Opening Up the World: Improvements ahead for the Alaska Marine Highway System.

• Author: Orr, Vanessa

A new skipper is at the helm of the state ferry fleet. After twenty years as general manager of the Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS), Captain John Falvey retired in January. Falvey weathered budget constraints, equipment failures, and new vessels that failed to live up to their promises. His successor in the renamed position of Marine Director, Chris Tornga, must chart a course for the fleet's nine ferries as construction begins on a new class of ship.

Since AMHS started providing essential transportation to Alaska's coastal communities in 1963, it has been a critical part of the state's infrastructure. AMHS connects thirty-five communities--most of which are not on the road system--and provides a means for coastal Alaskans to receive shipments of groceries and other goods. It also provides the opportunity for school children to travel for sports tournaments and social events, and it allows those needing healthcare to travel to urban centers.

In 2023, the Alaska Marine Highway System is undergoing changes to help serve coastal communities more efficiently. In January, the Federal Transit Administration awarded more than $285 million to improve the reliability and service of Alaska's ferry system. The funds will be used to replace aging vessels, modernize four vessels, procure an electric ferry, design a new mainliner vessel, upgrade ferry dock infrastructure, and generate sustainable operations that could include the construction of a new ferry terminal in Juneau. This funding was made possible by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

"The Marine Highway is a uniquely Alaskan transportation network that supports the economies of coastal Alaska and connects our communities to other coastal communities and to our greater highway network," says Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF) Deputy Commissioner Katherine Keith.

Unfortunately, she adds, reinvestment has not kept up with the system's needs. "Aging vessels and older docks are contributing to expensive repairs, unreliable schedules, and a general decline in service, and reinvestment is critical to the long-term strength of the system and economy of coastal Alaska as a whole," Keith says. "We are at a unique time in our state's history in which we have strong support from the governor, legislature, and congressional delegation, as well as funding opportunities to help us revitalize the system and reconnect with the communities we serve."

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