HB26 requires the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF) to develop and maintain a statewide public and community transit plan. The bill updates DOT&PF's duties to include comprehensive planning for public-transportation systems across Alaska, covering buses, community transit services, and ferry operators. It emphasizes improved access, coordination, and inclusion of needs for people with disabilities and rural communities.
The Alaska State House of Representatives passed HB26 on May 2, 2025 by a vote of 22 to 17. We have assigned pluses to the nays because this bill expands the role of government in transportation by requiring the state to develop and maintain a comprehensive statewide transit plan. Transportation should be left to the free market, not placed under broader government planning and coordination. Such policies grow government beyond its proper, limited role.
