Legislature(2013 - 2014)BARNES 124
02/04/2014 01:00 PM House TRANSPORTATION
| Audio | Topic |
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| Start | |
| Presentation: Amhs, Dayboat/alaska Class Ferry Design & Tustumena Replacement Ferry Design Updates by Rueben Yost~ Deputy Commissioner & Capt. John Falvey~ General Manager~ Alaska Marine Highway System~ Department of Transportation & Public Facilities | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE TRANSPORTATION STANDING COMMITTEE
February 4, 2014
1:00 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Peggy Wilson, Chair
Representative Eric Feige
Representative Lynn Gattis
Representative Bob Lynn
Representative Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative Doug Isaacson, Vice Chair
Representative Craig Johnson
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
PRESENTATION: AMHS~ DAYBOAT/ALASKA CLASS FERRY DESIGN &
TUSTUMENA REPLACEMENT FERRY DESIGN UPDATES BY RUEBEN YOST~
DEPUTY COMMISSIONER & CAPT. JOHN FALVEY~ GENERAL MANAGER~ ALASKA
MARINE HIGHWAY SYSTEM~ DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION & PUBLIC
FACILITIES
- HEARD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
No previous action to record
WITNESS REGISTER
RUEBEN YOST, Deputy Commissioner
Department of Transportation & Public Facilities (DOT&PF)
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented a PowerPoint on the AMHS
overview, Dayboat/ACF, and Tustumena Replacement Ferry Design
updates.
CAPT. JOHN FALVEY, General Manager
Ketchikan Office
Marine Highway System
Department of Transportation & Public Facilities (DOT&PF)
Ketchikan, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented a PowerPoint on the AMHS
overview, Dayboat/ACF, and Tustumena Replacement Ferry Design
updates.
ACTION NARRATIVE
1:00:56 PM
CHAIR PEGGY WILSON called the House Transportation Standing
Committee meeting to order at 1:00 p.m. Representatives Gattis
and P. Wilson were present at the call to order.
Representatives Feige, Kreiss-Tomkins and Lynn arrived as the
meeting was in progress.
^PRESENTATION: AMHS, DAYBOAT/ALASKA CLASS FERRY DESIGN &
TUSTUMENA REPLACEMENT FERRY DESIGN UPDATES BY RUEBEN YOST~
DEPUTY COMMISSIONER & CAPT. JOHN FALVEY~ GENERAL MANAGER~ ALASKA
MARINE HIGHWAY SYSTEM~ DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION & PUBLIC
FACILITIES
PRESENTATION: AMHS~ DAYBOAT/ALASKA CLASS FERRY DESIGN &
TUSTUMENA REPLACEMENT FERRY DESIGN UPDATES BY RUEBEN YOST~
DEPUTY COMMISSIONER & CAPT. JOHN FALVEY~ GENERAL MANAGER~ ALASKA
MARINE HIGHWAY SYSTEM~ DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION & PUBLIC
FACILITIES
1:01:44 PM
CHAIR P. WILSON announced that the only order of business would
be a presentation: AMHS, Dayboat/Alaska Class Ferry Design, &
Tustumena Replacement Ferry Design Updates By Rueben Yost~
Deputy Commissioner & Capt. John Falvey~ General Manager~ Alaska
Marine Highway System~ Department Of Transportation & Public
Facilities.
1:02:24 PM
RUEBEN YOST, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Transportation &
Public Facilities (DOT&PF), offered to first present a general
AMHS overview. He touched on topics for discussion including
the system background data for fiscal year 2014 (FY 14) - look
forward, and FY 15 Governor's requested budget [slide 2]. He
then turned to the organization/leadership chart for the AMHS,
noting he serves as deputy commissioner, Captain Falvey is the
general manager, AMHS, and three section heads report to Captain
Falvey, including marine engineering, operations, and business
development.
1:03:54 PM
JOHN FALVEY, CAPTAIN, Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS),
Department of Transportation & Public Facilities (DOT&PF),
reviewed the organization chart, relating the functions of the
three sections, including vessel construction managers, port
engineers, planning, and terminal repair. On the operations
side, the functions include the environmental, dispatch, safety,
and training components [slide 3]. Additionally, the business
development section manages the administration for the AMHS,
such as terminals, computers, and marketing. The AMHS consists
of 1,030 personnel and the slide shows the breakout for vessel
operations, terminals, marine engineering, reservations and
marketing, and administration.
