The latest version of the state’s capital budget reappropriates approximately $37 million from designated Juneau Access funds for use as federal match for transportation projects all over Alaska. And just two months ago, one of the most articulate advocates for Juneau Access, Wallace K. “Sandy” Williams, passed away.
First, some history and perspective: In 2024, the Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS) carried 185,000 passengers and 65,000 vehicles — down from a peak of nearly 400,000 passengers and 110,000 vehicles during the early 1990s. The population of Southeast Alaska is in serious decline. AMHS ridership has mirrored the region’s demographic slide.
In recognition of the need for a sustainable transportation model in Southeast, during the (2002-2006) Murkowski administration, some $60 million was appropriated for Juneau Access — the construction of an east side Lynn Canal Highway connecting Juneau to the Alaska highway system.
For over 20 years, local road advocacy groups – beginning with Alaskans for Better Access in 1997, followed by Citizens Pro Road met regularly to promote Juneau Access. Often in attendance were three highly respected engineers who had served in leadership positions with the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT) – Bob Martin, Jon Scribner and Sandy Williams. We called them our “Road Scholars.”
These men loved Alaska and especially loved Juneau. All were men of competence and integrity, dedicated subject-matter experts in their chosen field of engineering. A commonality they shared was their devotion to the cause of Juneau Access. They supported the project from both a professional and community perspective.
In a 2002 Juneau Empire “My Turn,” Bob Martin articulated his enthusiasm for Juneau Access by characterizing it as fundamentally a freedom issue. Bob’s ending quote arguing in favor of the road was, “Let my people go!”
Jon Scribner was never more animated than when talking with former Juneau Mayor Jamie Parsons about the need for Juneau Access. He could not understand why some people failed to appreciate the benefits a road would bring to Southeast.
Sandy Williams was our Road Scholar historian who arrived in Juneau at statehood in 1959 and worked to plan, design and construct our new state’s transportation system. When Sandy testified before the Legislature, he enlightened lawmakers about the early days of the AMHS, noting that it was never meant to provide a permanent solution to transportation in Southeast Alaska. In fact, the AMHS was conceived as an interim service to coastal communities. Roads were always envisioned as the state developed its infrastructure.
Our data-driven Road Scholars knew that to sustain and ultimately save the AMHS, and the island communities that depend on it, ferry links had to be shortened, and roads built wherever possible. Only by truncating the northern terminus of the system by 100 miles and eliminating the need for two mainline ferries in Lynn Canal could hundreds of millions of dollars in capital and operating outlays be saved — and Southeast would have an integrated, efficient and reliable transportation network that both the state and users could afford.
The benefit to the environment has always been that automobiles (like Juneau’s 1,000 electric vehicles) driving a highway burn exponentially less fossil fuel than a ferry does to carry those vehicles the same distance.
When Gov. Bill Walker and his handlers sank Juneau Access in 2017, they lit a match to $30 million worth of professional engineering, economic and environmental studies that validated the wisdom of the 51-mile road project* and effectively scuttled the AMHS.
Unspent Juneau Access funds, however, remained in place and many held out hope that the project would eventually be revived. Apparently, that is not to be.
Considering the state’s precarious financial position, I can’t blame the Legislature for re-appropriating these funds. In the end, the loss is due to the total lack of vision and leadership of so-called “public servants” who caved to political manipulation instead of building Southeast for the future.
It won’t happen in my lifetime, but hopefully, a new generation of leadership will someday usher in a new era of sensible and sustainable travel in Southeast – by shortening ferry runs and building roads wherever feasible.
Until then, we’re just re-arranging deck chairs on the Titanic.
*To learn about Juneau Access, visit: https://ftfakfoundation.org/area-of-focus/juneau-access.
• Paulette Simpson is a longtime Juneau resident.
