Traffic ticket prices to rise

Motorists who violate traffic laws in much of Alaska will face stiffer penalties beginning Thursday.

Some cities, including Anchorage and Kenai, already have the higher traffic fines in place and now will be in line with the remainder of the state.

The Alaska Supreme Court approved the new bail schedule for 230 traffic and vehicle offenses, some doubling, tripling and even quadrupling former fines.

Public Safety Commissioner Bill Tandeske said substantial increases are being made in speeding penalties and those for passing violations.

"We've tried to stiffen the fines for the infractions that create the greatest risk to the motoring public," Tandeske said in a written statement.

"These increases are not motivated by desire for revenue; rather, by our sincere desire to make the roads of Alaska a safer place for everyone."

For violations of up to 19 mph over the speed limit, the fine has been raised from $4 per mile to $8. For example, someone going 50 in a 35 zone will face a fine of $120 instead of $60.

People cited for exceeding the speed limit by 20 mph or more will be fined $12 per mile over the limit.

Fines for passing in a no-passing zone, failure to yield to a passing vehicle and failure to yield to oncoming traffic while passing will increase from $50 to $150.

The bail amount for driving with an open container of alcohol quadruples from $50 to $200.

In Anchorage, the fines for speeding already were at the $8 per mile and the city of Kenai made a major change bringing it in line with Anchorage a year ago, according to Kenai Police Chief Chuck Kopp.

"As a result of the state's changes, we are doing an in-house review of our bail schedule, and we have already identified three or four fines that are dissimilar," Kopp said.

"Uniformity is important, and we will make recommendations for needed changes through the city manager and the city attorney to the (city) council.

"The city council has the ultimate authority," he said.

Unlike Kenai, the city of Soldotna does not have its own schedule of fines for traffic law violations, according to Police Chief John Lucking Jr.

Lucking said Soldotna police will follow the state's new schedule of fines.