Post by ferryfast admin on May 20, 2005 14:04:43 GMT -5
Ferry officials announce shuffling of fast ferries
The Associated Press
JUNEAU — The mayor of Skagway says he's "horrified" by a decision by state ferry officials to remove a fast ferry from Lynn Canal next winter and replace it with a larger, traditional ferry.
The state has designed a ferry experiment that will fail economically and use it to bolster its goal of building a $281 million east Lynn Canal road, said Mayor Tim Bourcy.
The state announced Thursday it will remove two fast ferries now serving Lynn Canal and Prince William Sound and divert them to an experimental Juneau-Petersburg-Ketchikan connection this fall and winter.
In addition, the mainliners Columbia and Taku will turn south in Juneau, requiring northbound travelers to change boats to reach mainland roads at Skagway or Haines. The two ferries will travel north from Bellingham and Prince Rupert, respectively.
The Kennicott will operate every other week between Ketchikan and Prince William Sound.
"This would initiate an absolutely regular schedule," said Robin Taylor, the head of the Alaska Marine Highway System and a former state senator from Wrangell.
The changes are effective for the season running from about late September until spring.
The decision will force some state employees to move but put more boats in service at one time, Taylor said.
Petersburg Mayor Ted Smith was pleasantly surprised by the decision.
The fast ferry Chenega, which just this month arrived in Alaska for its first summer in Cordova, Whittier and Valdez, will be assigned to a daily round-trip between Ketchikan and Petersburg.
The fast ferry Fairweather would be redirected to a daily round-trip between Juneau and Petersburg.
Smith said it is good news for his town, though he is not sure that the boats could be filled on a daily basis.
"It will be a real interesting experiment," he said.
Skagway Mayor Bourcy strongly criticized the change.
"The Fairweather makes sense in Lynn Canal in the wintertime," he said. "The Malaspina is big. You are never going to fill it," he said.
The Lynn Canal route from Juneau north shoulders about 30 percent of the system's annual ridership.
Taylor said the reason for the experiment was to help decide whether the state should buy two more fast ferries for use in Southeast Alaska.
"The whole question of high-speed ferries and their economic applications is still to be decided," Taylor said.
The winter trial will allow the state to learn the vessels' economic suitability in the Juneau-Petersburg-Ketchikan corridor, he said.
"That's the $100 million dollar question," Taylor said, referring to the combined cost of two new fast ferries plus shore-side modifications.
"All of our research shows that the biggest movement is between Juneau and Ketchikan," Taylor said.
If the state does buy more fast ferries, the Fairweather likely would be assigned to travel between Juneau and Sitka, Taylor said.
"We have put every scenario onto the wall — at least all we could think of," Taylor said.
Other critics charged the state with dropping a bomb on Southeast Alaska communities without discussions with ferry unions or the public, including the Marine Transportation Advisory Board.
State transportation officials announced the changes to unions and the advisory board less than a week ago, though the topic did not get public airing at the board's Juneau meeting Thursday.
Taylor said some of the elements of the state's decision were based on previous recommendations from the advisory board.
The state announced its decision by appending a press release to the "changes and specials" section of the Alaska Marine Highway System Web site.
"Clearly, this did not get vetted through the normal public process," said Joe Geldhof, an attorney for the Marine Engineers Beneficial Association union.
Geldhof said the state's decision will cause major dislocations of employment for ferry workers.
"It doesn't just impact the people on the ships. It impacts families and communities all over Alaska," he said.
"There are aspects of this that might be good. But the devil is in the details," he said.
Taylor acknowledged that the change will move workers around.
"Some of these decisions are going to be difficult," he said.
Former ferry system chief Bob Doll of Juneau said he is skeptical of the state's decision to turn mainliners from Bellingham and Prince Rupert back south in Juneau.
"Travelers generally don't like disruptions in their journey," he said.
The state could reduce disruption by having a second boat waiting at the dock, he said.
Gov. Frank Murkowski likely will decide whether to purchase additional fast ferries next spring, at the conclusion of the experimental ferry season, Taylor said.
