Providing Cost-Effective & Reliable Public Transportation

One of Three Priorities for Enhancing Alaska’s Quality of Life and Protecting a Healthy Environment

Alaska Conservation Voters supports increased public transportation in Alaska to decrease the cost of travel, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and cut down congestion.

To begin to bring about the creation of cooperative, multi-modal public transit systems in Alaska, Voters worked to pass transit legislation this year, specifically Senate Bill 152: Regional Transit Authority.

Though the bill did not pass the 26th state Legislature, we continue to support the Regional Transit Authority (RTA) proposal introduced in June 2008 by then Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich and then Mat-Su Borough Mayor Curt Menard.

Currently there are limited public transportation options between the Mat-Su Valley and Anchorage - RTA is the entity to develop an optimal transportation solution for these problems.

For example, there is a waiting list of commuters desiring cheaper travel alternatives to the single occupancy vehicles on the Glenn Highway.

Transit Authority Bill rides into the sunset…to be continued

This Voters priority is still a work in progress. Though the bill stalled in Senate Finance Committee this year, SB 152 received more attention than in 2009.  Notable among its successes this session was the bill’s unanimous approval by the Senate Transportation Committee, strong support by the Alaska Department of Transportation and the signing on of co-sponsors Sen. Johnny Ellis D-Anchorage and Sen. Bettye Davis D-Anchorage.

Sen. Charlie Huggins R-Wasilla introduced SB152 late in the spring of 2009 when it was referred to Senate Transportation then Senate Finance Committees. The bill did not receive a hearing during the 2009 session.
The bill remained in limbo during the interim while the Municipality of Anchorage and the Mat-Su Borough renewed a Memorandum of Understanding to continue working on regional transit.

Unfortunately during the interim, Alaska public transit also lost two champions. The death of Mat-Su Borough Mayor Curt Menard was a hard blow.  And with Mark Begich’s move from Mayor of Anchorage to U.S. Senator, the Mat-Su and Anchorage mayors who began the push for transit cooperation were missing.

Yet the bill still has support from the Municipality and the Borough and the MOU was signed for another year just prior to the session. Work resumed.

The bill received a hearing in the Senate Transportation

Committee on March 18, 2010 following extensive efforts to resolve a variety of technical issues by legislative aide Jody Simpson, who was handling the bill for sponsor Senator Huggins.  Committee Chair Albert Kookesh, D-Angoon, and  members Sen. Linda Menard R-Wasilla, Sen. Joe Paskvan D-Fairbanks and Sen. Davis were supportive of the bill, but had questions about how it would work with the current Metropolitan Planning Organizations (through which most of Anchorage’s federal transportation dollars are channeled) and wanted more input from Department of Transportation and Public Facilities.

A second committee hearing for the bill was held on April 5. Jeff Ottesen, Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities, went on record saying Regional Transit Authorities would be important vehicles for planning regional transportation and capturing new federal dollars for projects. Additionally, the Alaska Railroad, which could serve an important stakeholder by operating commuter rail service between the Mat-Su Valley and Anchorage, was supportive of the RTA discussions and SB152. The bill then moved out of committee with strong support from all members. Voters would like to thank Senator Huggins and Jody Simpson for all of their efforts on this bill.  We look forward to renewing our work with them on this and other bills.

Bill Sponsor:

• The Honorable Charlie Huggins, Senator for District H - Wasilla
• Jody Simpson, Legislative Aide to Sen. Charlie Huggins

Senate Transportation Committee:

• Committee Chair: The Honorable Albert Kookesh, Senator for District C- Angoon
• Vice Chairman: the Honorable Linda Menard, Senator for District G - Matanuska-Susitna
• The Honorable Bettye Davis, Senator for District K - Anchorage
• The Honorable Kevin Meyer, Senator for District O - Anchorage
• The Honorable Joe Paskvan, Senator for District E -Fairbanks

For More Information:
Visit our member organization, Alaska Transportation Priorities Project.

Take a look at the Regional Transit Authority bill language: Senate Bill 152

Media Contact
Caitlin Higgins, Alaska Conservation Voters, (907) 258-6175, caitlin@akvoice.org