1:06:00 PM
CAPTAIN FALVEY next discussed the fleet composition by
mainliner, Aurora class, and shuttle ferries categories and by
age [slide 4]. He emphasized that the older ships, the
mainliners, are the biggest ships. He turned to the terminal
composition, consisting of 35 ports of call extending from the
southern terminus at Bellingham to the northern terminus at
Valdez; the western terminus at Dutch Harbor; 17 ports located
in Southeast Alaska, Canada, and Washington, and 18 ports
located in Southcentral and Southwest Alaska [slide 5]. Of the
35 ports of call, 17 are state-owned facilities, 4 are leased
facilities, and 14 are privately owned. He reported that the
AMHS is moving forward on its new reservation system, with the
12 unmanned facilities targeted to use kiosks, similar to how
Alaska Airlines allows its passengers to self-ticket. The four
leased facilities are Bellingham, Prince Rupert, Seldovia, and
Kodiak. He highlighted that Prince Rupert is essentially state-
owned since the DOT&PF executed a 50-year long-term lease using
$3.4 million of federal funds to secure it. The 14 privately-
owned terminals operate under a terminal use agreement. The
life-extending or large capital projects are managed by
Southeast Region, Department of Transportation & Public
Facilities (DOT&PF) whereas his staff handles annual maintenance
and repairs, such as bridge or electrical system repairs.
1:08:51 PM
MR. YOST reviewed a map of the AMHS route as compared to British
Columbia (BC) ferry system and the Washington State ferry system
[slide 6]. He stated that the AMHS has 3,500 route miles, with
considerably longer routes than the BC ferries or Washington
State ferries, although they serve considerably more passengers
and vehicles on much shorter routes.
CAPTAIN FALVEY compared the number of vessel miles, noting the
AMHS travels 550,000 total vessel miles and the Washington state
ferries travels 900,000 total vessel miles per year.
1:09:49 PM
MR. YOST compared the monthly traffic activity from FY 09 to FY
14, by month [slide 7]. The passenger traffic varies with the
season, ranging from 50,000 to 60,000 in July and August,
decreasing in the winter, and rising again in April. He
indicated the traffic has been fairly consistent; however in
recent years the passenger traffic has increased whereas vehicle
traffic has less variation and remains fairly steady throughout
the year. Essentially the AMHS functions as a highway so
passenger service reflects the numerous summer tourists
traveling without vehicles.
CAPTAIN FALVEY added that approximately two-thirds of its
ridership during the summer consists of passengers who reside
outside Alaska whereas in winter two-thirds of the AMHS's
ridership is from Alaskans. The AMHS takes advantage of this
and conducts its maintenance in the January to March timeframe
each year.
1:11:17 PM
CAPTAIN FALVEY referred to the graph that shows on-time
departures and customer satisfaction [slide 8]. The AMHS
conducts surveys and customer satisfaction remains high. He
related that on-time departures are gauged on being "within a
half hour" of the published departure schedule. He highlighted
that 40 percent of passenger booking are made on-line without
using a reservation agent. He hopes the number of passenger
bookings will continue to increase under the new reservation
system.
CAPTAIN FALVEY reviewed the operating expenditure analysis from
FY 07-FY 13 [slide 9]. Personnel costs and fuel costs represent
80 percent of the AMHS's costs. Fuel delivery costs have
increased by $12 million since FY 07, having risen from $2.28 to
$3.50 per delivered gallon. He highlighted that the past two
years have been good years, noting that operating costs were
$53.8 million in FY 12 and $53.2 million in FY 13 even though
the M/V Tustumena was not functioning for nearly a year. If the
M/V Tustumena been operational he thought it would have been
record revenue year for the AMHS; however, now that the M/V
Tustumena is up and running revenues should increase.
1:14:21 PM
MR. YOST turned to the FY 13 revenues and costs, highlighting
that AMHS's revenues were $53.2 million in FY 13 [slide 10]. He
explained that even though the AMHS has been carrying more
passengers, the vehicle deck represents the most expensive part
of the ferries' operations so nearly half the AMHS's revenue is
derived from transporting vehicles. Passenger and stateroom
ticket sales make up the remainder. He referred to the pie
chart on the right of the slide, which shows the operating costs
at $172.5 million. As Captain Falvey mentioned, personnel costs
make up nearly two-thirds of the operating costs, with fuel
costs comprising 22 percent. The AMHS continues to strive for
efficiency by reducing fuel and personnel costs.
CAPTAIN FALVEY explained that fixed costs include $16.3 million
in services, of which $5 million is for risk-management
insurance, $1.2 million is for the Bellingham facility lease, $1
million for bandwidth to run the satellite systems, and the
approximately $900,000 for Prince Rupert lease costs. He
emphasized that employee wages and benefits represent 61 percent
of the costs, with $2.6 million for vessel employee mandated
travel as per collective bargaining contract agreements.
1:16:42 PM
MR. YOST reviewed the FY 14 budget "looking forward," explaining
that the AMHS has strived to stay within AMHS's budget even
though traffic numbers have softened. Currently, the AMHS's
traffic is nine percent below the FY 13, in part, due to the M/V
Tustumena not operating last summer. Fortunately, the AMHS
experienced minimal mechanical issues although several ferries
were cancelled due to weather. Further, the new reservation
system should further reduce costs while increasing the public's
convenience. While the AMHS had a $3.5 million reduction in its
FY 14 budget, the budget reductions were addressed through
service reductions and to the greatest extent possible tried to
avoid any revenue enhancements. In fact, the AMHS has not
raised fares since FY 07, although it eliminated some discounts
that did not achieve an increase in ridership.
