Legislature(2025 - 2026)BARNES 124
02/10/2026 01:30 PM House TRANSPORTATION
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| Audio | Topic |
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| Start | |
| Presentation(s): Function of the Alaska Marine Highway Operations Board, Cascade Point Overview and Update | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE TRANSPORTATION STANDING COMMITTEE
February 10, 2026
1:32 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Ashley Carrick, Co-Chair
Representative Ted Eischeid, Co-Chair
Representative Genevieve Mina
Representative Louise Stutes
Representative Kevin McCabe
Representative Steve St. Clair
Representative Garret Nelson
MEMBERS ABSENT
All members present
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
PRESENTATION(S): FUNCTION OF THE ALASKA MARINE HIGHWAY
OPERATIONS BOARD~ CASCADE POINT OVERVIEW AND UPDATE
- HEARD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
No previous action to record
WITNESS REGISTER
RYAN ANDERSON, Commissioner
Department of Transportation & Public Facilities
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Co-offered the Function of the Alaska
Marine Highway Operations Board, Cascade Point Overview and
Update presentation.
CRAIG TORNGA, Director
Alaska Marine Highway System
Department of Transportation & Public Facilities
Ketchikan, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Co-offered the Function of the Alaska
Marine Highway Operations Board, Cascade Point Overview and
Update presentation.
CHRISTOPHER GOINS, Director
Southcoast Region
Department of Transportation & Public Facilities
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Co-offered the Function of the Alaska
Marine Highway Operations Board, Cascade Point Overview and
Update presentation.
ACTION NARRATIVE
1:32:40 PM
CO-CHAIR CARRICK called the House Transportation Standing
Committee meeting to order at 1:32 p.m. Representatives McCabe,
Mina, St. Clair, Stutes, Nelson, Eischeid, and Carrick were
present at the call to order.
^PRESENTATION(S): Function of the Alaska Marine Highway
Operations Board, Cascade Point Overview and Update
PRESENTATION(S): Function of the Alaska Marine Highway
Operations Board, Cascade Point Overview and Update
1:33:36 PM
CO-CHAIR CARRICK announced that the only order of business would
be a continuation of the Function of the Alaska Marine Highway
Operations Board, Cascade Point Overview and Update presentation
[begun on February 5, 2026].
1:35:08 PM
RYAN ANDERSON, Commissioner, Department of Transportation &
Public Facilities (DOT&PF), gave a presentation, titled
"Function of the Alaska Marine Highway Operations Board, Cascade
Point Overview and Update," via PowerPoint [hard copy included
in the committee file]. He began on slide 10, which described
the 2045 Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS) Long-Range Plan.
He noted three road connection projects included in the plan:
Kake to Petersburg; across Baranof Island; and Tenakee to
Hoonah. He added that the Cascade Point project fits into this
planning process as well.
1:36:45 PM
REPRESENTATIVE HIMSCHOOT stated that she was shocked by this
slide and asked for clarification on the public comment in
support of building roads. She said that she did not hear
support in the meetings she attended.
MR. ANDERSON replied that this statement is word for word from
the plan.
1:37:38 PM
CRAIG TORNGA, Director, Alaska Marine Highway System, Department
of Transportation & Public Facilities, added that the Alaska
Marine Highway Operations Board (AMHOB) held several focus
groups regarding road connections and that there is a push for a
road to the east in Sitka. He acknowledged that the whole
community may not be in support, but he has heard support in the
meetings he has attended. He emphasized that AMHOB supports
these roads.
REPRESENTATIVE HIMSCHOOT noted that the tribe has a new
executive director and invited Mr. Tornga to include the tribe
in this decision. She asked if AMHOB had a meeting with the
whole community of Sitka. She said that she does not believe
her community is speaking in full support of these roads. She
expressed great concern for this conclusion.
