Should there be a permitting and emissions inspection process for commercial buses in Sitka? That’s a question the Sitka assembly will take up tonight when it considers an ordinance that would establish an emissions standard for commercial buses in Sitka and issue a limited number of permits for buses that pass inspection.
Sitka’s cruise industry is growing, but most cruise ships dock around six miles away from downtown, and the passengers are bussed into town. With the number of passengers more than double pre-pandemic levels, concerns about traffic congestion and pollution have ranked high among Sitkans calling for a cap on cruise traffic.
Assembly members Thor Christianson and Tim Pike co-sponsored the ordinance, which seeks to address concerns about increased bus traffic. It would cap the number of bus permits at 10, and in order to secure a permit the bus would need to pass an inspection and meet the EPA emissions standard for the year the bus was manufactured. Permits would not be required for electric buses, school buses or public transit buses like The Ride, or any bus that holds fewer than 40 passengers.
In other business, the assembly will consider, on final reading, whether to amend Sitka’s all-purpose vehicle rules, removing quiet hours and allowing two-seater ATVs to drive on local roads. And it will consider a resolution in support of the state Department of Transportation’s plan to seek funding to repair the airport runway seawall.
The Sitka Assembly meets at 6 p.m. tonight. Raven News will broadcast the meeting live, following Alaska News Nightly.
