The Alaska Marine Highway System is not changing its rules for children traveling solo anytime soon.
About a year ago, officials announced plans to require most children and teenagers to be accompanied by an adult. They said it was unsafe for those under 18 to be on their own on a moving ship.
Ferry users disagreed and protested the decision. They said the new policy would keep young Alaskans from visiting relatives or attending out-of-town activities.
The system put the rules on hold, but planned to revisit them after the 2014 holiday season.
Marine highway spokesman Jeremy Woodrow says that hasn’t happened.
“We basically pulled back the new policy and we’re still operating under the existing policy. There hasn’t been a revision or a review of that policy recently,” he said.
Current rules place no restrictions on 16- and 17-year-olds. Solo ferry travelers 12 to 15 need a note from a parent or guardian. Kids under 12 must travel with an adult, but it can be anyone.
The proposed policy would require those under 18 to travel with a parent, legal guardian or have notarized authorization one or the other.
It would not have applied to minors traveling with a chaperone to sports or other school events.
Woodrow says the ferry system has been more focused on adapting to budget cutsthan changing such policies.
“It’s still something that the state has looked at as a liability. That hasn’t changed. But, as far as priorities, getting the budget right, making sure we’re providing basic service to coastal Alaskans and all Alaskans, is a higher priority at this time,” he says.
Along with safety concerns, officials said the existing rules make it harder to identify runaways.
Ed Schoenfeld is Regional News Director for CoastAlaska, a consortium of public radio stations in Ketchikan, Juneau, Sitka, Petersburg and Wrangell.
He primarily covers Southeast Alaska regional topics, including the state ferry system, transboundary mining, the Tongass National Forest and Native corporations and issues.
He has also worked as a manager, editor and reporter for the Juneau Empire newspaper and Juneau public radio station KTOO. He’s also reported for commercial station KINY in Juneau and public stations KPFA in Berkley, WYSO in Yellow Springs, Ohio, and WUHY in Philadelphia. He’s lived in Alaska since 1979 and is a contributor to Alaska Public Radio Network newscasts, the Northwest (Public Radio) News Network and National Native News. He is a board member of the Alaska Press Club. Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, he lives in Douglas.
