Fairview Asphalt Art
Get Involved!
Community residents are invited to participate in team building, workshops, networking, and neighborhood projects to make Fairview a safer, more connected, and vibrant neighborhood.
Reimagining Gambell, Hyder & Ingra Streets
Our Reconnecting Fairview effort’s ultimate goal is to revitalize the Gambell-Hyder-Ingra Street Corridor. The safety, traffic calming, and asphalt art projects are short-term actions we can take now, to lead toward our long-term vision.
The asphalt art project on Hyder Street provides a meaningful way to experience and think differently about the corridor and what it will become in the future.
Safety Project on Gambell
The highway connection through Fairview has created unsafe conditions for people walking and biking. Gambell and Ingra Streets have narrow sidewalks next to high-speed traffic, and utility poles on Gambell further obstruct pedestrian access, especially during winter.
Fortunately, the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities and Chugach Electric Association began a utility undergrounding project on Gambell Street in September 2026. Through 2027, the project will relocate utility lines underground, install new streetlights outside the sidewalk, and remove existing poles, improving safety and accessibility for pedestrians and cyclists.
Safety, Traffic Calming & Asphalt Art Projects
Hyder Street has become a preferred north-south walking and biking corridor due to its safety, transit access, and connectivity. In September 2026, the Fairview Community Council and the Municipality of Anchorage Traffic Department launched a traffic calming projects at Hyder St. & 10th, 12th, and 14th Avenues and LaTouche & 10th Avenue to improve safety and accessibility.
Fairview’s asphalt art projects are intended to:
- Visually narrow the roadway
- Shorten crossing distances
- Improve visibility for pedestrians and bicyclists
- Test lower-cost safety strategies within existing right-of-way constraints
- Bring art into our every day lives and help notice the area.
The first “quick-build” traffic calming project is located at Hyder Street and 12th Avenue. The Fairview Community Council and NeighborWorks Alaska volunteers painted the intersection in September 2026. This will allow us to test how the flex posts and art handle our winter with snow storage on top of the artwork. We’ll learn lessons for installation of the three additional intersections in Spring 2027.
When asked about the project:
When I see the art, it brightens. I don't feel depressed, and a I feel good about the day.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Asphalt Art?
Asphalt art helps cities use art and community engagement to improve street safety and revitalize public spaces. These colorful designs on roadways are effective and relatively low-cost strategies to activate streets and improve safety.
Where can you create asphalt art?
Typically, asphalt art can be included as visual interventions on roadways (intersections and crosswalks), pedestrian spaces (plazas and sidewalks), and vertical infrastructure (utility boxes, traffic barriers, and underpasses).
What’s next for Fairview’s asphalt art?
We are going to learn about the project at Hyder Street and 12th Avenue throughout the fall and winter. We’ll learn about snow management with the flex posts and artwork, and we’ll learn if vehicle speeds reduce too.
We’re planning to install more community art at the other three locations in Spring 2027.
What is the long-term vision for Hyder Street?
Our long-term vision for Hyder Street is a Fairview Greenway:
A signature community corridor that serves as an ecosystem for healing and transformation; prioritizes active transportation, gathering, art, open spaces, and connectivity; celebrates the cultures and lifeways of residents in Fairview; and attracts investment both large and small.
