Assessment of Options to Reshape the Alaska Marine Highway System

Client: Alaska DOT&PF

Location: Statewide, AK

Year: 2020

Role: Project Manager

We created a data-driven model to estimate impacts of 11 options to reshape the Alaska Marine Highway System in this high-profile report for Department of Transportation and Public Facilities. The goal of the project was to assess options that would reduce the operating subsidy of the system while maintaining acceptable levels of service. The analysis included econometric modeling of travel demand in response to changes in prices and to changes in the frequency of port calls. The analysis considered changes in the ownership structure and examined the impacts of changes in daily operating hours as well as the impacts of lower wages. The report was published in January 2020. This work took place in 2019–2020.