Mat‑Su Valley establishes new MPO and approves 20‑year planning boundary

Kim Solian, the newly appointed executive director of the Mat‑Su Valley Planning for Transportation (MVP), told the Alaska House Transportation Committee on April 3 that MVP has finished its initial organizational steps and established a 20‑year planning boundary for the Mat‑Su metropolitan planning area.

Solian said the region pursued MPO formation after the U.S. Census designated a contiguous urbanized area on Dec. 29, 2022. That designation, she said, “triggered the need to form a metropolitan planning organization” under federal planning rules so the region could continue to receive federal transportation funds. Solian told the committee the policy board selected the Alaska Department of Labor’s 2019 population forecast as a mid‑range scenario and adjusted its estimate to plan for about 43,000 additional residents in the planning area over the next 20 years.

Why it matters: MPOs set metropolitan transportation plans and short‑term funded projects that determine how federal surface‑transportation dollars are prioritized and matched locally. An approved planning boundary shapes which communities can formally participate in those decisions and which projects can be programmed in the MPO’s Transportation Improvement Program (TIP).

What MVP did: Solian said MVP elected to be an independent nonprofit and received a state grant in early formation to cover predevelopment costs and match obligations; the Mat‑Su Borough holds that grant while MVP finalizes a grant agreement. MVP approved its Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP), finalized a long‑range planning workplan, opened a bank account, and completed organizational policies. The policy board—composed of local government officials including the mayors of Wasilla and Palmer, tribal transportation directors, and DOT representation—was adopted, and a 16‑member technical committee of planners, transit and trucking representatives, and non‑motorized advocates will review staff work and recommend items to the policy board.

Boundary process and data: MVP staff described a multi‑step boundary‑development strategy: choose a population forecast, overlay parcel data (with public lands and designated agricultural land excluded), analyze census blocks and traffic analysis zones, and run four scenarios (infill vs. sprawl) to place future growth. MVP solicited subject‑matter input from developers and realtors and received about 72 public comments during its comment period. Solian cited specific public feedback — including requests to include Reddington Elementary due to school traffic — that led to small map adjustments. The policy board approved the final boundary in September 2023 and the governor signed it; MVP reported the Metropolitan Planning Area is about 20 square miles and contains roughly 73,000 residents.

Public participation and next steps: Solian emphasized that MVP meetings are open, that the organization implemented a public participation plan with a 45‑day comment window, and that technical‑committee meetings include three at‑large seats for transit, trucking and bike/ped representatives. Solian said MVP is about to begin its metropolitan transportation plan project with a consulting team and will expand community outreach through councils, RSAs and transit rider engagement.

Quotes: “I am the executive director…for MVP, Mat‑Su Valley Planning for Transportation, the newest MPO in Alaska,” Solian told the committee during her presentation. She also summarized federal grounding for the process: the development of an MPO is “set out in federal regulation Title 23,” she said, explaining the role of MPOs in making federal funds flow to locally prioritized projects.

What remains unresolved: MVP will need to finalize staffing, complete its MTP and TIP, and continue outreach as those technical documents are drafted. Solian said the organization is still refining internal processes and expects to hire additional staff to run the next planning phases.

Procedural follow‑ups: Committee members asked for follow‑up briefings on funding formulas, membership seats and how community councils are engaged; the committee scheduled continued conversation on related transportation bills and topics at its next meeting.