I have enjoyed traveling on the Alaska State Ferries over the years and hope we can continue them in an efficient and reliable manner. The proposal to build a new ferry terminal at Cascade Point in Berner’s Bay, north of Juneau, is not that.
Millions of dollars are being proposed to build this new ferry terminal which is only 28 miles north of the existing Juneau terminal at Auke Bay. Rationale is that Cascade Point will improve Juneau access and improve efficiency of the Juneau to Haines and Haines to Juneau route.
The vessel Hubbard would do the route leaving from Cascade Point Terminal and returning there rather than using the Auke Bay Terminal. I presume the larger vessels arriving from south to Juneau will continue to stop at the Auke Bay terminal to unload Haines and Skagway traffic which would then make their way to Cascade Point to continue their trip.
Southbound traffic from Haines and Skagway, I presume, would unload at Cascade Point and make their way to Juneau or Auke Bay terminal if they are going further south. Doesn’t sound very efficient to me!
During the winter this could be a terrible drive. William Tonsgard Jr. described the Berner’s Bay winter weather in a recent editorial in the Juneau Empire November 12, 2025. His experiences working there during the winter were brutal. Auke Bay winter conditions are a pussy cat compared to Berners Bay.
Placing a new ferry terminal at Cascade Point would require establishing electrical power, water and sewer in addition to constructing a terminal building, dock, break water, road building and dredging. The costs for all this does not justify a terminal at Cascade Point.
Dollars would be better spent on the vessels and crew which in turn would create a more reliable and efficient Alaska Marine Highway and improve Juneau access.
