The ordinance to lease the road to iRide Alaska failed on Monday, but the Assembly will vote on the lease again at its next meeting on May 8 after one member gave notice for reconsideration.
Tourism
Advocates make an economic case for improving Alaska’s outdoor trails
Funding decisions should consider trails’ role in an outdoor recreation sector that is a bright spot in the state’s troubled economy, they say.
Arrival of large cruise ships to Prince of Wales Island pushed back to 2024
Mayor Nick Nickerson says the port just isn’t ready yet.
Juneau expects to see more cruise passengers than ever this year
Juneau’s 2023 cruise season will kick off when the Norwegian Bliss arrives on Monday. This will be the first full-scale cruise season since the pandemic began.
Large rock throws wrench into Skagway’s cruise ship schedule
Skagway is hiring people spend the summer living in wall tents, watching for rockslides eight to ten hours a day.
Conservation groups sue EPA seeking rules for discharges from cruise ships and other vessels
The conservation groups say invasive species alone cause more than $9 billion in damage each year to public water supplies, industry and power plants.
Juneau’s Basin Road trestle will close, even for pedestrians, in May for repairs
The trestle is a key access point for the popular Perseverance Trail system. It’s been open to pedestrians since the slide, but that will change when construction begins.
Seattle journalist describes impacts of Alaska’s ‘cruise ship invasion’
Freelance journalist Andrew Engelson looked at the impact the cruise industry has on the environment and quality of life in Southeast Alaska. Engelson talked with KTOO’s Anna Canny about his findings.
Record number of cruise passengers expected in Skagway this year
Increased docking capacity at the port and a longer season should push Skagway’s visitor numbers past the 2019 record.
Traveling overseas this summer? There’s huge demand for passports, so get yours ASAP
The State Department is fielding half a million passport applications a week — 30-40% more than last year.