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For the first time, money from ticket sales and revenue coming in from passengers using the Alaska Marine Highway System, known as toll credits, will fund ferry and marine highway projects across the state. That’s in part due to recent eligibility changes within a Federal Highway Administration program. Last week on April 4, the Alaska … -
Governor Walker and Heidi Drygas visit crab fest. Photo courtesy of the Walker-Drygas campaign. Listen to this story; Editor’s Note: KMXT will interview gubernatorial candidates when they campaign in Kodiak. You can find more information about the August special election, primaries and candidates for all races here. Election season is underway for Alaska’s race for …
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Two of three of Governor Mike Dunleavy’s appointments to a new ferry oversight board are from Kodiak Island. Gov. Dunleavy’s office announced Friday that former Kodiak lawmaker Alan Austerman and Old Harbor village corporation executive Cynthia Berns would have seats on the Alaska Marine Highway Operations Board created this year by the legislature. Austerman is … -
Sen. Gary Stevens. The Republican lawmaker has represented Kodiak since 2003. A state budget will likely be passed at the end of this month’s special legislative session, but the PFD question may not be answered by then. That’s according to Kodiak Senator Gary Stevens, who sat down with Jared Griffin at KMXT to talk about … -
May 19, 2021 by Jacob Resneck, CoastAlaska Alaska lawmakers passed a bill to Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy on Wednesday that boosters say would ensure better long-term planning for the state-run ferry system. The Alaska Marine Highway System has been struggling with deep spending cuts, an aging fleet and declining ridership as it runs fewer ships to coastal communities. But it’s … -
by Jacob Resneck, CoastAlaska A ferry reform bill passed the Alaska House of Representatives 37-0 on Wednesday, with no objections from the floor. But Gov. Mike Dunleavy believes the bill violates the separation of powers clause in the Alaska Constitution. House Bill 63 would create an Alaska Marine Highway Operations Board, which would craft short- and … -
March 11, 2021 by Jacob Resneck, CoastAlaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy has proposed a new bill to boost independent oversight and planning for the Alaska Marine Highway System. In a statement Wednesday, the governor said the legislation would improve the reliability and efficiency of the fleet. “As we continue efforts to restructure and modernize the Alaska Marine Highway System, it is imperative … -
February 10, 2021 by Jacob Resneck, CoastAlaska The ferry LeConte docks at Juneau’s Auke Bay terminal. (Photo by Ed Schoenfeld/CoastAlaska News) An Alaska ferry in Juneau was evacuated early Wednesday after a man drove aboard the vessel claiming he had a bomb. The LeConte was loading around 6:30 a.m. at the Auke Bay terminal for a round-trip … -
The M/V Tustumena pulls away from Kodiak in January, beginning a ferry service gap of more than three months. (Photo by Kavitha George/KMXT) The public comment period for the summer ferry schedule is now open. According to the Alaska Marine Highway System’s proposed operating plan for this summer, which covers May through September, the Tustumena … -
A long-awaited report on revamping the state ferry system has been finally made public. It comes from the Alaska Marine Highway Ferry Reshaping Working Group, which sent it to the governor three weeks ago. The Ferry Reshaping Working Group recommends major changes for the Alaska Marine Highway The group has been meeting since February, and … -
Stormy weather in the Gulf of Alaska cancelled the Tustumena’s departure from Homer on Sunday night. In an online notice, the Alaska Marine Highway System said all ports of call scheduled for Monday, Sept. 7 are cancelled due to weather. Had the Tustumena departed Homer as scheduled at 8:45 Sunday night, it would have arrived … -
It’ll be a tough winter for a lot of coastal communities that depend on state ferry service. “It’s greatly reduced,” said Amanda Becker, the ferry terminal manager in Kodiak. “There’s no two ways about it.” That’s how Becker sums up the new winter schedule, which was finalized after a brief five-day public comment period. Although …
