Reopen the Girdwood Hand Tram. It is not broken. There is nothing wrong with it. We love it. Thousands of people use it safely every year. The plan to spend an insane +$700,000 to destroy the hand tram and build a bridge is an absolute disgrace. There are many trails with bridges, there is only one hand tram.

There is no legitimate reason to destroy the hand tram. Over the years many tens of thousands of people have used it safely without issue. No one is required to touch it if they do not feel safe or competent to operate it, it is their choice to use it. There is no "liability issue," no one has sued and there are no grounds to sue if they get hurt while misusing the tram. Alaska is wild, independent, and free. That is what we like about Alaska, that is why we choose to live here. That is why people pay to visit us here. Even if it were magically possible to eliminate all risks and bubble wrap every single aspect of our lives, we would not want that.

In Anchorage every year people are injured, killed, or have personal property damaged by bears. Will the Muni kill the bears? No they will not.

In Anchorage every year people are injured and killed driving the Seward Highway on busy holidays. Should the government close the highway on busy days? No, that would be stupid.

Life has risks. We are adults. We have personal responsibility to understand and manage our own risks, with our own choices. The hand tram is completely safe and just because two people injured themselves on it does not mean we are all poor helpless creatures that need the ham fist of government to save us from ourselves. 

Reopen the Girdwood Hand Tram. Do not waste our tax money destroying something that is not broken.