A bill which would establish a nine-member Alaska Marine Highway Operations Board passed the State Senate unanimously. House Bill 63 is designed to bring together an independent group of stakeholders who rely on the ferry to keep the system working for Coastal Alaska.
District E Sen. Mike Shower of Wasilla, “I’ve seen nothing but support for the ferry, but I think we all also acknowledge the ferry we have (has) issues and we have to do better. As we have had some long and drawn out debates in transportation over this and the way forward, I’m going to vote for this, but I still, as we discussed, I don’t think it goes far enough. We have an empire in DOT. We have got to break away from this mold of kind of doing things the way we have always done it. While this is a step, I’m still not convinced it does what we need it to do. Per our discussions, we’re going to continue to work on a greater plan. I have to make it clear for the record, I have two ports in my district. I’m not the interior guy. This is just as important to some of my communities as well, and overall the state. It’s a critical piece of our overall transportation infrastructure, we just need the ferry system to jump in the 21st century. It needs to be efficient and, as we discussed, we don’t fly 747s as airline companies and cargo companies into Hoonah, because there’s no need for them. If there’s places where we’re sending a ferry three times a week when there’s no need for it more than once a week, things like that, we need to be responsive, we need to get there. Maybe this board is going to do that. I hope it does.”
The department is tasked with approving highway planning and construction and maintenance, protection and control of highways, employing assistants and employees, certify and approve vouchers, provide for a program of highway research, prepare a budget, review the annual highway program, develop and implement an avalanche control plan to protect people who use public highways and review and respond to recommendations regarding the improvement program.
HB 63 previously passed the House, where the bill will have final approval before being sent to the governor’s desk.
Transcribed audio courtesy of KTOO 360TV.