MR. TORNGA clarified that AMHOB has not taken a position on a
particular road and that there have not been meetings with the
new tribal leadership. He said he wants to improve AMHS
services to Sitka.
REPRESENTATIVE HIMSCHOOT emphasized that reducing costs for the
state does not necessarily reduce costs for communities or
individuals.
1:42:17 PM
MR. TORNGA, in response to a series of questions from
Representative Stutes, stated that this road would not be in
conjunction with the road to Cascade Point. This road would be
to the east side of Baranof Island. He said he is not sure of
the exact route. Mr. Tornga confirmed that this ferry run would
depart from the Auke Bay ferry dock.
1:43:49 PM
MR. TORNGA, in response to a series of questions from
Representative McCabe, stated that there is a hospital room on
board each ferry and there are always emergency medical
technicians (EMTs) on board. He said that he has had to rush
elders to shore who experienced medical emergencies on board
ferries and that AMHOB did not take a position on which road
would be the preferred route to Sitka.
1:45:54 PM
MR. TORNGA, in response to a question from Co-Chair Carrick,
said he does not have a comparison of the total costs of
building those roads versus the cost of maintenance for current
marine vessels. He stated that AMHS recommended building these
roads in the long-range plan, but he is not an expert on roads.
COMMISSIONER ANDERSON, in response to a question from Co-Chair
Carrick, added that the existing road to Cascade Point is better
than the road he drives home on every night. He said that the
bridge is required on Goldbelt Inc.'s ("Goldbelt's") property.
He noted that those who wrote the 2004 Southeast Alaska
Transportation Plan were aware of tough fiscal climates. He
said that he received a letter from a former commissioner who
warned him that there will be controversy regarding AMHS and
recommended shorter ferry routes. He said that if the volume
and demand pick up, DOT&PF will expand the road. He provided an
example of the road to Tanana, which residents find vital. He
included that decreasing greenhouse gas emissions is a benefit
to shorter ferry routes.
CO-CHAIR CARRICK explained that she is struggling to understand
why the state is investing so much money in Cascade Point, as
opposed to other necessary road projects in other parts of the
state. She asked why Cascade Point is receiving funding over
those projects.
COMMISSIONER ANDERSON said that operational efficiency is
essential to DOT&PF. He explained that there are limited funds
for replacing vessels, while there are funds available to build
roads. He also explained that different fund types can only be
used for certain projects. He expressed a desire to strengthen
AMHS and said he believes Cascade Point is part of that plan.
1:55:21 PM
REPRESENTATIVE MCCABE said AMHS costs about $5 per mile per car
transported, compared to $0.02 per mile per car on the Glenn
Highway. He said that Cascade Point would help preserve vessels
for the future.
COMMISSIONER ANDERSON responded that one could argue all day
about the assumptions made regarding the economic analysis. He
said that shorter ferry routes save people time and that time is
very valuable. He said that across the country, states employ
longer roads to shorten ferry routes when possible.
REPRESENTATIVE MCCABE replied that this terminal would service
Juneauites and would save their time, as opposed to other
proposed ferry terminals that would service much smaller
communities.
COMMISSIONER ANDERSON clarified that there is no tunnel at
Cascade Point. He noted the 225 rural airports in Alaska that
serve remote communities.
2:02:04 PM
REPRESENTATIVE STUTES emphasized that AMHS was created for
Alaskans to serve them. She said that 92 percent of the 622
public comments opposed Cascade Point. She explained that most
comments in support of Cascade Point expressed desire for
transportation to a Canadian mine.
2:04:19 PM
REPRESENTATIVE HIMSCHOOT clarified that the vote on the road in
Sitka was a statewide vote in 2012 or 2013 and there has been no
vote since then. She questioned how much a 16-mile road would
cost and emphasized the safety concerns of dropping an elder off
at the end of a road like this. She stated that she is unaware
of another ferry system that does what AMHS does and warned
against comparisons. She emphasized that there is only one car
in Tenakee.
