March 2026 Open House & Feedback

Couldn’t make it to the public open house? Learn about the safety limitations and maintenance considerations we are working within, review the design options, and give us your feedback on the various options online through April 24, 2026.

 You can check out the meeting materials in the Project Library. 

What is the public open house for? How does the barrier make 5th Avenue safer?

The median barrier will encourage people to use the convenient, designated street crossings. This approach has proven effective in other states. According to the Federal Highway Administration, mid-block crossings contribute to about 75% of pedestrian fatalities (FHWA Crash Data & Facts).

Most pedestrian traffic in the Project area originates on the northern side of 5th Avenue near Karluk
and Concrete Streets, but people are not consistently using the existing safe crossing areas.

MEDIAN DESIGN LIMITATIONS

In order to receive funding, any option chosen must be crash tested according to the American Association of Highway and Transportation Officials Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH) and approved by the FHWA to help ensure that it meets high safety standards.

The safety standards limit the available options, but we’d like your help in selecting a preferred design from the available options. We must also consider maintenance ease and cost in the design options.

Some of the MASH and other safety criteria that must be included in the design are:

• Barrier and anything attached (such as a fence) must meet MASH standards.
• Height must be a minimum of 50 inches tall.
• Textures / patterns / images in the concrete will be limited in depth, length, and coverage limits.
• Patterns will have to consider if they could allow a vehicle tire to grab and advance over the barrier (i.e., stairstep).
• Any gaps, slots, or grooves will have limited widths to preserve the structural integrity.

DESIGN OPTIONS

Bronx Whitestone Median Barrier Extension Bridge Rail (Proprietary)

• An all-steel structure with clear plexiglass
• No color options because it is an all-steel structure
• Difficult to maintain and may be damaged during snow plowing

Chain-Link Fence on Concrete Barrier

• A 72-inch chain-link fence attached to the top of a 32-inch concrete barrier
• Chain-link fence is available in brown, black, green, blue, and gray
• Concrete barrier can be colored or patterned

Armorcast  Gawk Screen on Concrete Barrier (Proprietary)

• Screen is lightweight polyethylene with UV inhibitors attached to a concrete barrier
• Armorcast portion of the barrier is gray
• Concrete barrier can be colored or patterned

Screen-Safe  Glare Screen on Concrete Barrier (Proprietary)

• Screen is a steel attachment onto a concrete barrier
• Screen-Safe attachment is available in grey, white, blue, and green color options
• Concrete barrier can be colored or patterned

50-Inch-Tall Concrete Barrier

• Barrier is a 50-inch-tall concrete barrier
• Concrete barrier can be colored or patterned

CONCRETE COLOR AND PATTERN VARIATIONS

The options provided in this section were selected based on their alignment with the safety requirements and their availability. If a segment of the barrier incurs damage and that section needs to be replaced, it will be replaced with a plain concrete barrier.

FEEDBACK

That is a lot of information to get through, thanks for hanging with us. Now we would like to hear from you! Click the button below to share your feedback with us.

DOT&PF operates federal programs without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. Full Title VI Nondiscrimination Policy: https://dot.alaska.gov/tvi_statement.shtml. To file a complaint, go to: dot.alaska.gov/cvlrts/titlevi.shtml.

DOT&PF complies with Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Individuals with disabilities who may need auxiliary aids, services, and/or special modifications to participate in this public meeting should contact Amy Burnett at 907.865.2220 or TDD number 711. Requests should be made at least 5 days before the accommodation is needed to make any necessary arrangements.