CAPTAIN FALVEY provided a status report on the new reservation
system. The request for proposal (RFP) is "on the street," bids
close on March 15, and the study should be completed April 30.
Additionally, an AMHS tariff study is underway with the goal of
achieving "fair and equitable" fees. Still, keep in mind that
the AMHS provides different types of service, such as mainline
ferries, fast ferries, and the M/V Kennicott's service, he said.
1:19:07 PM
CHAIR P. WILSON asked whether the department will review the
findings and if the committee could be briefed prior to the end
of the legislative session.
MR. YOST explained some initial briefings will occur, but the
process is that the commissioner sets the fares and will review
any new fare structures with the governor prior to making any
decisions.
1:19:45 PM
CAPTAIN FALVEY provided details on the service reductions for
the $3.5 million revenue reductions for FY 14 [slide 12]. He
anticipated the AMHS will meet the $3.5 reductions in revenue,
although management has made some assumptions. He stated that
the AMHS's approach is to cut costs equally in service
reductions, revenue enhancements, and administrative costs. In
terms of service reductions, he described operational cuts and
schedule changes that will be made by either cutting hours or
starting service later in the summer for the M/V Lituya, the M/V
Fairweather, and the M/V Taku. For example, the M/V Lituya will
run three hours less per day due to a route change which will
achieve $200,000 in savings. The M/V Fairweather will begin
mid-May, in part, due to replacing four new engines; however,
the delay will result in an estimated $800,000 savings. The M/V
Taku typically experiences a lull in June; thus, it will begin
on July 1, which will result in an estimated $1 million in
savings. Finally, the AMHS has typically budgeted $200,000 for
outsourcing service, for example, to allow the AMHS to contract
with Allen Marine when a vessel such as the M/V LeConte breaks
down. The AMHS decided not to use this funding and if an issue
arises the department will need to request supplemental funding,
he said.
1:22:53 PM
MR. YOST reported revenue enhancements [slide 13]. First, the
AMHS reduced its contracts with travel agents by eliminating
commissions for in-state travel, particularly since passenger
self-bookings have reached 40 percent. Typically travel agents
received 10 percent [of the fares]. This change will result in
an estimated $100,000 offset in FY 14, which is estimated to
increase to $448,000 in annual general funds. While the
decision wasn't popular with travel agents, the AMHS values
travel agents, in particular, the agent's ability to bring new
customers to the system through marketing efforts. Second, the
AMHS discontinued three seasonal discount programs, including a
"30-percent winter roundtrip discount," that was on top of the
"winter driver goes free" discount, and "a summer driver goes
free" discount. The AMHS found the discounted fees did not
increase ridership. Thus, the AMHS removed two of the
discounts, but retained the "winter driver goes free" discount
since this provides Alaskans a break at a time when the AMHS has
excess vehicle capacity. This should result in $650,000 and
$450,000, respectively, for $1 million in overall savings in FY
15, based on a full year.
MR. YOST turned to the tariff study Captain Falvey mentioned
earlier. Although the AMHS previously conducted a review in
2008 focused on providing service to communities, this tariff
review considers fares based on standard of service. Typically,
the AMHS's standard of service means a vessel runs from "point
A" to "point B" and stops at every port in between.
Additionally, the AMHS offers an express service that runs from
Bellingham to Ketchikan, Juneau, Yakutat, and Whittier, as well
as service from an out port to a hub. For example, the M/V
Lituya provides a single round-trip service that runs from
Prince Rupert to Metlakatla, but in doing so the vessel cannot
be used elsewhere. He summarized that the AMHS believes the
overall pricing should be based on the level of service
provided, such as mainline ferry service, express service and
service to a hub.
1:27:48 PM
CAPTAIN FALVEY, with respect to travel agent commissions,
remarked that the changes are going well. The AMHS's management
supports paying the ten percent to agents to attract potential
customers from the Lower 48 and Europe. Despite the travel
commission cuts, the AMHS will continue to move military
families, but the military will deal directly with the travel
agents and the commissions are paid by the military direct to
the travel agents. He reiterated that the state will save money
with these changes but travel agents are still doing fine.
1:28:59 PM
MR. YOST turned to the FY 15 Governor's requested budget and
related the budget is similar to the FY 14 budget level [slide
14]. He reported the operating budget is $165 million with fuel
at the base price provides for 399 weeks of service with 7,280
ports of call. The routes will maintain the same number of port
calls and continue the twice monthly Bellingham to Whittier run
during the summer, and twice a month runs to the Aleutian chain,
which allows Kodiak to have weekly service. When the M/V
Kennicott is heading south, the M/V Tustumena is returning from
the Aleutian chain run and vice-versa, when the M/V Kennicott
returns from the Aleutian chain the M/V Tustumena heads to
Kodiak. He acknowledged that Kodiak experienced less service
when the M/V Tustumena was out for repairs.
