Legislature(2005 - 2006)CAPITOL 17
04/11/2006 01:30 PM House TRANSPORTATION
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| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | HCR 38 | TELECONFERENCED | |
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE TRANSPORTATION STANDING COMMITTEE
April 11, 2006
1:35 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Jim Elkins, Co-Chair
Representative Mark Neuman
Representative Bill Thomas
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative Carl Gatto, Co-Chair
Representative Vic Kohring
Representative Mary Kapsner
Representative Woodie Salmon
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 38
Urging the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities to
use the Alaska marine highway system fast ferries efficiently by
deploying the fast ferries in northern Lynn Canal and Prince
William Sound beginning in the summer of 2006, and to provide
data regularly to the affected communities to enable the
communities to evaluate the service effectively.
- HEARD AND HELD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: HCR 38
SHORT TITLE: FAST FERRIES
SPONSOR(s): TRANSPORTATION
03/29/06 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
03/29/06 (H) TRA, FIN
04/06/06 (H) TRA AT 1:30 PM CAPITOL 17
04/06/06 (H) <Bill Hearing Postponed>
04/11/06 (H) TRA AT 1:30 PM CAPITOL 17
WITNESS REGISTER
JENNIFER BAXTER, Staff
to Representative Jim Elkins
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented HCR 38 on behalf of Representative
Elkins, Sponsor.
TIM JOYCE, Mayor
City of Cordova
Cordova, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HCR 38.
BARBARA LEWIS
Haines, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified against fast ferries, and she
requested that handicap access be provided on them.
JUNE HAAS
Haines Chamber of Commerce
Haines, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified against using fast ferries in
Sitka.
MICHAEL CATSI
Skagway City Council
Skagway, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HCR 38.
TIM BOURCY, Mayor
City of Skagway
Skagway, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HCR 38.
JAN WHETMORE, Chair
Skagway Marine Access Committee
Skagway, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HCR 38.
NANCY PETERSON, Assistant City Manager
City of Valdez
Valdez, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HCR 38.
CLAY KOPLIN
Cordova Chamber of Commerce
Cordova, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HCR 38.
KATHIE WASSERMAN
Alaska Municipal League
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HCR 38.
DEAN WILLIAMS
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HCR 38.
MERRY ELLEFSON
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HCR 38.
JANET KUSSART
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HCR 38.
ROBIN TAYLOR, Deputy Commissioner
Alaska Marine Highway System
Department of Transportation & Public Facilities
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified that he understands people's
frustrations, and will implement HCR 38 if it passes with a
budget.
ACTION NARRATIVE
CO-CHAIR JIM ELKINS called the House Transportation Standing
Committee meeting to order at 1:35:15 PM. Representatives
Neuman and Elkins were present at the call to order.
Representative Thomas arrived as the meeting was in progress.
HCR 38-FAST FERRIES
CO-CHAIR ELKINS announced that the only order of business would
be HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 38, Urging the Department of
Transportation and Public Facilities to use the Alaska marine
highway system fast ferries efficiently by deploying the fast
ferries in northern Lynn Canal and Prince William Sound
beginning in the summer of 2006, and to provide data regularly
to the affected communities to enable the communities to
evaluate the service effectively.
JENNIFER BAXTER, Staff to Representative Jim Elkins, presented
HCR 38 on behalf of Representative Elkins, Sponsor. She said
HCR 38 urges the Department of Transportation & Public
Facilities (DOT) to use the Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS)
fast ferries efficiently by deploying them in northern Lynn
Canal and Prince William Sound beginning in the summer of 2006.
It also requests an evaluation of the services. The resolution
was borne out of frustrations from the coastal communities who
have been promised reliable scheduling and deployment of the
fast ferries. She said that in late 2004, a marketing group of
residents from Cordova, Whittier, Valdez, and Anchorage held
meetings with Alaska Airlines, the railroad, and other
businesses to develop strategies to successfully incorporate the
new fast ferry transportation system into the Prince William
Sound area. The group was told at the last minute that the M.V.
