The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (ADOT&PF) announced travel fares on the Alaska Marine Highway System will increase 4.5 percent starting May 1.
The new fare structure went into effect with the new year, but will not affect reservations already made in advance.
Some fares will not be affected by the new structure. The ADOT&PF release said fares that are “disproportionately higher” than the majority of AMHS fares will remain unchanged.
The department reports the fare increase will help cover operating costs and meet revenue targets for AMHS. Revenues currently cover less than one third of the ferry system’s operating budget, down from 2005, when they accounted for nearly half.
The increase – the first since 2007 – is expected to generate an additional $1.8 million in revenue. In 2013, approximately $119 million from Alaska’s General Fund were required to cover additional operating costs of the ferry service.
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