Alaska

[kphoger]

The Alaska Marine Highway auto ferry system is starting to roll out wi-fi on its ferries, starting with the M/V Columbia which connects major panhandle communities with Bellingham WA:

https://dot.alaska.gov/comm/pressbox/arch2024/PR24-0042.shtml

The other long-haul ferry out of Bellingham, the M/V Kennicott (the vessel for cross-Gulf of Alaska service from Bellingham to Seward) is out of service for generator upgrades. But it's not among the first two vessels in line for wi-fi service, even though wi-fi would be especially useful for passengers on its multi-day runs.

It was strange, in this day and age, for a lady at our church to be completely unreachable by cell phone while taking a cruise up to Alaska.  She and her husband are rather elderly, so it was a little concerning to him when he couldn't reach her for days on end.

[oscar]

I don't see how additional docks or roads on the west side of the canal would help Juneau.  Are they saying driving to a more southerly dock from Haines would help, because you would only have to take a ferry from that southern point?  Wonder if Haines would just prefer to get on the ferry in Haines just out of convenience (i.e., leaving a car far away, needing a car when you can get to a closer dock more easily...).

The big problem for Juneau is how far the AMH dock is from the city and how inconvenient the ferry schedule can be -- getting in late at night while leaving very early in the morning.  Then again, can't get in the way of the cruise ships, I suppose.

Since the feasibility study and public input hasn't even begun, who knows how Haines residents feel about the idea? My hunch is that the new road and ferry terminal would be most helpful to people (including those in other parts of Alaska, and western Yukon) who want to take their cars to and from Juneau, since ferries are much slower than highways, and the shorter ferry trip would shorten their overall trip time. Haines residents who don't want to (or can't) take their cars to Juneau would continue to catch the ferry in Haines, unless ferry service were discontinued north of the new ferry terminal (the people in Skagway would bitch like crazy about that idea).

Having Juneau's ferry terminal far away from downtown, and long-haul ferries arriving or leaving in the middle of the night (which is a problem also with other ferry ports), still suck, but we don't yet know whether the concept to be studied would make things worse.

[oscar]

It was strange, in this day and age, for a lady at our church to be completely unreachable by cell phone while taking a cruise up to Alaska. She and her husband are rather elderly, so it was a little concerning to him when he couldn't reach her for days on end.

Unless the cruise ships have rolled out cellphone access lately, that's a problem for many places in Alaska. Probably the same for Caribbean cruises.

[Rothman]

It was strange, in this day and age, for a lady at our church to be completely unreachable by cell phone while taking a cruise up to Alaska. She and her husband are rather elderly, so it was a little concerning to him when he couldn't reach her for days on end.

Unless the cruise ships have rolled out cellphone access lately, that's a problem for many places in Alaska. Probably the same for Caribbean cruises.

I thought Skagway had problems with cruise ships coming in with some powerful kind of wifi that affected their own local access.

[oscar]

Latest on improving (or not) ferry service to and from Juneau:

https://dot.alaska.gov/comm/pressbox/arch2025/PR25-0020.shtml

Major points:

-- the proposed new Cascade Point ferry terminal will be about 30 miles north of the existing Auke Bay terminal which now serves Juneau

-- it will be along an existing highway north of Juneau, along the east side of the Lynn Canal

-- the new terminal will not replace the Auke Bay terminal

The public seems to be confused about how the new terminal will change, or improve, ferry service to and from Juneau. Alaska DOT&PF says it will later provide more info, and continue to seek public input.

[Rothman]

30 miles north?!  It improves access to Haines and Skagway, but I fail to see how it improves access to Juneau.  Can't imagine how long you'd have to wait for a taxi or hotel shuttle.

I'm with the confused public on this one.  I also get what they're saying about reduced marine miles, but again, claiming this improves access to Juneau is nuttery.

[oscar]

30 miles north?!  It improves access to Haines and Skagway, but I fail to see how it improves access to Juneau.  Can't imagine how long you'd have to wait for a taxi or hotel shuttle.

Which is not a problem for those who take their cars to or from Juneau, and can use the new ferry terminal to take advantage of any shorter ferry rides to/from Haines or Skagway. Those who can't, can still use the old Auke Bay ferry terminal, if the existing ferry routes continue going there.

I don't know if the mainline ferries to/from Haines and Skagway will bypass the new terminal, or stop at both terminals (which would mean longer ferry trips for those routes). That may be something TBD, after construction of the new terminal is underway. I hope the cross-gulf ferry from Bellingham to Prince William Sound via Juneau would still use the old terminal, without detouring to the new terminal (the entire cross-gulf route takes several days as is).

[Rothman]

People who take cars on the AMH are a small minority.  Hard to believe that helping them will help that much with mobility.

Perhaps they lobbied for it...