Two-Thirds of State Ferry Riders are Alaska Residents

Some new data shows that nearly two-thirds of those who use the Alaska Marine Highway System are state residents. The state operates 11 ferries that serve coastal areas from Bellingham, Washington all the way out to the Aleutian Islands. Some new analysis shows that two-thirds of ferry users are Alaska residents. A closer look at the data shows that 15-percent of all passengers who use the southwest ferry routes are from Kodiak and just over 17-percent are from Homer. Just 1.1-percent are from Unalaska and 0.7-percent are from King Cove. Juneau is the destination for over 29-percent of those who use the southeast routes and 13.4-percent are from Ketchikan. The ferry system has over 720 full-time positions and over 120-part time positions. The new data about Alaska’s Marine Highway System can be found in the September edition of Alaska Economic Trends. It’s a monthly publication from the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development.