Letter: Cascade Point terminal benefits builders and miners, not travelers

I have lived in Haines for the last 30 years, year-round. As a senior citizen I oppose the Cascade Point Ferry Terminal because it establishes a barrier, rather than an improvement, in our ability to travel from Haines (or Skagway) to Juneau.

This is important because Haines has a large proportion of senior citizens who need to route to or through Juneau in order to access medical facilities capable of providing surgical or other special needs. In the winter we often cannot fly to Juneau because of weather, so we’re dependent upon the ferry system more than most other communities. There is, of course, no road.

By establishing a terminal 26 miles outside of Juneau, the state will be delaying and complicating our means of direct access to hotels in Juneau which now provide free shuttle service from the current terminal. In addition, it delays our access to the Juneau airport when we need to proceed onward to facilities in Anchorage, Seattle, or even Sitka. 

These barriers are particularly damaging for those of us who are walk-ons or who cannot drive or who have no place to park, except at great expense, at the airport.

It appears that the only people who will benefit from this project are those who contract to build it or those who need access to mining projects between Juneau and Haines. It forces us to risk or shorten our lives for the benefit of corporate profits.

Donald Poling

Haines