Charting the Course Toward Thriving Communities:
Reimagining AMHS
Public Comment Form:
Submit a CommentLike many agencies in Alaska and the nation, DOT&PF is facing unprecedented challenges such as workforce shortages, aging fleet, and supply chain issues. DOT&PF has been working to adapt to these dynamic challenges and continues to work toward reliable and predictable service.
In October 2022, DOT&PF launched the Charting the Course | Reimagining AMHS Program to guide the system towards a thriving and healthy transportation system. The program's primary focus has been on stabilizing the system while providing transparency through monitoring and reporting of critical system elements—our crew, our vessels, and the financial resources to support service.
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
Building Trust One Trip at a Time.
The Reimagining AMHS program is a phased effort to improve service over time, focusing first on increasing the reliability of existing services and then moving to add additional services as critical system elements are available. The program aims to meet service level targets over time, as established by the legislature and Governor. These targets are based on crewing availability, fleet capacity, and budget constraints. Throughout the program we will continue to develop, monitor, and report on system health and progression. Three logical service phases have been identified as a part of the program: Stabilization, Recovery, and Full Steam Ahead.
What are the Phases of Service?
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Stabilization: In this phase, important metrics that impact the level of service have been identified, and an initial system health check was performed by gathering a baseline for these metrics. Using this baseline, system health is continually monitored to inform operating decisions. This phase will include weekly/frequent updates to the public updating them on these important metrics.
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Recovery: In the recovery phase, system improvements begin to take hold which has a positive impact on system health and service levels. Public updates will develop into a regular pattern, but less frequent than in the Stabilization phase.
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Full Steam Ahead: By this phase, services will be restored to their budgeted levels, and the system can move towards growth. Updates to the public will be provided as needed to communicate ongoing progress.
What will be Tracked and Reported?
In each phase, DOT&PF will closely monitor system health metrics in the three critical system elements of crew, vessel, and budget. Combined these metrics provide a system health check, and as service levels are improved, system health checks will continue on a regular basis to ensure that incremental improvements in the level of service do not negatively impact the reliability of the system as a whole.
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Crew: Employee morale, the happiness and well-being of our crews and shoreside staff, is an important indicator of our ability to retain our people and the overall health of our system. The availability of crew positions and relief pool points to our ability to meet the planned schedule, as well as any increase in service level.
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Budget: The deployment of financial resources for service and maintenance should align with projections of state appropriation levels.
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Fleet: Needed maintenance, overhauls, and capital projects are balanced with operating needs for safe and reliable vessels.
DOT&PF has been reporting on these critical system elements to the public on a regular basis. The status of these critical system elements is shown in the graphic below. Currently, though the budget is available, our system is behind in vessel maintenance, with an aging fleet. Most critically, the system is suffering severe staffing shortages, and those crew that is available are overworked, often needing to forgo vacation days in order to keep ships sailing.
Supporting our communities is critical to AMHS. As a result, mitigating measures will be implemented to help support our communities until the system reaches Full Steam Ahead status. These mitigating measures will fall into three main categories: Fares, Communications, Policies.
We are excited to embark on this new journey with you and look forward to building trust. We will be reaching out again soon with more information as the Program progresses.
SERVICE AREA COMMUNITIES
AC - Aleutian Chain
Chignik, Sand Point, Cold Bay, False Pass, Akutan, Dutch Harbor
KI - Kodiak Island
Cordova, Seldovia, Homer, Ouzinkie, Kodiak, Port Lions
PWS - Prince William Sound
Whittier, Cordova, Valdez, Chenega Bay, Tatitlek
CG - Cross Gulf
Yakutat
NLC - North Lynn Canal
Skagway, Haines, Juneau
NIP - Northern Inside Passage
Juneau, Gustavus, Hoonah, Tenakee Springs, Angoon
SIP - Southern Inside Passage
Ketchikan, Wrangell, Petersburg, Angoon, Juneau, Pelican, Sitka, Kake
MET - Metlakatla
Ketchikan, Metlakatla
YPR - Prince Rupert
Ketchikan, Prince Rupert
BEL - Bellingham
Ketchikan, Bellingham
Having trouble identifying which playbook to reference? Please refer to the system key below.
