The Haines planning commission recently voted to endorse pursuing a Safe Street grant. The federal program provides funds for municipalities to assess their safety needs and construct safety features on roadways. 

Safe Streets and roads for All, or SS4A is a program of the US department of transportation that offers grants to regional, local and tribal initiatives that increase road safety. The federal program will disburse $5 billion in the next five years. 

 Ed Coffland is the borough’s director of public facilities.

Coffland: “Just trying to determine what problems really exist within our town. We don’t really know right now.”

The Haines borough has contracted the engineering firm Pro HNS to write a grant for a safety plan Pro HNS engineer Garret Gladsjo says he will recommend the borough apply for $100 to $250 K in funding for the creation of the safety plan. 

Gladsjo: “The big reason why you have to have a plan is, so the program pays for implementation like safety improvements, physical work, but it cannot pay for things that are not identified in a  current safety plan. And because the borough does not have a current safety plan, we can’t apply for implementation money. The plan has to come first.”

The DOT website says the program could fund things such as improved signage and crosswalks, widening of roadways, and sidewalks

Coffland says no areas have been specifically identified yet, but he has some ideas. 

Coffland: “We have a lot of pedestrian traffic whenever we get a big cruise ship come in, so an area might be considered safe under normal conditions, but when you have a thousand visitors in town, maybe it’s not safe.”

One intersection also comes to mind. 

Coffland: “This intersection of Haines highway and Main Street, on the east end of town, the Y, it just seems to us that that’s a potential place for accidents. A lot of times, people don’t necessarily understand that going straight, you are supposed to stop.”

When asked if that might mean Haines would get its first street light, Coffland smiled and said “No, I’m not saying that.”