Chapter 9: Transportation Comprehensive Plan 2019 — 2039
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NORTH SLOPE BOROUGH PART II | CHAPTER 9: TRANSPORTATION COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 2019 — 2039 PAGE 170 NORTH SLOPE BOROUGH PART II | CHAPTER 9: TRANSPORTATION COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 2019 — 2039 Transportation PAGE 171 NORTH SLOPE BOROUGH PART II | CHAPTER 9: TRANSPORTATION COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 2019 — 2039 This page is intentionally left blank PAGE 172 NORTH SLOPE BOROUGH PART II | CHAPTER 9: TRANSPORTATION COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 2019 — 2039 CHAPTER 9: TRANSPORTATION The Iñupiat of Alaska’s North Slope have always Today, traveling over long distances is easier; maintained a mobile culture, traveling over great airplanes, ATVs, snow machines, and boats with distances through a harsh climate. In the past, outboard motors provide the more efficient modes of travel were on foot, by dog teams, or means to reach distant arctic communities. kayaks or umiat. While more convenient, these new modes of transportation have brought many changes to Traditionally, the Iñupiat lived in semi- the people of the North Slope and continue to permanent coastal communities. In April and present challenges as these communities strive May, Iñupiat hunters from Point Hope, to improve and maintain a diverse Wainwright, and Utqiaġvik would search for transportation system. bowhead whale, en route to summer feeding grounds in the Beaufort Sea. At this same time, Transportation plans are often developed hunters would occasionally travel along the separately from comprehensive plans, as upper Utukok and Colville rivers in search of standalone yet complimentary and caribou. In June and early July when the ice left, fundamentally linked documents. This North coastal Iñupiat traveled to seal and duck hunting Slope Borough transportation plan is imbedded camps while those living inland would move to within the regional comprehensive plan because coastal areas. In July, another major move transportation is rarely a singular issue in the occurred to the fish camps or inland to hunt North Slope; the region’s remoteness and lack of caribou. Historically, Iñupiat would travel other connectivity to the rest of Alaska affects nearly times of the year for regional gatherings, like the all aspects of residents’ lives. This chapter Messenger Feast, where families from different outlines NSB transportation issues identified areas whose leaders either were trading through research and by borough residents and partners or linked by co-marriage, traveled to local leadership during village comprehensive meet in a ceremonial gathering. Iñupiat would planning meetings, the areawide plan SWOT also travel to visit relatives. During the summer workshops, and interviews with stakeholders. months, travels may also head eastward to the trade fairs at Nigliq, at the mouth of the Colville River.184 TRANSPORTATION PLANNING Travelers would find their way around the mostly BACKGROUND featureless terrain by specific landmarks and Since its inception, the borough has enjoyed the navigating by the stars and snowdrifts. They benefits of the significant tax base provided by traveled safely on the sea ice because of their oil and gas development. Because of this tax knowledge of wind, current, and the differences 185 base, investments in transportation and other between safe and dangerous ice. 184 North Slope Borough. 2005. North Slope Borough Comprehensive Transportation Plan. Prepared by ASCG Inc. for the North Slope Borough. August 2005. www.north-slope.org/yourgovernment/comprehensive-plan. 185 Ibid PAGE 173 NORTH SLOPE BOROUGH PART II | CHAPTER 9: TRANSPORTATION COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 2019 — 2039 public infrastructure over the last four decades fiscal resources to accomplish. Below is a list of have been significant within the communities. As the more significant events, activities, and a home rule borough, the North Slope Borough regulations or policies that have influenced may assume transportation related transportation planning on the North Slope. responsibilities that are within the borough’s 1979 Interim zoning ordinance adopted (serial no. 75-6-6) 1983 The first NSB Comprehensive Plan was adopted by the North Slope Borough Assembly 1991 Utility Corridor Resource Management Plan / Environmental Impact Statement Record of Decision U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management. 