CREW
Our dedicated, flexible, and hard-working personnel are the reason we have been able to maintain the service that we do. A tightening labor market and accelerated attrition after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic have compounded longstanding challenges with hiring and retaining our people. We want to reverse these trends.
We will continue to benchmark current crewing levels against target thresholds and the minimum level required to operate each vessel in our fleet.
Overall Health Check
This gauge will be updated to show our overall health assessment of crewing levels relative to target levels.
Staffing Levels
The graphic below compares crewing requirements for each vessel to target levels and minimum levels required for safe operation of the vessel. The graphic depicts an overall shortage across the system, with the LeConte and Matanuska at risk of layup due to shortages. Note that even when in layup, crew are still needed onboard a vessel to perform maintenance work and routine upkeep.
Relief Pool
Our current system is experiencing an overall shortage across the system with no relief for deck and engine personnel. As we reimagine our system, a 20% relief level will be targeted in order to adequately staff out system's vessels. Minimum crewing levels do not account for overtime worked.
FLEET
This key system health element is intended to measure the "State of Good Repair" of the fleet. The short-term operating needs of the system must be balanced against necessary maintenance and overhaul projects to ensure vessel availability over time. Both vessel utilization and "State of Good Repair" are considered in the overall health check. Currently, the fleet is aging and behind in vessel maintenance. This is a liability to the ability of the system to provide an adequate level of service. Five out of the nine vessels in the fleet are at least 45 years of age, and the fleet size has decreased in recent years as vessels have been sold or otherwise decommissioned.
The varied operating environments across the different service areas in the system mean that vessels are not easily transferrable to alternative routes of service. This means a single vessel being out of service increases the risk that the system will not be able to provide service to a community if a vessel goes out of service. This reinforces the importance of maintaining a "State of Good Repair."
Overall Health Check
This gauge will be updated to show our overall health assessment of the fleet.
Modernization of Fleet
As a vessel ages, the time required for maintenance and the likelihood of unexpected maintenance needs increases. These factors lead to disrupted service. See the graphic below to see the lifespans of our AMHS vessels.
Maintenance Profile
Fleet Condition surveys are performed annually with recommended maintenance listed by priority. Priority 1 items are those deemed most critical to vessel health and Priority 2 items less critical. Tracking maintenance priority levels provides insight into the condition of each vessel and captures trends of overall fleet maintenance.
SMR BACKLOG
The number of Maintenance Requests (SMRs) will be tracked to capture trends in the maintenance request backlog. These trends will indicate system responsiveness to maintenance requests from crew. Priority 1 items are those deemed most critical to vessel health and Priority 2 items less critical.
BUDGET
AMHS's operating budget is based on legislatively approved service levels. In recent years, the system has seen reduced revenue due to loss of ridership and other services. Simultaneously, contracted crew levels and vessel availability have made it challenging for AMHS to scale up service levels to appropriate levels. Because of this, current funding levels are sufficient to support current service levels and the 2022-2023 Operating Plan. As service levels are improved, this system's health element will be monitored.
We will identify metrics that help us measure whether funding levels are adequate to support current and targeted service levels. We will evaluate whether the budget is sufficiently allocated to key operational areas, such as service and maintenance.
OVERALL HEALTH CHECK
This gauge will be updated to show our overall health assessment of budget and funding levels.
ALLOCATED FUNDING
It is important that allocated funding levels are sufficient to support the winter schedule and operating goals of AMHS. Funding levels will be assessed to determine if additional service can be provided. As the Reimagining AMHS plan progresses, funding levels will be compared to actual spending levels for Crew and Fleet.