The Alaska Department of Transportation has released a draft winter schedule for the Alaska Marine Highway System with long gaps in service to coastal communities across the state.
Legislators approved $46 million for the state ferry system for the 2020 fiscal year. That’s roughly half the amount of state funding it received last year. According to Alaska Department of Transportation spokesperson Aurah Landau, the service gaps aim to keep costs down.
“The proposed ferry service is based on funding levels for fiscal year 2020,” Landau says. “The gaps in service are times when no vessels are available to provide service to those communities. There are service gaps in this year’s schedule because of vessel layups. Those are typical. They happen every year. There are also cost savings service gaps for some areas.”
The proposed schedule would end winter ferry service in Prince William Sound altogether. It would also suspend service to Southwestern communities such as Kodiak and Homer from January 12 to April 30. Service to Haines and Skagway will be reduced to once a week from November 1 until November 14 and again from January 15 to March 1.
In addition, mainline voyages from Bellingham, Washington will face reductions.
The Alaska Department of Transportation will accept comments on the proposed schedule until July 26.
Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that there would be no service to Upper Lynn Canal communities from November 1 until November 14 and again from January 15 to March 1. Mainline voyages from Bellingham and Prince Rupert will service the Upper Lynn Canal once a week during these periods.
In addition to affecting the livelihood and quality of life of many Alaskans in the Upper Lynn Canal, your proposed schedule also causes problems for visitors to Alaska.
Months ago I made plans to attend the American Bald Eagle Festival in Haines, AK. I already have Alaska Air flights, hotel rooms in Juneau and Haines and a rental car as well as registration for the Eagle Fest. Because I am registered for a photography workshop that is held Nov. 4-9, I need to take the ferry run from Juneau to Haines on Nov. 3 and Nov 10. I am not aware of any other reliable way to get from Juneau to Haines in November. If I cannot reliably get to Haines, I will have to cancel my trip.
Granted, I am just one person – but during this trip I will spend at least $5000 in Alaska. For every 200 visitors at the festival that is $1,000,000 that will not go into the Alaskan economy. During a time of state budget crisis, I believe it is unwise to take actions that will cut out of state visitor money. People arrive at Haines for the Eagle Festival all during the week – so to service their needs the ferry would need to run to Haines until at least November 10 this year.
I am sure the people of Alaska have more problems with losing ferry service than a just my loss of a visit – but I thought it was part of the overall cost of dropping the ferry service to Upper Lynn Canal that needs to be considered. Visitor income to Alaskan communities can help them survive the Alaska budget crisis. Thank you for your attention to my request.
All legislators are on house restrictions during the entire timeframe the ferries don’t run to Skagway…
Cut all maintenance to every highway, in the State, you are spending Federal dollars too! Get your heads on straight please! Cut off communities for any length of time is ridiculous!