Legislature(1993 - 1994)
01/18/1994 05:00 PM House TRA
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* first hearing in first committee of referral
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= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
HOUSE TRANSPORTATION STANDING COMMITTEE
January 18, 1994
5:00 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Richard Foster, Chair
Representative Gary Davis, Vice-Chair
Representative Eldon Mulder
Representative Al Vezey
Representative Bill Hudson
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative Curt Menard
Representative Jerry Mackie
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
HB 184: "An Act making a special appropriation to the
Department of Transportation and Public Facilities
to determine the cost of acquiring real property
within the right-of-way of the proposed extension
of the Alaska Railroad from Eielson Air Force Base
to the Alaska-Canada border; and providing for an
effective date."
MOVED FROM COMMITTEE
WITNESS REGISTER
REPRESENTATIVE JEANNETTE JAMES
Alaska State Legislature
Room 501, State Capitol
Juneau, Alaska 99811
465-3743
Position Statement: Sponsor of SSHB 184.
SCHUYLER STEVENS, Director
Design & Construction
Department of Transportation and Public Facilities
3132 Channel Drive
Juneau, Alaska 99801-7898
465-6977
Position Statement: Available to answer questions regarding
SSHB 184.
PREVIOUS ACTION
BILL: HB 184
SHORT TITLE: APPRO: AK RAILROAD EXTENSION STUDY
SPONSOR(S): REPRESENTATIVE(S) JAMES,Therriault,Olberg
JRN-DATE JRN-PG ACTION
02/25/93 456 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME/REFERRAL(S)
02/25/93 456 (H) TRANSPORTATION, FINANCE
04/06/93 (H) TRA AT 05:00 PM CAPITOL 17
04/13/93 (H) TRA AT 05:00 PM CAPITOL 17
04/13/93 (H) MINUTE(TRA)
04/15/93 (H) TRA AT 05:00 PM CAPITOL 17
04/15/93 (H) MINUTE(TRA)
04/20/93 (H) TRA AT 05:00 PM CAPITOL 17
01/18/94 (H) TRA AT 05:00 PM CAPITOL 17
ACTION NARRATIVE
TAPE 94-1, SIDE A
Number 000
CHAIR FOSTER called the meeting to order at 5:10 p.m. He
introduced REPRESENTATIVE JEANNETTE JAMES as the sponsor of
SSHB 184, and thanked her for attending, adding that he
hoped the committee would move SSHB 184 out.
Number 017
REPRESENTATIVE JAMES introduced SSHB 184 by stating:
"This legislation is to determine the cost of acquiring
property within the right-of-way of the proposed extension
of the Alaska Railroad from Eielson AFB to the Canadian
border. The status of land ownership along the proposed
corridor was established in an earlier study. The federal
government enacted the Alaska Railroad Enabling Act of 1914
to ensure rail development within the state of Alaska. The
enabling legislation has led directly to the recommendation
of development of a railroad extension from Eielson AFB to
the Canadian border. The Railroad Act of 1914 also was very
specific in setting aside the long-term goal of railroad
construction in accordance with settlement patterns in
Alaska and development of Alaska's resources.
"Railroad development today is every bit as important for
the same reasons that existed in 1914. Today, Alaska
settlement patterns are expanded from those in that
particular era. However, it is significant that the Alaska
railroad has helped maintain approximately 3/4 of the
state's population along the railbelt from Whittier/Seward
area to Anchorage and then to Fairbanks/Eielson area.
"Alaska will benefit from railroad expansion, when it is
built using the corridor we're establishing in this House
bill. Through its proposed incorporation into a
transcontinental railroad link, through the provision of
rail transportation to the ports of Alaska, we'll make
resource development possible in the area suitable for
production, which have until now been marginal because of
the high transportation cost.
"Studies on a proposed transcontinental railroad link have
developed a common denominator on transportation coming into
Alaska, originating east of the Rockies and are thus
candidates for the proposed Alaska railroad extension and
transcontinental rail link. The commonly accepted figure
for goods originating east of the Rockies is 24 percent of
all goods received in Alaska. The most recent figures that
I can validate were from 1978, and I am certain that they
will continue to be significant. The status of land
ownership along the proposed rail corridor has been
established in an earlier study.
"The gist of this legislation is to determine the cost of
acquiring railroad property within the right-of-way of the
proposed extension of the Alaska Railroad form Eielson AFB
to the Canadian border. The right-of-way will be amended to
be a multi-modal land use corridor for both pipelines and
transmission lines.
"In summation, opening the multi-modal land use corridors
from east to west is a critical event in the maturation of
our transportation economy and can provide inexpensive
transportation of our resources to the place where value can
be added, the products enhanced, or delivered to the
ultimate destination point."
REPRESENTATIVE JAMES invited questions from the committee.
Number 093
REPRESENTATIVE JAMES mentioned two other bills she was
sponsoring which involve putting rail across Alaska. One of
them, HB 182, delineates a railroad corridor from Fairbanks
to Nome or into the Seward Peninsula. She said this bill
passed out of the House Transportation Committee last
session and was scheduled to be heard in House Finance
Committee on Friday, January 21, 1994.
REPRESENTATIVE JAMES stated that the other bill, HB 183,
seeks the appropriation of funds to delineate the above
corridor.
REPRESENTATIVE JAMES expressed confidence that there is a
lot of support for having rail east-west in Alaska, and to
provide controlled access to the state's people and
resources.
Number 105
CHAIR FOSTER thanked Representative James for her interest
in railroads and their expansion throughout Alaska.
Number 108
REPRESENTATIVE VEZEY expressed confusion over whether the
bill before him was the sponsor substitute for HB 184 or
whether it was the original bill.
REPRESENTATIVE JAMES indicated that it was the sponsor
substitute for HB 184, as written on the bill face.
Number 120
REPRESENTATIVE G. DAVIS asked Representative James if she
knew what the width of the proposed right-of-way would be.
REPRESENTATIVE JAMES said she believed the width was 300
feet, to which other committee members concurred after
reading the text of the bill.
Number 130
REPRESENTATIVE MULDER commended Representative James'
efforts.
Number 135
CHAIR FOSTER made note of the Department of Transportation's
(DOT) position paper, and asked SCHUYLER STEVENS if he had
anything he wanted to add.
Number 137
SCHUYLER STEVENS, Director, Design & Construction,
Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT/PF),
indicated he had nothing to add other than that the
Department was entirely supportive of SSHB 184 and would be
able to do the job for the monies sought by the bill.
REPRESENTATIVE HUDSON made a motion to move SSHB 184 out
with individual recommendations.
CHAIR FOSTER asked if there was any objection. There was
none. Chair Foster declared SSHB 184 to be moved out of the
House Transportation Committee.
Number 143
CHAIR FOSTER announced that on Thursday, January 20, 1994,
SJR 29 would be discussed.
Number 200
REPRESENTATIVE HUDSON notified the committee that the
problem addressed by HB 237, which he was sponsoring, may
have been solved and that the need for the bill was
hopefully moot.
Number 210
CHAIR FOSTER expressed the desire to hold a future House
Transportation Committee meeting in one of the area
communities, thereby utilizing the Marine Highway system and
local airways. The committee members expressed enthusiasm
for this idea.
Number 249
CHAIR FOSTER adjourned the meeting at 5:26 p.m.
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