Chenega would not be operating because labor negotiations had
not been concluded in time. Earlier this winter, again with
little warning, the M.V. Fairweather was pulled from her regular
schedule between Juneau, Haines, Skagway and Sitka, and was
deployed on experimental runs in southern Southeast Alaska.
Those runs had very few passengers and generated very little
revenue, which was no surprise to coastal communities, but those
communities were never consulted prior to the schedule change.
Because of the State of Alaska and the DOT deficiency in long
term planning, coastal communities who previously relied on the
ferries realized that it may no longer be an option. She said
there are no contingency plans, and the fleet is aging. She
said HCR 38 urges the administration to revert back to its
original plan and operate the M.V. Fairweather on a year-round
basis in northern Lynn Canal and the M.V. Chenega in Prince
William Sound, so the state may evaluate the true demand and
economic feasibility of these vessels. The resolution also asks
for a two-year schedule with updates to communities.
1:38:09 PM
TIM JOYCE, Mayor, City of Cordova, said he provided the
committee with a resolution and letter from the City of Cordova.
He said there are more letters and resolutions regarding the
fast ferry system. He expressed his strong support for HCR 38,
and said it addresses many weaknesses of the AMHS in the past
year. He noted that a business would fail if operated
similarly. All the businesses in Cordova rely on the ferry to
some degree and have asked him if the Chenega will be operating
in Prince William Sound this year. Those people were guaranteed
that the Chenega would operate. The ferry schedule must be
known a year in advance in order to plan business travel and to
schedule events. A two-year schedule is not difficult to
provide, and such dependability will increase ridership over
time, he stated. He said the Chenega was designed and built to
be used in Prince William Sound, and why it was moved defies
logic. He said HCR 38 will correct most of the errors made by
the AMHS in Prince William Sound over the last year.
1:41:35 PM
BARBARA LEWIS said she has never supported using a fast ferry,
and it has been proven that it doesn't work in Lynn Canal
because it breaks down. She said the Chenega should be left in
Prince William Sound. If the two fast ferries are used, a
handicapped van is needed, she noted.
1:43:57 PM
KAREN HESS, President, Haines Chamber of Commerce, urged support
for HCR 38. She said her written comments have been submitted.
1:45:07 PM
JUNE HAAS, Haines Chamber of Commerce, said HCR 38 includes
Sitka, Alaska. The original route was in protected waters, she
said. The idea of basing the ferry at Portage Cove sounded like
a good idea, she said. "But when I saw Sitka on there, the
whole basis for the fast ferry was short distance and high
volume. The run from town, if they base it at Portage Cove,
would be up to Skagway and back, and down to Cascade Point in
Berners Bay, which would still be protected from the wind quite
a bit, but when it goes to Sitka or anything like that, and then
at Cascade Point, of course, they'd need private enterprise
busses and stuff, but that's no problem. But when they go to
Sitka, they're going a long distance. It's beating up our
ships," she said. Sitka needs a terminal on the east side of
[Baranof Island], and she said the fast ferry needs to be used
in Haines and Berners Bay only.
REPRESENTATIVE THOMAS said the advisory board for the Alaska
Marine Highway System added Sitka to the resolution.
1:47:55 PM
MICHAEL CATSI, Skagway City Council, said he supports HCR 38.
He said he helped draft the resolution, and it was unanimously
passed by the city council. The fast ferries have been
successful in upper Lynn Canal and would be viable in Prince
William Sound, given the chance. The fast ferries brought the
st
coastal communities into the 21 Century and have provided a
level of service and convenience rarely seen. They have
diversified the range of transportation services. The vessels
are not perfect, but they have demonstrated that they are in
demand. Given the chance with a regular schedule, they will
demonstrate their true demand, economic viability, and value to
the system.
1:50:49 PM
TIM BOURCY, Mayor, City of Skagway, said there has been a lot of
unrealistic rhetoric regarding the fast ferries. He stated that
HCR 38 would give his community the opportunity to have a
marketable schedule and then prove or disprove the value of the
ferries in Lynn Canal and Prince William Sound.
