Potter Drive designs test Anchorage guidance on in-street bike lanes

Potter Drive has no sidewalks or pathways today. Pedestrians and bicyclists currently share travel lanes or narrow, intermittent shoulders with vehicle traffic. Four design options the AKDOT has put before Anchorage planners would give the corridor its first dedicated space for people walking and biking, while also addressing deteriorated pavement and drainage. The report acknowledges that two adopted city and regional plans disagree about what that space should look like.

The Municipality of Anchorage Official Streets and Highways Plan classifies Potter Drive as an Industrial Commercial Collector. Its street typology says bicycle and pedestrian travel should be accommodated on industrial streets, but that in-street bike lanes are rare and sidewalks are held to the code minimum width. The AMATS Non-Motorized Plan, adopted in November 2021, recommends Potter Drive for a separated bikeway and ranks it a medium priority.

Two of the four options would add on-street bicycle lanes rather than the separated bikeway:

• Option A pairs two 6-foot on-street bicycle lanes and 11-foot travel lanes with a sidewalk on one side.

• Option B adds a second sidewalk, making it the widest option and requiring the most right-of-way acquisition.

• Option C provides sidewalks and 2-foot buffers on both sides, leaving cyclists to use the roadway or the sidewalk.

• Option D provides a 10-foot shared-use pathway and a buffer on one side.

All four concepts have been identified for further evaluation. Several key considerations remain unresolved, including intersection control at Arctic Boulevard, potential lighting improvements and whether overhead utilities should be undergrounded.

The corridor runs 0.77 miles from Arctic Boulevard to Dowling Road past breweries, mechanic shops, storage yards, a gymnastics studio, a church and homes. The right-of-way is typically 60 feet, with some buildings directly abutting it and a dense mix of overhead and buried utilities. Planned curb, gutter and driveway upgrades along the corridor may change existing driveway configurations and could affect property access and parking layouts for adjacent owners.