Pedestrians from above: Midtown office worker is witness to crossing dangers

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - In Anchorage, it isn’t uncommon to encounter jaywalking — as a driver or a pedestrian.

One man’s office window near a major midtown intersection shows the danger on both sides.

Anchorage set an unfortunate record in 2024 with 15 pedestrian deaths. In 2025, six pedestrians have been killed by cars, according to a spokesperson with the Anchorage Police Department.

Casey Schuler has worked in the Key Bank building off of Benson Boulevard in midtown Anchorage for two years, after moving to town in 2023.

Shortly after his arrival, the municipality eliminated the fine for jaywalking, making it legal for pedestrians to cross the road outside of designated crosswalks.

Currently, jaywalking remains legal: Mayor Suzanne LaFrance and Assembly member Randy Sulte recently cosponsored a new ordinance that would make jaywalking illegal once again, penalizing perpetrators with $40 fines. However, the ordinance was postponed in February 2025.

The view from Schuler’s office window provides him with a clear view of the Benson and A Street intersection. Schuler estimates he sees hundreds of pedestrian crossings every day, both in and out of crosswalk zones.

Schuler has also seen several pedestrians hit by cars, both in and out of crosswalk zones.

“One of the people that I saw got hit was actually in the crosswalk and had the right of way and was hit anyways from a turning car,” Schuler said. “In that particular instance, it certainly was a driver error that caused that. But that’s not always the case.”

Frequently, Schuler sees pedestrians crossing the street against the flow of traffic while cars are passing by them.

“I see people right in the middle of traffic with cars, again, going on both sides of them. More or less, you know, playing Frogger. In some cases, back and forth as vehicles are coming,“ Schuler said. ”I’m just waiting for the day that someone is, in fact, hit right in front of me."

Several pedestrians faced down cars during the interview with Schuler. As two people on foot crossed in a crosswalk with a “walk” sign, multiple cars began left turns off of Benson into the crosswalk, slowing down but proceeding before the pedestrians were completely crossed.

“Totally inappropriate,“ Shuler said, looking toward the road from the picture window inside his office while giving a small sigh.

″All of this is so distracting all day, all day long. I almost don’t want this window because I just — every time I look up, I feel like I’m seeing stuff like that."

Schuler is uncertain what the root cause of the chaotic crossing situation. He admits as a pedestrian he’s taken his own liberties, jaywalking if necessary.

“It wasn’t necessarily anything that I did because there was or was not a law present,” he said.

Schuler lists traffic engineering and distracted drivers as possible contributing factors but doesn’t believe they’re entirely to blame.

“I’m not sure if I have the answer as to what I would change,” Schuler said.

“I don’t know that you’re ever going to completely stop jaywalking completely. But I think there’s also a line in there as to what is reasonably safe to do, and what is crossing that line to downright dangerous.”

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