond that area but cannot leave any of it out.

The Policy Committee approved a new boundary in January 2024, but it was never forwarded to the governor for final signature, according to the AMATS narrative. At an Aug. 22, 2024, meeting, a representative of the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities asked for another review, citing concerns that planned Seward Highway projects could be affected by becoming part of the AMATS process. The Policy Committee reapproved the boundary without objection in September 2024.

It still was not sent to the governor. In early 2025 the department raised the boundary again, and letters among the department, the municipal attorney and federal highway officials followed into this year. Alaska News reported in July that the two sides must agree by Dec. 29 or the region loses federal transportation funding.

After a work session in September, the committees directed staff to justify every area in the map. The revised boundary follows municipal parcels, the 2020 census urban area and a 550-foot buffer around public roads and the railroad corridor. It adds Point Woronzof to capture its full trail network and drops parts of Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson and an Eagle River area made up mostly of private streets.

The public may comment after the committee discusses the item.