1991 November. Bureau of Land Management, Recreation Area Management Plan: Dalton Highway 1998 Dalton Highway Master Plan 2004 Northwest Alaska Transportation Plan 2008 Northwest Alaska Area Plan 2010 Dalton Highway Scenic Byway Corridor Partnership Plan (CCP) 2012 NSB Repair & Replacement Schedule 2013 Barrow Airport Master Plan Update 2013 Adoption of village comprehensive plans (ongoing) 2014 NSB authorizes the creation of the NSB Port Authority (ordinance #2014-01) 2016 NSB Airport Capital Improvement Project Plan 2017 NSB Port Study, currently underway 2018 Update to the 2004 Northwest Alaska Transportation Plan, currently underway 2018 Arctic Strategic Transportation and Resources project begins 2019 Central Yukon Resource Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement update, currently underway186 186 The Central Yukon RMP and EIS will replace the two existing BLM land use plans: the Utility Corridor RMP (1991) and the Central Yukon RMP (1986). PAGE 174 NORTH SLOPE BOROUGH PART II | CHAPTER 9: TRANSPORTATION COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 2019 — 2039 Although many efforts have been made to transportation landscape. Improvements to consider transportation issues on the North airport infrastructure, trail marking, and Slope, most have not explored a need that is alternative uses of DEW Line sites and other more and more frequently mentioned in local developed areas to address spill response, planning efforts – that of inter-village offshore development support, and other issues connectivity and seasonal or permanent associated with increased vessel traffic in the connection to the state highway system. As Arctic are also very important to the residents. development edges closer to North Slope communities, there is an opportunity to further Distances between North Slope communities address this need in a way that balances are great. The closest communities are subsistence access and community economic Utqiaġvik and Atqasuk (58 miles), while the development along the same routes that are greatest distant between any two communities, shared with natural resource exploration and Kaktovik and Point Hope, is 588 miles. The development. Snow trails and ice roads along following table delineates distance between with extensions of the gravel infrastructure communities. should be considered as part of the Table 21: Distance between North Slope Communities Anaktuvuk Point Point Atqasuk Nuiqsut Kaktovik Utqiaġvik Wainwright Pass Hope Lay Anaktuvuk 213 143 247 390 305 248 268 Pass Atqasuk 213 153 328 269 145 58 65 Nuiqsut 143 153 175 414 293 154 215 Kaktovik 247 328 175 588 468 316 390 Point Hope 390 269 414 588 135 315 229 Point Lay 305 145 293 468 135 182 93 Utqiaġvik 248 58 154 316 315 182 87 Wainwright 268 65 215 390 229 93 87 PAGE 175 NORTH SLOPE BOROUGH PART II | CHAPTER 9: TRANSPORTATION COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 2019 — 2039 REGULATORY The NSBMC has two primary ordinances that The State of Alaska authorizes home-rule regulate land use: Title 18 and Title 19. Title 18 boroughs to provide transportation systems as regulates subdivision development, such as determined by that borough’s charter or standards for lot creation and modification, ordinance; NSBMC Title 12: Transportation utilities, drainage, and vehicular egress and provides guidance on review procedures for ingress. Title 19 regulates the creation and transportation projects, although division of land into specific zones that permit or transportation-related ordinances are found prohibit land uses to ensure consistency throughout the municipal code. Specifically, throughout an area. NSBMC §12.05.060 calls for a NSB comprehensive transportation plan. §12.05.010 Title 18: Subdivisions provides policies and of the North Slope Borough Municipal Code standards relating to road development, establishes review procedures to ensure “the including street naming, width, grade, and maximum feasible coordination and consistency intersection standards. There are also between the borough's transportation plans and transportation references contained in Title 19 improvements and those of other governmental Zoning. The zoning regulations include parking units authorized to carry out transportation provisions, consolidation of transportation needs of the citizens of the borough in as timely facilities, minimizing disturbances to the and efficient a manner as possible.”187 environment. It further states that public highway development is prohibited except for The NSBMC requires Planning Commission village roads and streets and highways indicated review for all major transportation projects in the state and/or local capital improvement constructed or funded in the borough by the program or any transportation element of the State of Alaska or federal government. The comprehensive plan. Policies pertaining to review criteria includes consideration as to acceptable uses and development within whether a proposed project is included in the Transportation Corridors are found in in borough Capital Improvement Plan or meets a §19.70.060. borough transportation need identified in the Comprehensive Plan or other relevant plans, ordinances, or policies. If a transportation URFACE RANSPORTATION project is not included in the Capital S T Improvement Plan or identified in other plans, No permanent roads