Mat-Su cut school walking paths from its short-term road list

The Mat-Su Borough dropped pathway and crossing projects at two elementary schools from its near-term transportation priorities Monday, replacing them with road work.

The Planning Commission approved the change without objection. Out went walking paths at KGB Elementary and Finger Lake Elementary, along with the Foothills Boulevard reconstruction. In came pavement preservation on Seldon Road, reconstruction on Carmel Road and an upgrade to Covington Street.

The reason was proportion. Pathway projects accounted for roughly $24 million on the short-term list, which borough staff considered high against what the list spends on roads. One pathway project survived the cut, about $8 million at Mocaton's Elementary.

The chair framed it as the same goal by another route. "Keeping our roads safe and maintained actually aids in to getting to school safely, whether you're walking next to or driving on," he said.

Staff say the school pathways are not dead. They remain on the borough's longer list of eligible projects and could come back in smaller pieces.

The revised short-term list runs about $70 million in federal money against roughly $7 million the borough would put up, according to the executive director of Matsu Valley Planning for Transportation.

The borough separately holds a $12.8 million federal Safe Streets and Roads for All grant, with $3.2 million in local funding attached. Whether any of it reaches the two school pathways is not established.