———
Information from: Juneau Empire,
www.juneauempire.com
The Associated Press
JUNEAU — The mayor of Skagway says he's "horrified" by a decision by state ferry officials to remove a fast ferry from Lynn Canal next winter and replace it with a larger, traditional ferry.
The state has designed a ferry experiment that will fail economically and use it to bolster its goal of building a $281 million east Lynn Canal road, said Mayor Tim Bourcy.
The state announced Thursday it will remove two fast ferries now serving Lynn Canal and Prince William Sound and divert them to an experimental Juneau-Petersburg-Ketchikan connection this fall and winter.
In addition, the mainliners Columbia and Taku will turn south in Juneau, requiring northbound travelers to change boats to reach mainland roads at Skagway or Haines. The two ferries will travel north from Bellingham and Prince Rupert, respectively.
The Kennicott will operate every other week between Ketchikan and Prince William Sound.
"This would initiate an absolutely regular schedule," said Robin Taylor, the head of the Alaska Marine Highway System and a former state senator from Wrangell.
The changes are effective for the season running from about late September until spring.
The decision will force some state employees to move but put more boats in service at one time, Taylor said.
Petersburg Mayor Ted Smith was pleasantly surprised by the decision.
The fast ferry Chenega, which just this month arrived in Alaska for its first summer in Cordova, Whittier and Valdez, will be assigned to a daily round-trip between Ketchikan and Petersburg.
The fast ferry Fairweather would be redirected to a daily round-trip between Juneau and Petersburg.
Smith said it is good news for his town, though he is not sure that the boats could be filled on a daily basis.
"It will be a real interesting experiment," he said.
Skagway Mayor Bourcy strongly criticized the change.
"The Fairweather makes sense in Lynn Canal in the wintertime," he said. "The Malaspina is big. You are never going to fill it," he said.
The Lynn Canal route from Juneau north shoulders about 30 percent of the system's annual ridership.
Taylor said the reason for the experiment was to help decide whether the state should buy two more fast ferries for use in Southeast Alaska.
"The whole question of high-speed ferries and their economic applications is still to be decided," Taylor said.
The winter trial will allow the state to learn the vessels' economic suitability in the Juneau-Petersburg-Ketchikan corridor, he said.
"That's the $100 million dollar question," Taylor said, referring to the combined cost of two new fast ferries plus shore-side modifications.
"All of our research shows that the biggest movement is between Juneau and Ketchikan," Taylor said.
If the state does buy more fast ferries, the Fairweather likely would be assigned to travel between Juneau and Sitka, Taylor said.
"We have put every scenario onto the wall — at least all we could think of," Taylor said.
Other critics charged the state with dropping a bomb on Southeast Alaska communities without discussions with ferry unions or the public, including the Marine Transportation Advisory Board.
State transportation officials announced the changes to unions and the advisory board less than a week ago, though the topic did not get public airing at the board's Juneau meeting Thursday.
Taylor said some of the elements of the state's decision were based on previous recommendations from the advisory board.
The state announced its decision by appending a press release to the "changes and specials" section of the Alaska Marine Highway System Web site.
"Clearly, this did not get vetted through the normal public process," said Joe Geldhof, an attorney for the Marine Engineers Beneficial Association union.
Geldhof said the state's decision will cause major dislocations of employment for ferry workers.
"It doesn't just impact the people on the ships. It impacts families and communities all over Alaska," he said.
"There are aspects of this that might be good. But the devil is in the details," he said.
Taylor acknowledged that the change will move workers around.
"Some of these decisions are going to be difficult," he said.
Former ferry system chief Bob Doll of Juneau said he is skeptical of the state's decision to turn mainliners from Bellingham and Prince Rupert back south in Juneau.
"Travelers generally don't like disruptions in their journey," he said.
The state could reduce disruption by having a second boat waiting at the dock, he said.
Gov. Frank Murkowski likely will decide whether to purchase additional fast ferries next spring, at the conclusion of the experimental ferry season, Taylor said.
———
Information from: Juneau Empire,
www.juneauempire.com