JAN WHETMORE, Chair, Skagway Marine Access Committee, said she
has been in business in Skagway for many years. She said she
supports HCR 38 and is a strong supporter of fast ferries. She
noted that fast ferries have proven to been valuable for Lynn
Canal. She recommended using Cascade Point as a destination,
rather than Auke Bay or Katzehin. A schedule needs to be set
two years ahead of time for the benefit of business users. A
road to Juneau may be litigated, she stated. "They're proposing
unmanned ferry terminals in Skagway, Haines, and Katzehin, and,
of course, winds are extremely high in Lynn Canal, so that whole
concept may need to be revisited." She urged the ferries to
operate out of Cascade Point for fuel cost savings.
1:53:52 PM
NANCY PETERSON, Assistant City Manager, City of Valdez, said the
city supports HCR 38, especially with coordination of a two-year
schedule, marketing, and long range planning.
CLAY KOPLIN, Cordova Chamber of Commerce, said the business
community is strongly in favor of HCR 38. He noted that Prince
William Sound is a good place for fast ferries because the bulk
of the population of Alaska is connected by a road system to the
Whittier and Valdez portals to Prince William Sound, and it
creates a lot of business opportunities in Cordova. Businesses
have invested in growth because of the fast ferries, and the
changes in the schedules have been detrimental. The fast
ferries allow for weekend visits, he noted.
1:55:56 PM
KATHIE WASSERMAN, Alaska Municipal League, said the fast ferries
are a necessary tool for the communities she represents. She
said Southeast Alaska has static economic development and needs
all the help it can get. The fast ferries have been a necessary
tool. She said the schedules must be more dependable to keep
the fast ferries running for residents and tourists, she said.
1:57:06 PM
REPRESENTATIVE NEUMAN asked for the economic impacts to
communities with the loss of the vessels.
MS. WASSERMAN said Southeast Conference is an economic
development group and would likely have those figures. She also
suggested the McDowell Group studies.
REPRESENTATIVE NEUMAN said he would like to weigh the fiscal
note with the economic impacts of not passing the resolution.
MS. WASSERMAN said she will work on it.
CO-CHAIR ELKINS asked about taking money from the Juneau
highways and back to the ferries where is was appropriated in
the first place.
MS. WASSERMAN said she represents all of the communities across
the state, and there might not be agreement.
1:59:37 PM
DEAN WILLIAMS said he is 88 years old and a lifelong Alaskan.
He stressed the importance of a pre-set schedule. He has been
in the airline business and stressed the importance of getting
the schedule published. He said travel agents are working on
the coming summer, and the schedules should be up and going. A
two-year schedule would give a chance to prove [ferry
ridership]. A ferry has a sales value, but a road doesn't, in
case a change needs to be made. You can't sell a road, he said,
a ferry is a much sounder investment. He is knowledgeable about
avalanches, and the Lynn Canal situation "scares me to death."
He won't use a road in Lynn Canal in the winter, and he much
prefers a ferry, which is safer. He mentioned the idea of a
school bus loaded with children heading to basketball games
getting hit by a fatal avalanche. He was on the dock when the
first Malaspina ferry came to Juneau. He said a Taku wind was
blowing and the pilot dropped the anchor off the dock,
effectively bringing the boat in. He said Governor Hickel
always supported good transportation.
2:03:49 PM
MERRY ELLEFSON noted that fast ferries are likely to succeed
when placed in high-volume areas, such as Lynn Canal and Prince
William Sound. Passengers prefer this service, and it is her
understanding that in operating only six months, the Fairweather
carried the third highest number of passengers in the AMHS fleet
for the entire year of 2004 or 2005. If given the continued
chance to ply the Southeast waters, the Fairweather will prove
to be a vital link in the quest to efficiently access Juneau, if
schedules and rates are properly managed. She doesn't
understand why the Chenega was pulled out of the sound and taken
to a low-volume, log-infested Juneau-Ketchikan route. The
Fairweather and Chenega, on this run, were doomed for failure.
She asked that the fast ferries be given a chance to answer the
transportation challenges in the region.
2:05:14 PM
JANET KUSSART said she has family coming this summer and has
always enjoyed taking visitors on the ferries. She said it is
important to keep the terminal in Auk Bay; it is public
transportation, and people without a car need that access. The
farther from town, the more difficult to use. People in
Southeast Alaska need to get up Lynn Canal in one day, she said.