MR. YOST continued the FY 15 Governor's Requested budget report.
The capital budget includes funding for vessel overhauls to
maintain the U.S. Coast Guard's (USCG) required certificate of
inspections (COIs). Additionally, the fast vessel ferry (FVF)
Chenega is scheduled for new engine replacement next year,
noting that one vessel is done per year. Further, terminal
refurbishment and vessel life projects are scheduled, with the
M/V LeConte scheduled to undergo a major winter haul. Lastly,
the estimated revenue is nearly $56 million, with FY 13 actuals
at $54.3 million. The FY 14 operating costs are estimated at
$54.4, based on a projected increase in revenue as well as a
substantial amount achieved by eliminating some discounts and
reducing travel agent commissions. He cautioned that revenues
represent estimated projections. For example, revenues are
adversely impacted with vessel capital improvement project
delays and ridership depends on the economy; however, the AMHS
will know how successful its strategies have been by the end of
summer. In turn, this will help the AMHS plan next year's
budget projections. In terms of service, it may be possible to
restore some of the M/V Taku's service in June 2015.
Additionally, the M/V Matanuska provides service to Prince
Rupert twice a week via the M/V Matanuska although he
acknowledged that the public would prefer four sailings in June.
1:32:37 PM
CAPTAIN FALVEY provided an update on capital projects. The M/V
Columbia, "the queen of the fleet," is getting new engines. The
federally funded project to install the new engines is going
very well, on budget, on time, and is being accomplished in
Portland. Additionally, the M/V Kennicott is undergoing
extensive work at the Ketchikan shipyard under a federal-
sponsored project. The FVF Fairweather's four engines are
currently being installed. He anticipated this will solve the
problems the FVF Fairweather experienced in rough seas, noting
that sea trials will be conducted next month. The project is on
time, on budget, with the engine manufacturer paying for the
installation, and the new engines include warranty provisions.
Further, the AMHS purchased two spare engines at an extremely
reduced cost. These have been delivered and are warehoused in
Ketchikan. Next year, the M/V Kennicott will undergo the second
phase of the capital project and the FVF Chenega is also
scheduled to receive new engines next year.
CAPTAIN FALVEY pointed out that the twice monthly run from
Bellingham to Whittier has resulted in increased revenue of
about $3 million per year by moving the terminal out of Prince
Rupert. He remarked that the public and the military love the
current "express" run out of Bellingham. In response to
Representative Lynn, he clarified that when he referred to the
"chain" he was referring to the Aleutian Islands or the
"Aleutian chain."
1:35:38 PM
REPRESENTATIVE KREISS-TOMKINS asked about the AMHS's outlook on
serving Prince Rupert in terms of ridership. He recalled last
year the ridership from Prince Rupert experienced a downward
trend and was a drain on AMHS's operating funds.
MR. YOST answered that the AMHS intends to maintain its service
from Prince Rupert. In fact, the AMHS just signed a long-term
lease for the terminal and plans to rebuild the terminal. The
M/V Taku's scheduled runs have been delayed due to decreased
passenger traffic; however, it is important to maintain service
to Prince Rupert due to van shipping. He acknowledged that
since freight only represents one lane of the car deck, the AMHS
must consider the schedule. The AMHS currently plans to offer
twice-weekly service to Prince Rupert from mid-September through
June but will increase service to four times per week from July
through September.
1:37:39 PM
REPRESENTATIVE KREISS-TOMKINS asked whether the British
Columbia's (BC) government cost shares on capital projects for
the Prince Rupert port.
MR. YOST answered no; that the AMHS negotiated a fairly good
lease for annual operating costs. Due to the long-term lease,
the terminal is essentially the State of Alaska's (SOA) terminal
so BC is not participating in capital costs, he said.
1:38:19 PM
CHAIR P. WILSON recalled problems with van shipping due to the
condition of Prince Rupert's dock. She asked whether the dock
has been improved to an extent that it can handle full
containers since this is important during the fishing season.
CAPTAIN FALVEY acknowledged that five years ago the dock was
essentially condemned. Since then, Prince Rupert invested a few
million dollars to repair the dock. Again, the AMHS anticipates
building a new dock within the next year and the new dock will
be fully capable of handling full van containers.
REPRESENTATIVE P. WILSON asked who is paying for the dock
improvements.
CAPTAIN FALVEY related that the lease was secured with federal
dollars at $3.4 million for 50 years. Additionally, the AMHS is
using federal monies to rebuild the dock.
The committee took an at-ease from 1:39 p.m. to 1:40 p.m.
