MSB Awarded $12.8M Federal Grant

PALMER, ALASKA — The Matanuska-Susitna Borough has been awarded $12,818,160 from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets and Roads for All program. This highly competitive grant will help fund the construction of critical safety improvements in school zones across the borough, benefiting more than 5,000 students.

Mat-Su Borough is Alaska’s fastest-growing region, with a population of over 117,000 and nearly 25% under age 18. Between 2018 and 2022, the borough experienced 209 severe injuries and 99 fatal crashes, with vulnerable road users such as children, bicyclists, and pedestrians facing disproportionate risks.

“These improvements will make it safer and easier for our children to walk and bike to school, while also providing benefits to all borough residents,” said Mayor Edna DeVries. “This award demonstrates what is possible when our local and state governments work together with the public to identify concerns, collaborate on priorities, and leverage all available funding.”

This grant will help fund projects that were selected based on strong community support, robust planning, and partnerships with the Cities of Wasilla and Palmer, the Mat-Su Borough School District, the Alaska Railroad Corporation, and the Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities.

Project highlights funded by the grant include:

• Wasilla Middle & High Schools: Reopening the pedestrian underpass at the Parks Highway, new sidewalks and crosswalks near Westpoint Drive, and separated paths along Bogard Road
• Shaw Elementary School: A new roundabout at Wasilla-Fishhook Road and Paradise Lane, and a separated path along Paradise Lane, which will also benefit the future location of Birchtree Charter School
• Colony Middle & High Schools: A separated path along 49th State Street, including a crosswalk and pedestrian beacon
• Palmer High School & Academy Charter Schools: New sidewalks and crosswalks along Auklet Avenue and extending a separated path on Arctic Avenue

The Mat-Su Borough was one of 521 tribes and communities to receive funding from the 2025 Safe Streets and Roads for All grant program, and one of 67 communities selected to receive implementation project funding to construct proposed improvements. The grant will cover 80% of the project costs, with matching funds provided by the Cities of Wasilla and Palmer and the Mat-Su Borough, primarily through voter-approved bond funds.

 “I would like to thank our Planning and Public Works Departments, all agencies who supported the grant application, and the public for playing a role in helping to select these projects,” said Borough manager, Mike Brown  “Securing this funding will help reduce deaths and serious injuries on our roads.”

For more information about the Safe Routes to Schools program, visit https://matsu.gov/schoolroutes

For more information about the federal Safe Streets and Roads for All program, visit https://www.transportation.gov/grants/SS4A

Media contact: Stefan Hinman, Public Affairs Director, 907-861-8577, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.