Project Process
The Haines Borough and Chilkoot Indian Association are working together to develop a Comprehensive Safety Action Plan that identifies transportation safety issues, prioritizes solutions, and supports future funding opportunities. The planning process is taking place over the course of about 10 months, beginning in Fall 2025 and continuing through September 2026.
The process includes several components: a community safety survey, appointment of a steering committee, multiple public meetings, outreach events throughout the Borough, and opportunities for residents to review and comment on draft versions of the plan before final adoption by the Haines Borough Assembly.
Transportation Safety Survey
The Transportation Safety Survey was one of the first opportunities for public input. It launched in early November 2025 and remained open through Dec. 31, 2025. The survey was available both online and in paper form and invited residents to share experiences, identify unsafe locations, and note where they have experienced a crash or “near miss.”
To encourage participation, the project team held pop-up events and reached out to specific groups (Haines School students, Senior Center users, etc.) throughout the Borough to increase awareness of the survey and the overall planning process.
Steering Committee
A Steering Committee was appointed in Fall 2025 to help guide development of the plan. The project team solicited letters of interest from community members with the insight, availability, and desire to participate in the process.
The committee includes a cross-section of representatives from local agencies, emergency services, organizations, businesses, transportation users, and residents to ensure a wide range of perspectives. Throughout the planning process, members will review findings, discuss priorities, and provide feedback on draft materials and proposed safety strategies. Meetings are expected to occur monthly for the duration of the project.
Technical Analysis
While the community survey gathers local perspectives, the project’s technical partner, TENW (Transportation Engineering Northwest), will conduct a comprehensive analysis of existing crash data. This effort will include reviewing available crash records, mapping crash locations, and identifying common patterns and contributing factors across the Borough.
The data collected through the community survey will be integrated with this technical analysis to ensure that local observations align with or help explain trends seen in the crash data. This combined information will guide development of evidence-based countermeasures: strategies, policies, and/or infrastructure improvements proven to reduce specific crash types or severities. Findings will be shared with the Steering Committee and public during meetings in Spring 2026.
Public Meetings and Outreach
Public outreach will take place throughout the planning process. Early outreach will include press releases, flyers, and email distribution to community partners to raise awareness and encourage survey participation.
The project team will hold several public meetings at key milestones to present progress and gather feedback. Meetings will align with major phases of the plan, such as sharing survey results, reviewing crash data, and presenting draft plan elements. Additional pop-up events will occur periodically (often coinciding with community events or public gatherings) to make it easier for residents to engage, ask questions, and provide input. Event details will be announced through local channels and posted on the project website.
Plan Review and Adoption
A draft Comprehensive Safety Action Plan (CSAP) will be released for public review and comment in late Spring 2026. Comments received during this period will help refine and finalize the plan.
The final CSAP will then move through the formal adoption process in Summer 2026, including review by the Haines Borough Planning Commission and Assembly. Members of the public will be able to provide input both during the open comment period and at these public meetings before the plan is adopted. Adoption of the plan is anticipated by September 2026.