1:40:15 PM
CHAIR P. WILSON turned to the portion of the DOT&PF's
presentation on the DAY BOAT and Alaska Class Ferries (ACF).
MR. YOST turned to the slide entitled, "Day Boat ACF." He
provided a refresher on the vessel mission requirements. The
AMHS still plans on building two day boats that will each handle
53 vehicles and 300 passengers. He reviewed day boat vessel
specifications, noting the vessel needs to be able to perform at
15.5 knots and provide an additional half-knot at 85 percent
power. Additionally, the day boat needs to be a single-ended
vessel, with drive through loading/unloading capabilities for
rapid load/unload of passengers/vehicles, with bow and stern
doors. He emphasized the importance of a dedicated lane so
passengers do not cross vehicle lanes. Finally, the vessels
need to be highly maneuverable so significant time isn't spent
backing the vessel.
MR. YOST discussed the next slide entitled, "Day Boat ACF -
Design Study." He explained the routes, noting the two day boat
vessels will replace the M/V Malaspina, which currently provides
summer shuttle service in Lynn Canal. The first priority for
service will be Lynn Canal; the second priority will be to
operate a short existing AMHS route, including Hoonah, Gustavus,
and Tenakee; and the third priority will be to provide potential
"Juneau Access" routes from Berners Bay, if required. He
outlined some operational constraints, such that the vessels
must be able to operate using existing terminals, except for
Haines - which will need an "N" berth installed. Additionally,
the day boats must be designed to use existing vehicle loading
ramps and standard walk-on passenger loading ramps, yet
efficient enough to use overnight mooring since the vessels will
be tied to the dock for 12 hours per day.
1:44:23 PM
MR. YOST turned to the "Day Boat ACF" and the major design
decisions, some of which were controversial, including whether
the vessel would have a closed-aft deck design versus an open
deck [slide 4]. He highlighted some concerns, such as traffic
volume issues in Lynn Canal, with high summer travel and much
smaller volumes in the winter. Although some East Coast vessels
have open aft decks, the AMHS evaluated concerns about
protection from the weather. He acknowledged that while cost
reductions for construction and operating costs would occur by
using the open deck design, the AMHS decided to completely
enclose the car deck so this is no longer an issue.
1:45:32 PM
MR. YOST discussed the type of bow doors [slide 5]. The AMHS's
considered the M/V Bartlett's design with knight's hood bow that
completely tips up, but ultimately selected the safety-features
of the side opening doors. He showed several slides that
demonstrate features of the more efficient side doors, noting
the design does not have projections so ice won't adhere [slides
6-11]. Additionally, safety features include three hooks that
latch the doors shut, a design that allows the water direction
to work to force doors shut, as well as a completely separate
inner door. These features greatly reduce the likelihood of a
catastrophic failure such as one that happened in the Baltic
Sea.
MR. YOST reviewed the Day Boat ACF major design decisions,
including considering the overall vessel length and shape of the
hull, addressing icing conditions, and eliminating forward guard
sponsons [slides 12-13]. Significant concern was expressed that
the M/V LeConte, the current vessel serving Lynn Canal, was too
small and experienced icing conditions during winter conditions.
He said that the AMHS addressed these issues by eliminating
forward guard sponsons, enclosing life boats, and optimizing the
bow shape. The current day boat design concept is for two
vessels 280 feet in length [compared to the M/V LeConte at 235
feet]. Additional testing will be done to ensure the overall
length is adequate to transport 53 vehicles, he said.
1:50:59 PM
MR. YOST related a separate sea-keeping analysis was performed
in late May based on 95 percent of prevalent weather in the
worst months, noting the remaining 5 percent of the worst
weather is limited to 1.5 to 2 days [slide 13]. The study also
examined hull lengths using historical wind speeds, direction,
and wave heights, as well as calculating motion sickness indices
using wave data. The AMHS found that when the hull design
results in 10 percent of the people feeling ill during the worst
two hours, it will result in passenger dissatisfaction.
1:52:10 PM
MR. YOST turned to the model testing performed [slide 14]. In
addition to using computer analysis, a 50-foot wooden model was
built to test hull optimizations, bare hull resistance, appended
resistance, seakeeping, maneuvering, and bulbous bow function -
which increases fuel efficiency. The tests were conducted in
October 2013 in Denmark [at Force Technology in Lyngby,
Denmark]. The tests consisted of moving the vessel through the
water to simulate various wave conditions.
MR. YOST discussed day boat design development, turning to the
subheading entitled, "MSI vs. Vessel Length & Longitudinal
location" that illustrated the model test results for a series
of hull lengths [slide 15]. Since the M/V LeConte has been in
service for many years the testers were able to use actual data.