She said she has been spoiled by the fast ferry in Lynn Canal.
2:07:04 PM
CO-CHAIR ELKINS said he and Representative Thomas are members of
a coastal caucus to improve the ferry system. He said HCR 38
will not move today because Co-Chair Gatto is absent.
REPRESENTATIVE THOMAS said he received this resolution from the
communities in his district, and "I fully support their
concerns." He said he took it to MTAB [Marine Transportation
Advisory Board] and the Southeast Conference, and there has been
no negative feedback. Cordova and the other communities are
hurting, and they need all the help they can get. His concern
is about Juneau access because a road won't be built for several
years, if at all. Without the fast ferries, a bill to move the
legislative body [out of Juneau] will be "looking better." The
fiscal note is high, but if people know the schedule [ridership
will increase]. He hopes the administration will listen. The
schedule should allow Juneau residents to go to Haines and
Skagway on a weekend, and vice versa. He said people from
Haines and Skagway like to come to Juneau for a movie and
Chinese food. He said he will read the resolution on the floor
if he has to.
2:11:08 PM
ROBIN TAYLOR, Deputy Commissioner, Alaska Marine Highway System,
Department of Transportation & Public Facilities (DOT) said he
is supportive of Representative Thomas's comments. He
appreciates the support and input the "Island Caucus" has given
to him. He noted the strong interest within the legislature,
which is good because solutions are not as simple as people
think. There is a domino effect in the system when a boat
fails. He said it is the first administration to have a
governor that cares enough about the system to ride on the
ferries, but sometimes he makes decisions without necessary and
important public input. "We operate a system, most people don't
realize this, that publishes a schedule and begins its operation
each year, October 1." He said AMHS is currently selling
tickets under a schedule that "is going to be adhered to barring
mechanical breakdowns." The only reason Juneau doesn't have the
Fairweather is because "we just yanked all four reduction gears
out of that boat, stuck them on the Columbia, and they're on
their way to be rebuilt in Seattle." He said he is hopeful it
will be back in operation in early May. It has disrupted
transportation in Lynn Canal, and his office has been under
pressure regarding shipping the Chenega "up to Mayor Tim Joyce
and the good folks of Cordova." More towns and people will be
impacted "down here," but he did not yield to that pressure
because of a commitment to Prince William Sound.
MR. TAYLOR said the AMHS has done significant marketing on
events in that region, and he is proud of what he thinks it will
accomplish in Prince William Sound this summer. He said HCR 38
addresses winter operations, and he believes the Fairweather
probably could operate in Lynn Canal in the winter, "as long as
you've got Southeast weather," but when the wind blows from the
north, the boat is not able to operate. He said that is a
problem for shipping fresh halibut from Sitka or beer from the
local brewery. Winter weather is going to be touch and go. "We
will, if the resolution and this funding level passes, we will
operate that boat during those months and at that time." He
said that will give the administration evidence, or not, of
their viability. He said he is selling tickets on a boat for
Cordova, and it's going to be there the entire summer. He said
there are difficulties with the LeConte regarding the Coast
Guard, and mechanical breakdowns, weather, and federal
regulators cause unforeseen events. He said if the AMHS is
successful, this administration will be the first one in 44
years to have ever even attempted to publish a two-year
schedule. The primary reason for that is two-fold, he stated.
He said mechanical problems are just a planning problem, "you
then have to have adequate funding. And every year the
legislature decides what our funding levels are going to be."
He noted that the AMHS funding levels are down $14 million from
what operations will cost next year.
