Providing Cost-Effective & Reliable Public Transportation
Senate Bill 152
One of Three Priorities for Enhancing Alaska’s Quality of Life and Protecting a Healthy Environment
ACA supports increased state funding for public transportation in Alaska to decrease the cost of travel, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and cut down congestion.
We will be working hard to support the Regional Transit Authority (RTA) proposal hatched 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 700 commuters desiring cheaper travel alternatives to the single occupancy vehicles on the Glenn Highway.
Transit Authority Bill rides into the sunset…to be continued 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. 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:Senate Bill 152
The
third ACA priority is still a work in progress. Senate Bill 152, an act
related to Regional Transit Authorities, 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.
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.
Senate Transportation Committee:
For More Information:
Read our Public Transportation Fact Sheet and the official language of Senate Bill 152. Or visit our member organization, Alaska Transportation Priorities Project.
