(SitNews) Juneau, Alaska - After months of information gathering and deliberations, the Alaska Marine Highway (AMH) Reshaping Work Group, formed following Governor Dunleavy’s Administrative Order No. 313, has released a final report of findings and recommendations regarding the future financing, governance, and service levels of the AMHS.

“I thank the members of the AMHS work group for their dedication and commitment to the future of the Alaska Marine Highway System,” said Governor Michael Dunleavy. “I am confident that this report will assist in forging a more reliable and efficient marine highway system to serve coastal Alaska for years to come.” The report was made available to the governor on October 2nd and released to the public on October 22nd

Going forward, as the budgeting process unfolds in the coming months, DOT&PF will be vetting the recommendations and developing a plan that integrates with the Governor’s proposed budget, to be released in mid-December 2020. A DOT&PF presentation outlining the proposed implementation of that plan will be shared with the legislature and the public after the 32nd legislature convenes.

“The AMHS needs to provide Alaska coastal communities with reliable ferry service, while achieving efficiencies that help sustain the system for the long-term,” stated Admiral Tom Barrett, chair of the Work Group.

Barrett said, “The reshaping work group has offered recommendations we believe can advance both of these goals and improve the system for the benefit of all Alaskans.”

The Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS) has exited to provide ferry transportation to certain Alaska coastal communities and the ferry system has provided access to other communities, to larger road systems, including the interstate highway system. The AMHS has benefited the economic, physical, social, and cultural quality of peoples’ lives along with the overall quality of life in the communities served.

Over the years previous reports have suggested many system improvements. Virtually none have been implemented. And some problems that plague the system today are not new, they evolved over time and could have been avoided or mitigated if lessons from the past were learned and applied.

For a variety of reasons, today the system operates an aging ferry fleet that is costly to maintain and operate, poorly matched to ferry route needs, with limited flexibility to adjust to changing circumstances. Equipment breakdowns, costly labor agreements, cumbersome procurement processes, and the recent strike, all highlight underlying systemic issues that pose sustainability risks to the system.

Areas addressed by the report's recommendations are (The report provides indepth information on each of the topics listed below - For detailed information download the full report):

    • Strengthening AMHS Governance
    • Strengthening Governance Support
    • Improving System Reliability
    • Stabilizing Budget Planning
    • Reducing System Costs
    • Renegotiation of Marine Union Labor Agreements
    • Increasing System Revenue
    • Leveraging Road Infrastructure

AMHS is an extension of the national highway system, linking coastal Alaska communities. Quoting a news release, due to shortfalls in oil revenues in recent years, programs such as the Alaska Marine Highway System, which rely on an annual state subsidy, necessitate cost containments and efficiencies. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted ridership and reduced revenues in 2020 according to the news release.

The members of the Working Group included:

    • Admiral Tom Barrett (Public - Chair)
    • John Torgerson (Public)
    • Wanetta Ayers (Public)
    • Lee Ryan (Aviation)
    • Robert Venables (Marine Transportation Advisory Board - MTAB)
    • Tony Johansen (Roads & Highways)
    • Ben Goldrich (Labor)
    • Senator Bert Stedman
    • Representative Louise Stutes

On the Web:

Click here to download the final report and all associated documents (PDF) - Released to the public October 22, 2020 (Final Report Dated October 02, 2020)

Click here to download public input, comments (PDF)

Source of News:

Alaska Dept of Transportation - Office of the Commissioner
www.dot.alaska.gov

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