2:18:02 PM
MR. TAYLOR said, "Give us a two-year funding allocation," if a
two-year schedule is desired. He said the AMHS has had a stable
boat schedule out of Bellingham, Prince Rupert and the villages
for the last 20-plus years. "You can publish a two-year
schedule if you were to do it by run as opposed to maybe by
entire area." He sent out a letter requesting interest by
architects for a shuttle vessel. "Whether the road is built or
not, up Lynn Canal, that plan, on the road plan, calls for three
shuttle ferries to be operating out of the Katzehin River." He
said the transportation plan for Southeast Alaska calls for a
shuttle whether it departs from Berners Bay or the Katzehin
River. Two yards have called about specs, and he hopes to move
forward with a contract by early July. "That would be a
dedicated vessel probably operating in Lynn Canal and providing
everyday service, two or three times a day, between Haines and
Skagway, hopefully, eventually, between Haines and some terminal
out the road." He said he would then add dedicated shuttle
vessels down the panhandle. He said Hoonah needs such a vessel.
2:20:37 PM
MR. TAYLOR said it is going to take planning and budget
stability to achieve the goal of reliable service that everyone
shares.
2:21:04 PM
CO-CHAIR ELKINS asked what wind speeds fast ferries can handle.
MR. TAYLOR said at a wave height of six to eight feet the ferry
becomes uncomfortable, causing seasickness. He said the boat
will seek shelter with ten-foot waves. Most southeasterly winds
are navigable, except when the tide is in the wrong direction
around the point at Berners Bay. He noted that northern winds
delayed the boat for seven days in Lynn Canal. He said the slow
ferries do better in those waves.
REPRESENTATIVE THOMAS spoke of being on the LeConte when
passengers were sick. He said the legislature pressures the
AMHS and the unions, but it is doing what it can, and funding is
his concern.
2:24:33 PM
REPRESENTATIVE NEUMAN spoke of many angry public comments that
accuse the ferry system of manipulating schedules to lower
ridership in order to turn public opinion against the ferry to
favor the proposed road. He read a comment about the difficulty
in finding accurate information about the ferry system, and
whether that is deliberate or not. "They go on and on, and
there's quite a stack of these emails." He asked Mr. Taylor to
defend himself.
MR. TAYLOR said the levels of frustration are related to how
much a community is impacted. He said Prince William Sound was
assured there would be a boat last spring, and it became
apparent the boat was two months late coming out of the yard.
He said there were difficulties getting crew on board, which is
controlled by the Department of Administration. The Aurora was
immediately dispatched to Prince William Sound, he said, and the
fare was reduced, which brought back additional ridership never
seen before. He said the AMHS did some marketing. "We got the
Chenega up there. We got the training done, but only had about
two weeks time within which to operate before we brought her
back south." He said the Chenega was only scheduled to operate
four days a week out of Cordova, and instead the Aurora ran
seven days a week all winter long. He said he put in a lot more
money and effort and "that gave that community five landings and
departures a week, which was a higher level of service than they
would have had out of Chenega but not as convenient a time."
MR. TAYLOR said that the Prince William Sound schedule was only
changed based on a good suggestion by Mayor Joyce. He said that
AMHS is following through on its commitment for this coming
summer, but the operations for next winter "is the real
question" and dependent on budget. He said the AMHS was
criticized in Southeast Alaska of having a "conspiracy" of
putting in a run that wouldn't work. He said the administration
had a decision to buy two more boats and where to put them.
Under the Southeast plan, the boats are supposed to go between
Ketchikan and Petersburg and Juneau. "Shouldn't you know
something about whether the boat can operate down there before
you buy the boat?" He said that was the main reason for moving
the vessel-"Can it handle Clarence Strait?" He said AMHS now
knows that in 29 runs the boat sucked up 14 logs and damaged the
boat. He said he had to put the crew in a hotel in Wrangell
several times because of weather. The governor decided not to
move forward with the purchase of two more vessels of that class
because of those problems. He said he sympathizes with the
comments. Southeast Alaska actually got more service than it
was supposed to get last year. Some of that service deprived
people of a more convenient service in Prince William Sound.
2:32:22 PM
CO-CHAIR ELKINS said that is understandable.
MR. TAYLOR said there are lessons to be learned in Prince
William Sound. He said the big boats have had problems in
Whittier and Valdez when the Aurora could not land. Wind gusts
almost blew people off the boat. He said he will find a way to
fully utilize the investments put into the boats.
2:34:11 PM
[HCR 38 was held over.]
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Transportation Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at
2:34:46 PM.
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