The state ferry Lituya will soon begin 7-day-a-week ferry service between Ketchikan and Annette Bay. It has been available just five days a week. The Alaska Marine Highway vessel serves as one of the primary means of transportation between the two islands.
Albert Smith is the mayor of the Metlakatla Indian Community on Annette Island, the only reservation in Alaska. He said the expanded ferry schedule will not only improve travel reliability for healthcare access and school trips, but also for work opportunities in Metlakatla.
“They could catch the ferry in the morning coming from Ketchikan, and go home at the end of the day,” Smith said. “It’s a commute for them, but a reliable one. They could come over, it could help us get our projects done a lot faster.”
According to the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, the new ferry schedule could also increase tourism and small business activity on Annette Island.
Smith said Metlakatla’s tribal government has worked with the state for decades to bring increased ferry service to their community.
“I’m very, very proud of all the hard work that’s gone into it by so many, including previous administrations and councils,” Smith said. “And our current administration and council’s got a lot of hours of work into this.”
DOT says the Lituya’s seven day a week ferry service will begin at the end of March or early April. The Inter-Island Ferry Authority also provides transportation service between the two communities when the Lituya is up for repairs.
A previous version of this article implied that the Inter-Island Ferry Authority provides regular service between Ketchikan and Annette Island and inaccurately referred to DOT as the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Safety.
Hunter Morrison is a Report for America corps member for KRBD. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep him writing stories like this one. Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution.
