Ahead of Thursday’s closure of the public comment period on Alaska Department of Transportation’s 2027-2030 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program, the Homer City Council submitted comments in support of several projects and requested a few new ones.
The city is asking for several safety and pedestrian improvements along miles 169-175 of the Sterling Highway, from Baycrest Hill to the base of the Homer Spit, to include:
- Extending the sidewalk on the north side of the highway to and around Rogers Loop to the Diamond Creek Recreation Area
- Extending the Homer Middle School safety zone on the highway
- Installing highly visible crosswalks with flashing lights where the Sterling Highway intersects with Pioneer Avenue, Heath Street, Poopdeck Street and Kachemak Drive
- Repairing the Beluga Slough bike path
- Installing bike lanes and/or a pedestrian path along Ocean Drive that connects to the Lake Street pathway and the Homer Spit Trail
- Designing and installing a left-turn lane on Ocean Drive
On Monday, council member Bradley Parsons noted several of these improvements were identified as high priority needs in the 2025 Kenai Peninsula Borough Safe Streets for All Comprehensive Safety Action Plan.
Parsons introduced a new project for DOT’s consideration — a safety corridor along miles 0-4 of East End Road, which he said sees frequent vehicle turns and traffic congestion. The KPB SS4A Safety Action Plan already identifies several possible safety treatments including adding lighting, widening shoulders, and clearing brush to improve sight distance.
Council member Shelly Erickson added the project should include strategically located pedestrian crossings equipped with rapid flashing beacons to improve pedestrian visibility and safety.
Further, the city seeks rehabilitation of and installation of a sidewalk along Main Street from Pioneer Avenue south to Ohlson Lane, and asks that DOT add bike lanes to East Hill and West Hill when working on those roads in the future.
The council also requested DOT add the Homer Harbor expansion, harbor float system replacement and drainage improvements near the Baycrest Subdivision neighborhood to the new STIP and partner with the city on the Green Infrastructure Storm Water Management project.
Inclusion of these projects into the new STIP is not guaranteed. Mayor Rachel Lord likened the city’s comments to maintaining a dialogue with DOT about Homer’s transportation needs.
“I encourage us all to continue to ride alongside DOT and continue to have the community’s voice heard,” she said.
Reconstruction of the Sterling Highway between Anchor Point and Baycrest Hill has been carried over from the last iteration of the STIP, as is the Kachemak Drive restoration, Homer Spit erosion mitigation and the Homer All Ages and Abilities Pedestrian Path.
Related to the highway reconstruction, the council is asking DOT to consider improvements to the Baycrest Overlook including accessibility upgrades to the parking lot and restrooms. It also asks DOT to install an enlarged culvert near the Diamond Creek trail access to facilitate a future pedestrian underpass and increase trail connectivity.
The city had been working with DOT on the Diamond Creek Underpass, but pulled back funding after the Sterling Highway project was condensed into one phase, effectively putting the underpass on an indefinite hold.
DOT’s plan to reconstruct Kachemak Drive, which isn’t scheduled until after 2028, involves raising and widening miles 0-3.5 to improve motorized and nonmotorized transportation.
On Monday, Parsons amended the resolution to ask DOT to evaluate and install a traffic signal or dedicated turn lanes at the intersection of Kachemak Drive and Homer Spit Road.
Council comments included in Resolution 26-066 also support including in the STIP state transportation programs aimed at rural public transportation, transportation services for seniors and people with disabilities, and charging stations for electric vehicles.
The 2027-2030 STIP has not yet been adopted or federally approved. DOT will consider public comments received before submitting the STIP to the Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration for joint approval.
The next Homer City Council meeting will be 6 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 9, at Homer City Hall and via Zoom.
This will be outgoing mayor Rachel Lord’s final council meeting, and the council makeup itself may look different after Nov. 9. City staff will swear in the newly elected mayor and elected or reelected council members at the end of the regular meeting. Erickson is running unopposed for mayor, and Caroline Venuti and Parsons are running for reelection against challenger Matthew Bullard, with the top two vote-getters elected.
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