Newsletter Page 3
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During the stakeholder interviews, initial meetings with the Task Force and a review of existing plans, a number of key activities were identified that need to be considered during the planning process:

• A peak hour was determined that allows us to plan for the worst case scenario or the busiest time in Ship Creek. The peak hour reflects the month, day, and time when tourism, fishing, pedestrian, truck, rail, and commuter traffic all overlap to create the greatest number of trips on a roadway.

• Survey results indicate that as many as 8 freight trains during the peak hour can cause truck and automobile delays along North C Street and Ocean Dock Road.
  
  
• Ship Creek fishing results in heavy traffic and pedestrian use, especially in the early evening hours primarily along North C Street, Whitney Road, and Ship Creek/Warehouse Avenue. On average, 750 anglers per day fish from the Knik Dam to the mouth of the creek. This does not include friends, family, tourists, and others observing the fun.
  
  
• School buses traveling to and from a bus storage yard on the north side of the creek cause delays early in the morning and at 4:00 p.m. on weekdays because the buses must stop at each railroad track.

* Peak Hour *

The busiest time in Ship Creek

July
Tuesday 4 to 5 p.m.

• Bean's Cafe/Brother Francis Shelter serve over 800 people per day. 95 percent of the clientele walk or take the bus.
  
  
• Elmendorf AFB and Government Hill generate traffic that is just passing through the area and not directly related to activities in Ship Creek, such as commuters and delivery trucks. This is called background traffic and it makes up approximately 33 percent of the total traffic on A/C Street.
  
  
• The potential conflicts between the transportation needs of industrial uses in Ship Creek and the transportation needs of the future mixed-use and pedestrian-oriented redevelopment of the Alaska Railroad lands will need to be addressed.
  
  
• Passenger trains bringing cruise passengers to and from Anchorage arrive and depart during summer morning and evening hours, typically during non-peak hours. Anywhere from 15 to 30 tour buses, and 250 to 300 taxis, personal automobiles, and hotel shuttle buses meet each train. During these times, there is significant pedestrian activity occurring in front of the depot and along the adjacent roadways such as 1st Avenue and North C Street.

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