2:06:29 PM
The committee took an at-ease from 2:06 p.m. to 2:07 p.m.
[Co-Chair Carrick passed the gavel to Co-Chair Eischeid.]
2:07:50 PM
REPRESENTATIVE MINA stated that, operationally, Cascade Point is
projected to save the state over $700,000 per year, but the
construction costs are not predicted to be offset by the
operational savings. She asked if the project is intended to
save money or to streamline operations.
COMMISSIONER ANDERSON said that subsequent slides will address
the costs and savings of the project. He said that the capital
costs are treated separately from operational costs, which also
differ from environmental benefits.
2:10:04 PM
REPRESENTATIVE G. NELSON asked how much time shorter ferry
routes would save and how the size of crew would be impacted.
2:10:48 PM
CHRISTOPHER GOINS, Director, Southcoast Region, Department of
Transportation & Public Facilities, responded that the time is
1.5 hours in and out of Cascade Point. He said that, according
to the long-range plan, there would be a shuttle service between
Skagway and Haines, with labor savings of about $1 million.
2:12:24 PM
MR. GOINS, in response to a question from Representative McCabe,
said there is about a 30 percent farebox recovery rate in
Cordova.
2:13:20 PM
MR. GOINS, in response to a series of questions from
Representative Stutes, said that Goldbelt would provide the
shuttle service to Cascade Point. He noted that there are
currently safety issues with walk-on passengers in Auke Bay. He
said that AMHS is trying to turn this into a discussion about
equity. He said that he does not know if the walk-on cost would
increase. He suggested a single rate for all walk-on
passengers. He said that the public comments show a lot of fear
and he wants to make the project better to dispel that fear.
MR. GOINS estimated that the capital cost of the project will be
another $90 million to $100 million. Mr. Goins explained that
the department is still in negotiations, so he is limited in his
ability to speak about the leasing cost of the land. The state
would own the land where the road and pad are built, but the
surrounding waters would be leased. He said the intent is to
own the lease in the water and the dock itself but noted that
there are other potential options through the Goldbelt
partnership.
COMMISSIONER ANDERSON added that there was a lot of pressure on
the department to establish the shared dock agreement. He
emphasized that the dock would be a public facility but there
are still complications with creating a multi-use dock,
including mining and fishing.
2:22:03 PM
MR. GOINS, in response to a question from Co-Chair Eischeid,
said that he is aware of the opposition to Cascade Point and his
staff wants to address every comment individually. He hoped to
have public meetings prior to public comment opening. He said
that the public comment period was extended to give more people
the opportunity to comment with more accurate information. He
explained the upcoming process for public meetings and public
hearings on Cascade Point. He said that people became worried
when DOT&PF hired a contractor to begin the design/build
process.
CO-CHAIR EISCHEID responded that Mr. Goins does not need to be
so thorough.
2:27:53 PM
MR. GOINS, in response to questions from Co-Chair Carrick,
confirmed that Goldbelt has committed to providing a shuttle to
Cascade Point, but he does not know how long Goldbelt has
committed to running it.
CO-CHAIR CARRICK replied that it feels like Goldbelt is the
primary beneficiary of a project that the state is going to fund
and support. She emphasized the indeterminate impact this
project will have on the communities it will serve. She stated
that equity means equity for Alaska communities and that this
project feels like subsidizing corporate interests.
2:31:27 PM
REPRESENTATIVE MCCABE noted the big corporation that is
benefiting from the Seward dock. He asked if this is a similar
situation, as far as corporate interests are concerned. He
asked if the state will ever recover the capital costs from
previous projects. He emphasized that AMHS is in the business
of serving the public in the best, easiest, cheapest, fastest
way it can. Representative McCabe also noted that Goldbelt is a
Native corporation and asked if the committee is supposed to be
supporting those.