He described the result that illustrates the effects on
intermediate lengths with the bottom green line depicting the
M/V Taku. He provided specific details on the effects of bow
shape and length, noting the left hand side of the chart shows
the accelerations experienced at the 95 percentile weather with
the axis representing either the motion sickness index or
vertical acceleration in percentage of G-force. For comparison,
purposes, a 4.5 percent G-force will result in ten percent of
passengers experiencing motion sickness. This chart highlights
the reason why passengers experience motions above 4.5 percent,
no matter where they are on the M/V LeConte. He noted the M/V
Taku is well below this G-force in the mid-stations. He pointed
out the blue line represents the hull length initially chosen,
the three blue "Xs" represent the actual test data, and the
selected hull has more acceleration at the bow, but is "right
on" in the solarium and towards the middle performs well below
the predicted motion for that length vessel. He also concluded
that producing a vessel 45 feet longer than the M/V LeConte will
greatly reduce the motion, but adding a second passenger deck
allows concentrating passenger accommodations in the least
motion part of the vessel so this has been incorporated into the
design.
1:55:49 PM
MR. YOST discussed the principal design element for the day boat
ACF as compared to the M/V LeConte [slide 16]. He recalled
testimony referring to the proposed day boat as "little
shuttles." However, the proposed day boats will be
approximately 45 feet longer than the M/V LeConte. Other design
elements also affect performance such as the beam over guards,
draft, propulsion horsepower, and speed. Wider beam over guards
will improve overall stability and the hull will consist of a
box chine rather than a rounded hull for fuel efficiency. He
discussed the passenger and vehicle capacity of the day boats,
with an increased passenger capacity of 53 and having an
additional 96 seats for passengers. The day boat vessel
capacity can haul 19 more vehicles than the M/V LeConte for a
total of 53 vehicles. He stated that the day boats will have
similar types of engines, but with substantially-increased
horsepower that will allow the day boats to travel 1.5 knots
faster at 16.0 knots.
MR. YOST reported that the vessel design is 85 percent
completed, noting the end-view schematic shows the 3-foot
passenger walkway that will allow passengers to embark and
disembark without crossing vehicle car decks [slides 17-18]. He
highlighted the space arrangements, including the family space
area and library work space. Reconfigurations were made that
enhanced access for disabled persons, reduced the number of
four-person tables, added more two-person tables and banquettes
in the dining area, as well as a group lounge on the upper deck
for use by school groups.
2:01:52 PM
MR. YOST reviewed the remaining schedule and reported that by
the end of February, the AMHS will have a final contract design
[slide 23]. He reported that the AMHS received two estimates,
one from Alaska Ship and Dry Dock - Vigor Alaska, and Elliott
Bay Design Group. He pointed out the confidentiality, noting
neither entity can review the other's cost estimates. He
anticipated receiving estimates by early March, followed by
negotiations, with the bid being awarded in May or June 2014.
He estimated it will take two years for construction, with
completion of the first day boat vessel estimated in May 2016
and the second day boat vessel in May 2017.
2:03:27 PM
REPRESENTATIVE KREISS-TOMKINS asked whether the vessels will
have a bulbous bow and the pros and cons of using that bow
design on vessels of this size.
CAPTAIN FALVEY answered yes; that the day boats will have a
bulbous bow. The bow design has been improved over the years
and will reduce wave resistance and help the vessel move through
the water more easily, which will also achieve more fuel
efficiency.
2:04:32 PM
REPRESENTATIVE KREISS-TOMKINS asked what considerations the
DOT&PF has taken for building the vessel in Alaska. He
suggested that everyone has a vested interest in building the
day boat vessels in Alaska. He further asked for a sense of the
process the AMHS will take when awarding the contract to an in-
state or an out-of-state shipyard.
MR. YOST answered that the AMHS has not set a dollar value or
fixed percentage it will use when determining the successful
bid. He said the most important consideration is that the
vessels must be built within the existing budget. He explained
that if the AMHS obtains strong evidence through a competitive
bid process that the vessel can be built on budget out-of-state,
but not at the Ketchikan shipyard, the AMHS would need to
seriously consider whether it will continue with the
construction management general contract (CMGC) process. In the
event that both estimates are within the budget the commissioner
and governor will evaluate the project and make a determination.
REPRESENTATIVE KREISS-TOMKINS asked for the amount budgeted
amount for the vessels.
MR. YOST answered that the total construction cost, including
design, is roughly $117 million. He added that this includes
$121 million appropriated by the legislature minus $3 million
spent on design costs for the 350-foot vessel, much of which was
incorporated into the two day boat vessels.
2:06:34 PM
MR. YOST clarified that this doesn't represent the construction
price since additional design costs will be necessary to get to
the final design process. Additionally, construction
engineering costs are necessary for all projects, including
inspections to monitor the work. The typical overhead costs
must fit within the $117 million or the AMHS will need to find
the money from somewhere else, he said.
CAPTAIN FALVEY added that the funding spent on the larger ACF
design means the AMHS owns the design, which is well-archived
and could be used if the state built another M/V Matanuska or
M/V Malaspina style larger mainliner. He characterized the
design as being at the point where it would be easy to design
cabins.
