(JUNEAU, Alaska) – The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities’ proposed Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS) schedule for October 2019 through April 2020 is now available for public review.
On the proposed schedule, Valdez will experience a service gap, meaning no ferries would service Valdez from Oct. 1st through April 30th.
Communities and interested people can review and comment on the proposed schedule through July 26, 2019 and public teleconferences are scheduled for July 29, 2019.
The proposed ferry service is based on funding levels for fiscal year 2020. The operating plan has been designed to stay within available funding levels by maximizing revenue generation while providing best possible service to communities and maintaining regulatory and safety standards for the vessels.
The draft schedule is available online with accompanying documents at www.dot.state.ak.us/amhs/share/schedule/considerations.pdf
Written comments will be accepted on or before July 26, 2019 via email at dot.amhs.comments@alaska.gov and by fax at (907) 228-6873.
A teleconference to hear comments and consider adjustments is scheduled for Monday, July. 29, 2019, at 10:00 AM for Southeast schedules and at 1:30 PM for Southwest and Southcentral schedules. The toll-free number to participate in either teleconference is 1-515-604-9000, access code 279613.
For people wishing to attend in person, the teleconferences will be held in Ketchikan at the Alaska Marine Highway Central Office at 7559 North Tongass Highway.
The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities oversees 239 airports, 10 ferries serving 35 communities, over 5,600 miles of highway and 720 public facilities throughout the state of Alaska. The mission of the department is to “Keep Alaska Moving through service and infrastructure.”
