ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE  HOUSE TRANSPORTATION STANDING COMMITTEE March 20, 2001 1:00 p.m. COMMITTEE CALENDAR  DOT PRESENTATION ON SOUTHEAST ALASKA TRANSPORTATION PLAN AND PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND TRANSPORTATION PLAN TAPES  01-21, SIDES A & B   CALL TO ORDER  REPRESENTATIVE VIC KOHRING, Chair, called the House Transportation Standing Committee to order at 1:00 p.m. PRESENT    Committee members present were Representatives Kohring, Kapsner, Kookesh, Scalzi, Wilson. Representatives Masek and Ogan were excused. SUMMARY OF INFORMATION  KURT PARKAN, Deputy Commission, Department of Transportation introduced JEFF OTTESEN, Statewide Planning Chief, Department of Transportation, and ROBERT DOLL, Regional Director, Southeast Region, Department of Transportation. JEFF OTTESEN and ROBERT DOLL both conducted the Power Point presentation for the Southeast Alaska Transportation Plan and the Prince William Sound Transportation Plan. Issues raised concerned the planning, designing, funding, and construction status of the new fast ferries. Ferry operating staff and costs were discussed, with the emphasis being on reducing staff/crew costs because the ferries would reach destination ports during a conventional work-shift [minimizing overtime and change of crew]. One ferry would be located in Southeast Alaska, primarily serving the Sitka - Juneau - Haines route. The second ferry would be located in Prince William Sound to serve the Cordova - Valdez - Whittier route. There was discussion of the difficulties of the tides and serving various small communities in Southeast. There was also discussion regarding the issues related to the design of fast ferries and their performance under adverse [high seas] weather conditions. MR. OTTESEN and MR. DOLL discussed the status of the existing ferry fleet. They described the physical condition of each ship, the safety upgrades required by newer international passenger ships, and the estimated costs for the upgrades. They discussed that the new fast ferries would be able to replace some of the older ships, thereby not having to expend funds upgrading these ships. There was also discussion regarding how the remainder of the existing fleet would be deployed. It was noted that service to Kodiak would be improved and more frequent. ANNOUNCEMENTS  CHAIRMAN KOHRING announced that witnesses had requested to testify on these two plans and thus the committee meeting on March 22, 2001, would receive public testimony. COMMITTEE ACTION  The committee took no action ADJOURNMENT  CHAIR KOHRING adjourned the House Transportation Standing Committee at 2:15 p.m. NOTE: The meeting was recorded. A copy of the tape(s) may be obtained by contacting the House Records Office at State Capitol, Room 3, Juneau, Alaska 99801 (mailing address) (907) 465-2214, and after adjournment of the second session of the Twenty-Second Alaska State Legislature this information may be obtained by contacting the Legislative Reference Library at (907) 465-3808.