2:08:07 PM
CHAIR P. WILSON asked whether he found the CMGC process as
beneficial.
MR. YOST answered that the AMHS made several changes based on
input from ASD's project estimator. In fact, the estimator has
been involved since the day boat concept began and the "more
eyes" that review the design the better, he said. The AMHS has
implemented changes that simplify the design so it's easier to
construct, which will result in better prices regardless of
which shipyard builds the day boats.
2:09:27 PM
CHAIR P. WILSON referred to slide 16, to the vehicle capacity,
and noted the capacity was increased to 53 vehicles. She asked
whether that was done because of the decision to have a
completely covered deck.
MR. YOST answered no. He said the number of vehicles was
increased to 53 after analyzing the traffic in Lynn Canal and to
address the goal to accommodate 95 percent of the summer
traffic. He elaborated that additional sailings may need to be
added or other vessels rerouted to obtain additional capacity.
The AMHS has tried to find the "sweet spot" and achieve a vessel
that can handle the bulk of the traffic, yet still be economic
to operate and seaworthy.
2:11:47 PM
CHAIR P. WILSON referred to the AMHS overview and schedule
changes. She anticipated she would receive substantial
complaints from her constituents.
MR. YOST understood some constituencies would like the AMHS to
offer four trips out of Prince Rupert from May-September;
however, the traffic figures have declined since 2001. The AMHS
evaluated the traffic and does not think it is frequency based.
The AMHS concluded it can accommodate two round trips out of
Prince Rupert, except from July until mid-September. He
understood some of the interest in round trips stems from fish
and produce shipments, which the AMHS will work to provide as
the budget permits. In 2005, the AMHS expanded the fleet by two
fast ferries and the M/V Lituya, but the department must review
the level of service with respect to the cost.
2:14:36 PM
CHAIR P. WILSON turned to the next portion of the PowerPoint
presentation for a report on the M/V Tustumena Replacement Ferry
Design.
2:15:09 PM
CAPTAIN FALVEY reported that the M/V Tustumena was in the
shipyard last winter for capital overhaul. He offered his
belief that the ship is in very good shape and that it will
provide a few more years of very reliable service. He said that
the project accomplished everything necessary, but it took
longer than anticipated to complete.
CAPTAIN FALVEY reported that the replacement vessel fund balance
is $40 million and of that $10 million will be used for design
for the replacement vessel. He reported this vessel will be
classed to operate in the ocean, not just near coastwise
operations. He pointed out that classification societies exist,
but the AMHS will likely use the American Bureau of Shipping
(ABS) classing [slide 2]. The ABS classes all of the AMHS's
steel ships and the replacement vessel will be constructed in
compliance with ABS rules for unrestricted ocean service. The
machinery, boilers, and systems will meet the AMS requirements
and the vessel can carry vehicles and passengers in the ocean.
He pointed out big differences exist between ocean and coastwise
travel
2:19:24 PM
CAPTAIN FALVEY related that the vessel will provide domestic
service within 50 nautical miles from shore. For example,
certain stability rules apply to vessels traveling up to 50
nautical miles from shore. He said it is important to note that
the M/V Tustumena is 296 feet in length, which provides a
benchmark. The replacement vessel will need to be able to
travel to all ports serving the Aleutian Islands. He recalled
the M/V Kennicott could not travel to five ports due to the
docks.
CAPTAIN FALVEY said that the goal was to serve each port and
build a bigger ship so the replacement vessel is designed at 325
feet in length and the hull design will have a deeper draft hull
design.
2:21:42 PM
CAPTAIN FALVEY reviewed the vessel specifications, such that the
replacement vessel will be a larger vessel at 325 feet with a
250 passenger capacity compared to the M/V Tustumena's current
174 passenger capacity. He compared the replacement vessel
stateroom, vehicle, and speed as compared to the current M/V
Tustumena, including it will have greater stateroom capacity,
will carry 52 vehicles compared to the 36 vehicle capacity, and
it will cruise at 15 knots as opposed to current 13.8 knots. He
related the final three items, the reconnaissance report,
environmental analysis, and design study report relate to
deliverables of the final design. He said the reconnaissance
report develops the operating requirements, and may include a
rough cost estimate and recommendation to proceed with a
particular vessel under a specific procurement method. He said
the AMHS is prepared to use federal funds by including the
environmental analysis. Next, the design study report will be
developed, he said.
2:23:56 PM
CHAIR P. WILSON asked for clarification on the environmental
analysis.
CAPTAIN FALVEY responded it is operational but covers some
design.
