Federal aid won’t fix all problems with the beleaguered ferry system, Alaska Marine Highway workers say.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg listens to ferry captain Gabriel Baylous explain the operations of the ferry Hubbard on Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023, in Lynn Canal, outside Juneau, Alaska. Listening at background is U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska.
It was an appropriate capstone to Buttigieg’s three-day Alaska visit, a trip intended to emphasize the benefits of the Biden administration’s infrastructure law, passed by Congress in 2021. As of July, that law. That figure, which includes funding for new ferry terminals and ships, is more than three times the size of the ferry system’s annual budget.
“It is salvaging what was the certain demise of the ferry system and allowing a modern version to emerge that can serve us in the future,” said Robert Venables, director of Southeast Conference, the regional economic development organization for Southeast Alaska.U.S. transportation secretary touts federal investments in port, ferries during Alaska visitU.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and U.S. Sen.
The Haines visit included a meeting with tribal and city officials, plus some souvenir shopping at the grocery store owned by the city’s mayor. One of the purchases was a copy of the local newspaper whose headline story was Buttigieg’s visit. Murkowski, together with Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, were two of the key votes needed in the U.S. Senate to pass the law through the chamber, and Murkowski used Buttigieg’s trip on Wednesday to re-emphasize the importance of the ferry system to Alaska.
But Buttigieg’s trip also demonstrated that federal help won’t completely solve the system’s woes. In Haines, he spoke with ferry workers who stressed the problems the system has had hiring new workers.
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.
U.S. transportation secretary touts federal investments in port, ferries during Alaska visitTransportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg toured the Port of Alaska alongside Mayor Bronson and said a $68 million grant awarded to the port would “pay off for the American people.”
Read more »
Transportation secretary tours Port of Alaska, talks investment in aging infrastructureU.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg visited Alaska’s biggest city Tuesday as part of a three-day tour of the state.
Read more »
Transportation secretary tours Port of Alaska, talks investment in aging infrastructureU.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg visited Alaska’s biggest city Tuesday as part of a three-day tour of the state.
Read more »
On Alaska visit, Buttigieg touts funding boost to help salmon cross the roadTransportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is surprised to find fish transit is part of his portfolio but says it's beneficial for fishing communities.
Read more »
Alaska's Energy Desk ArchivesAlaska’s Energy Desk is a collaboration between KTOO-FM in Juneau, Alaska Public Media in Anchorage, KUCB in Unalaska, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner in Fairbanks, KBRW in Utqiaġvik and KYUK in Bethel. Each week we produce in-depth coverage of energy issues in Alaska for radio, video and web. From the state budget to personal energy use, resource development to Arctic life, we cover how energy issues impact Alaskan lives and landscapes. Alaska’s Energy Desk is a Regional Journalism Collaboration, launched in 2016 with a supporting grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Read more »
Americans Want Sustainable Transportation Options, Not More HighwaysAmericans want more sustainable transportation choices, not more highways. These are the results of a recent survey on Americans
Read more »