This is an open letter to Gov. Dunleavy and his staff.
A new budget year is coming soon. I hope that you remember me and my costly experience this past summer with the Columbia, and its emergent repairs that canceled one of my ferry trips in June. I had to put my car on a barge and fly from Juneau to Ketchikan to complete my Alaska trip. It was very expensive.
I have not forgotten that the AMHS and the people of Alaska deserve consistent reliable service up and down the Inside Passage including Juneau to Yakutat to Whittier.
It is not feasible for everyone to just fly from one location to another when cars and trucks need to go too — they cannot fly on Alaska Airlines.
More money and new ships are needed to provide proper service to all Alaska residents as well as tourists on the AMHS. There should be two mainline ferries available at all times. Once a week is hardly enough service. Especially in summer.
In case you haven’t picked up on this, I have a very low tolerance for governmental inefficiency when the effects are so detrimental to the public as is the case with insufficient funding for the Alaska Marine Highway System.
I will be returning to Alaska this spring to continue visiting your beautiful state.
I hope I am not again inconvenienced if and when I may decide to use the ferry in 2024.
Regina Discenza
Forked River, NJ