MR. YOST added that typically a federally-funded vessel is
excluded from a full assessment since steel vessels have been
found to have little significant environmental impact; however,
the AMHS will review any comments. He explained the process,
including that the reconnaissance report is issued, followed by
the public comment period, and an environmental analysis that
incorporates and addresses any concerns. For example, when the
AMHS performed the environmental analysis on the fast ferries,
one ferry was funded used federal highway funds so the AMHS
obtained a categorical exclusion that documented the project was
excluded from further analysis. He offered his belief that
since Federal Transit Administration (FTA) funds were used for
the FVF Chenega. The FTA required an environmental study since
some concerns were voice about high speed vessels operating in
Prince William Sound that could affect marine mammals. He
suggested that the AMHS won't know for sure if any issues will
arise until the public concerns are received; however, typically
few concerns arise with steel replacement vessels.
2:26:20 PM
CAPTAIN FALVEY turned to the design study report (DSR) and said
that the report reviews all aspects of the project, including
routes, procurement methods, and recommendations. Each proposed
solution will be analyzed to determine how well it satisfies the
project's purpose. He briefly noted deliverables for final
design, highlighting the arrangement, scaling calculations, the
superstructure, and the complexity of the process when building
the vessel [slide 6].
2:27:51 PM
CAPTAIN FALVEY turned to slide 7, which highlights the project
milestones. He said that the professional services agreement
was awarded to Glosten and Associates Team of Seattle, which is
a very large naval architectural and marine engineering firm.
The AMHS has frequently worked with this organization on
projects such as the fast ferries and the M/V Kennicott.
Additionally, he said this firm also does significant work on
federal projects, are very aware of the ships, and are a large
and capable firm.
CAPTAIN FALVEY reviewed the timeline, such that in December 2013
site visits were completed to assess the condition of the
terminals, that the reconnaissance report will be done in
February 2014, that public participation is scheduled in March
and April 2014, including soliciting public input from Homer,
Kodiak, and Dutch Harbor. As Mr. Yost mentioned, he said the
environmental document will follow in May 2014 and the design
study report will be issued in June 2014. He anticipated it
will take about a year to design the ship. He showed the
profile of the concept profile of the new M/V Tustumena [slide
8]. He concluded that the project is moving along quite well
and the steering committee is a strong steering committee.
2:30:50 PM
REPRESENTATIVE KREISS-TOMKINS asked why the M/V Tustumena will
be larger.
CAPTAIN FALVEY answered that the AMHS anticipates potential
passenger and freight growth since the figures are slowly
increasing.
MR. YOST added that having a longer vessel translates into a
more seaworthy vessel, which is important since the vessel is
the fill in vessel for the M/V Kennicott. In fact, one of three
of the M/V Tustumena's trips was delayed due to the conditions
that were too rough for the passengers. He concluded that the
vessel will be a faster vessel that can handle greater ocean
conditions.
2:32:49 PM
REPRESENTATIVE KREISS-TOMKINS related his understanding that
freight traffic has been limited due to the lack of steel
reinforcement on the car deck sufficient to handle the weight.
He said it sounds as though freight is the rationale for the
Prince Rupert terminus. He asked what the AMHS is doing to
capture more of the market, with an understanding that it must
be careful about competing with the private sector.
MR. YOST somewhat disagreed that freight is the fare driver. He
reported that revenue derived from freight represents a
relatively small amount of revenue; however, it is an important
part of the AMHS's mission. The main revenue is derived from
passenger vehicles and passengers. He offered his belief that
one outcome of the fare study might be that the AMHS has
relatively low pricing for shipping as compared to the private
sector. He mentioned that in long ferry runs refrigerated vans
plug into ship's power, but the system doesn't charge more for
the power. He said that the AMHS must review all aspects of the
non-motorized freight since the current vessel requires more
time in port to offload the vans.
2:35:15 PM
CAPTAIN FALVEY, in response to an earlier question, answered
that the fast ferries have reinforced decks. The reduced van
weight capacity is necessary due to the dock condition at Prince
Rupert. Additionally, the majority of the freight moving out of
southeast is fish and Prince Rupert is used primarily due to the
enhanced speed needed to transport fish to market.
MR. YOST added that container vans affect the stability of the
vessels so the van capacity of M/V Malaspina, M/V Taku, and the
M/V Matanuska has not been based on the strength of the deck,
but because of the stability pattern of the ship.
2:37:11 PM
REPRESENTATIVE GATTIS stated that she has fond memories of
traveling on the M/V Tustumena since she attended high school in
Cordova. She said she thinks it is wise decision to have the
longer replacement vessel since it may result in smoother rides
for passengers.
2:38:25 PM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Transportation Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at 2:38
p.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| Day Boat ACF Legislature Presentation 20140123.pdf |
HTRA 2/4/2014 1:00:00 PM |
|
| Tustumena Replacement ppt - Feb 4 2014.pdf |
HTRA 2/4/2014 1:00:00 PM |
|
| AMHS ppt 2014-FINAL1.pdf |
HTRA 2/4/2014 1:00:00 PM |