COMMISSIONER ANDERSON responded by recognizing what the private
sector does for the economy in Alaska and stated that DOT&PF
needs to accommodate the demands of the state. He said that the
mine has created many jobs in Tok and emphasized the industries
that drive Alaska's economy.
2:35:23 PM
MR. GOINS, in response to a series of questions from
Representative G. Nelson, said that three fifths of all
passengers on the AMHS vessels are travelling this Northern Lynn
Canal route, which Cascade Point directly affects. He added
that an economic analysis was completed on Cascade Point. He
said he is unsure of feasibility studies on other projects
mentioned by the committee today.
2:38:57 PM
REPRESENTATIVE STUTES clarified the differences between the
Seward ferry dock, where the entire community supported the
project, and Cascade Point. She said that the fox is already in
the hen's house and that this does not speak very well for the
department.
2:40:24 PM
REPRESENTATIVE MCCABE asked if the presenters would be moving
through the slides, because there is a slide he would like to
highlight for the public.
2:40:59 PM
MR. GOINS, in response to a question from Co-Chair Carrick, said
that Governor Mike Dunleavy supports the project and he was duly
elected.
2:42:06 PM
MR. GOINS picked up on the PowerPoint begun by Commissioner
Anderson, on slide 18, which showed the projected fiscal net
impact of the Cascade Point ferry terminal. He highlighted the
total efficiency gains of the project.
2:43:24 PM
REPRESENTATIVE MCCABE highlighted the environmental benefits of
the Cascade Point ferry terminal.
MR. GOINS noted that the statistics on slide 19 represent
savings per year. He highlighted the $1.3 million contract that
was signed with Juneau Hydropower for potential electrification
of the site.
2:46:06 PM
CO-CHAIR EISCHEID asked if any of the statistics listed were
included in a cost-benefit analysis.
MR. GOINS responded that Ed King is an economist and made his
report with the best information available to him. He noted
that the department also fills in the gaps left out in Mr.
King's analysis.
CO-CHAIR EISCHEID noted that an economic analysis differs from a
cost-benefit analysis.
COMMISSIONER ANDERSON added that DOT&PF does not have a policy
regarding cost-benefit analyses for new ferry terminals.
2:49:11 PM
REPRESENTATIVE STUTES said that the report would carry more
weight if it were completed by an independent body.
COMMISSIONER ANDERSON responded that Mr. King has a master's
degree in economics from the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
MR. GOINS added that DOT&PF has received criticism from both
those in support of and opposition to the project.
2:51:15 PM
MR. GOINS, in response to a question from Co-Chair Eischeid,
stated that the department adhered to its own policies when
seeking out its contract with Mr. King.
2:52:02 PM
MR. GOINS, in response to a question from Co-Chair Carrick,
stated that Mr. King's analysis cost about $15,000.
CO-CHAIR CARRICK noted that the analysis has many inaccuracies
and links that do not go anywhere. She said, "For $15,000, the
state did not get much more than an artificial intelligence-
generated letter of support."
MR. GOINS replied that he is not concerned about those links,
and he offered his understanding that Mr. King would object to
that comment.
CO-CHAIR CARRICK noted that the committee has invited Mr. King
to testify.
2:54:51 PM
MR. GOINS moved to slide 20 and emphasized that this project
works because it aligns state transportation responsibilities
with private land ownership. He described the partnership the
state has structured with Goldbelt, outlining the core mission
of each party.
2:57:00 PM
MR. GOINS, in response to a series of questions from
Representative Stutes, stated that the ferry terminal would only
be used by AMHS boats but there would be opportunities on the
backside for Goldbelt to put a small boat harbor that would not
conflict with state vessels. He said that there is a connecting
road from the parking pad to the terminal, and Goldbelt would
have to expand to the opposite side of the road from the
terminal.
2:59:21 PM
ADJOURNMENT
The House Transportation Standing Committee was recessed at 2:59
p.m. to be continued at 12:30 p.m. on February 12, 2026.
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