HB 26-STATEWIDE PUBLIC & COMMUNITY TRANSIT PLAN  1:49:56 PM CHAIR MERRICK reconvened the meeting and announced the consideration of CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 26(TRA) am "An Act relating to the duties of the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities; and relating to a statewide public and community transit plan." 1:50:11 PM At ease. 1:51:00 PM CHAIR MERRICK reconvened the meeting. 1:51:23 PM HAHLEN BEHNKEN, Staff, Representative Genevieve Mina, Alaska State Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, paraphrased the sponsor statement for HB 26: [Original punctuation provided.] CSHB 26 (TRA), Version I Sponsor Statement "An Act relating to the duties of the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities; and relating to a statewide public and community transit plan." The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF) stewards the state's transportation system as the lead body in developing the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP). HB 26 aims to support and secure accessible transportation options for all Alaskans by improving DOT&PF's public engagement process and broadening the study of transportation options across the state. First, HB 26 seeks to improve DOT&PF's public engagement process in statewide transportation planning. Sufficient collaboration with local and regional entities is federally required to secure funding for transportation and infrastructure projects. HB 26 codifies this federal requirement by specifying that DOT&PF must coordinate with public, Tribal, and community transit programs in their development of Alaska's comprehensive, long-range, intermodal transportation plan (e.g., STIP). In this case, these transit programs refer to programs such as Nome's Tribal Transit Program, Juneau's Capital Transit, Tok's Interior Alaska Bus Line, and Anchorage's People Mover. Second, HB 26 expands DOT&PF's responsibility to study alternative transportation options by including rural and remote areas. DOT&PF is statutorily responsible for studying alternative means of transportation in Alaska, but they are currently only required to study urban areas. Alternative transportation methods, such as public transportation, are essential for those who do not have a car or cannot drive and provide more options for Alaskans and visitors to move around our state. According to a 2022 DOT&PF report on The Economic Value of Public Transit in Alaska, transit delivers benefits including increased business sales, less road congestion, less air pollution, and better travel times to Alaska communities. Public transit is often the only transportation option for Alaskans with disabilities, low-income Alaskans, youth, and the elderly. Securing federal funding and improving access to public and community transit is essential to connect all Alaskans to their jobs, schools, healthcare, and communities. HB 26 improves the annual study, reporting, and development of Alaska's multimodal transportation network. 1:53:38 PM REPRESENTATIVE GENEVIEVE MINA, District 19, Alaska State Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, added that the Governor's Council on Disabilities and Special Education and the Alaska Mobility Coalition requested HB 26. She emphasized that people with disabilities face gaps in access to public transportation. She said HB 26 would codify the practices of the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOTPF) while ensuring that those impacted by public transit are part of the transit access conversation. 1:54:24 PM CHAIR MERRICK announced invited testimony on HB 26. 1:54:38 PM PATRICK REINHART, Executive Director, Governor's Council on Disabilities and Special Education, Anchorage, Alaska, said the Governor's Council on Disabilities and Special Education is one of the founding members of the Alaska Mobility Coalition. He has been a disability advocate in Alaska for 40 years. He stated that transportation problems are a daily challenge for people with disabilities in Alaska. He noted that the same is true for senior citizens, as both populations rely heavily on public transportation. He briefly discussed public transportation in communities around the state, pointing out that some communities (e.g. Anchorage) have robust public transit systems, while others have no reliable public transit. He briefly discussed human services grants. He stated that this grant program has successfully started many small public transit systems. He noted a low number of current human service grant applicants. He surmised that this is related to a lack of planning for public transit in small, rural communities. He added that it is difficult for small communities to apply for the grants, which are a combination of state and federal funding. He opined that better planning from DOTPF and input from the impacted community would be beneficial. [1:57:46] MR. REINHART said DOTPF recently received an influx of federal funding for rural transit projects; however, DOTPF distributed those funds to existing programs despite community support for new transit programs. He asserted that this was a lost opportunity. He emphasized the importance of planning. He said that a state transit conference would be helpful and could be part of DOTPF's planning process. He emphasized the importance of making this a statutory requirement and of communicating the importance of public transportation in Alaska. 2:00:25 PM GERRY HOPE, Government Relations Director, Sitka Tribe of Alaska, Sitka, Alaska, said HB 26 is a 2025 legislative priority for Sitka Tribe of Alaska. He explained that Sitka Tribe of Alaska operates public transit in Sitka and is a member of the Alaska Mobility Coalition. He said it is difficult to get DOTPF to recognize challenges that are not in statute. He noted that HB 26 identifies some items in simple language. He directed attention to HB 26, page 1, line 15, which adds "including public, tribal, and community transit programs." He then directed attention to HB 26, page 2, lines 5-6, which adds language to create transit systems through coordination with local governments and tribal entities. He emphasized that these are critically important changes that would make an important difference in the way Sitka Tribe of Alaska works with DOTPF. It would also impact the delivery of public transit services within communities across the state. 2:02:55 PM CHAIR MERRICK opened public testimony on HB 26; finding none, she closed public testimony. 2:03:17 PM REPRESENTATIVE MINA stressed the importance of public transportation across the state. She noted that previous amendments to HB 26 incorporated different facets of public transportation, including ferries and potentially including commuter rail. She emphasized the importance of including all communities in Alaska. 2:03:48 PM [CHAIR MERRICK held HB 26 in committee.]