Last summer, so many tourists took the city bus to the Mendenhall Valley that Juneau residents were left behind at stops.
Tourists get off a city bus at the Capital Transit Center on Thursday, July 20, 2023. More than a dozen tourists had taken the bus from the Dredge Lake Road bus stop back to downtown.
Deputy Mayor Michelle Bonnet Hale said she rode a city bus last summer during a busy day to understand the gravity of the situation. At an Assembly committee meeting on Monday, members voted to move forward with a plan to implement a “tripper bus” service for the 2024 summer season. It’s essentially an extra bus that would follow the buses that already go from downtown to the Mendenhall Valley near the glacier.
“The tripper service is an attempt to solve the problem that is before us. We have too many people riding the city bus in the summer and we’re skipping people at bus stops,” she said.It’s anticipated to cost the city about $900,000 to run it fully, or it can be scaled down. Pierce said the city hopes to pay for it with the money collected annually from cruise ship passengers. That will be up to the Assembly to decide.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
The Last-Ditch Effort to Stop the Mountain Valley PipelineThe gas pipeline stretching across Virginia and West Virginia is over budget and behind schedule, with a lot of hard work left to do. Opponents hope that makes fossil fuel companies think twice about building the next one.
Read more »
Juneau’s new police chief talks accountability, hiring woesDerek Bos finished his first week as chief after moving to Juneau from Colorado.
Read more »
Juneau Assembly greenlights over $3M in loans for local housing projectsThe money comes from the city’s affordable housing fund.
Read more »
Juneau teachers, students and parents react to proposals for closing or reorganizing schoolsThe Juneau School District is facing a nearly $8 million budget deficit for the current school year. District leaders are considering closing or reorganizing schools and cutting staff to balance the budget.
Read more »
New wetland habitat maps will help capture Juneau’s ‘wildlife and fish factory’The Southeast Alaska Land Trust will create new tideland maps to replace maps from the 1970s. The Southeast Alaska Land Trust will create new tideland maps to replace maps from the 1970s.
Read more »