Posted Might 1, 2024 in Weblog

By Pat Case – patcase57@outlook.com

Homer is a small Alaskan city (underneath 10,000 pop.), nestled into a number of the most stunning settings The World has to supply. I’ve lived in Alaska for 66 years, the final 40 in Homer. It has solely been the final 4 years that I’ve turn into an ADVOCATE for the Aged, those that dwell with Disabilities, and Caregivers. That is the group I’m a part of, as I’m 90% visually impaired, and have some age associated mobility points.  At first the  objective was to get a sidewalk on a road that ran by the senior middle. After I arrived at Metropolis Council, they have been debating an ordinance to require sidewalks on most new roads . I knew I used to be in the best place, and it handed after many weeks of debate.

As different accessibility points have been mentioned,  I spotted “ADA COMPLIANT” was not the gold normal that I assumed it was, however to these in energy it was  a field to examine, to make sure that they had met a generalized normal from an outdated guideline. The truth was that in lots of instances, this normal didn’t meet fundamental wants. The latest initiatives being offered as “compliant” even have severe hazards for pedestrians  (skewed curb ramps, storm drains straight in strolling path, journey hazards because of improper utility entry heights) so we started to make use of the time period “BEST PRACTICES” signifying the next normal, we thought!

This didn’t resonate as clearly as we had hoped, however the wind of the voices of advocacy grew, and have become extra unified, igniting an ember that lay simply beneath the floor, and the requires a extra walkable group grew. It’s not that metropolis authorities didn’t need this too, however have been all the time constrained by funds, and had issue prioritizing comprehensively. To the Council’s credit score they’ve constantly referred to as for better public involvement. Their ears opened, they usually heard a group say “assist us dwell higher lives”. That is when the Metropolis reached out for assist from The ILC (Impartial Residing Middle) a regionally based mostly, statewide advocacy group that I’m a part of, to craft a plan to safe funding from a DOT grant. The results of this collaboration was past most expectations!

The duty was to determine initiatives that will profit the entire group, and nonetheless have an opportunity in a extremely aggressive choice course of. We knew the percentages of being chosen weren’t nice, partly as a result of big quantity of submittals statewide. Presenting the plan correctly, to set it aside was important. The group completely embraced the concept “go massive or go residence”. A venture was developed that linked collectively 6 separate capital initiatives that will encircle the entire downtown core, and join many present pathways. This superb venture could be often called “Homer’s All Skills and Ages Pedestrian Pathway” or The HAAAPP Loop. Out of this got here the time period “All Skills and Ages” which is beginning to prevail over ADA Compliant field checking.

This plan was warmly obtained by lawmakers, and truly prompted a little bit of a buzz in The State Capital. They actually appreciated the strategy of assembly the wants of a complete group. Via a protracted choice course of, as many functions fell to the wayside the HAAAPP LOOP moved ahead. After quite a few delays and funding uncertainty, the State awarded 4 million {dollars} to Homer to construct this venture, the one venture accepted in our area. Principal funding will are available in 2027, and sure this venture can be constructed utilizing the “Public Proper Of Manner Entry Tips”, that was simply launched Sept. 2023. Walkability is so necessary to the well being of a “group of the entire” that we should proceed to ask the best query, not “is it ok” however ask “how will we make it higher” (for everybody).