The Client

The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF) is responsible for a modern, efficient, and reliable statewide transportation system. Alaska is a geographically and demographically diverse state in which citizens truly travel by all modes of transportation: road, water, air, and rail.

The Challenge

The long-range plan is one element of a federally required continuing, cooperative, and comprehensive statewide transportation planning process. The intent of the process is to guide decision making with careful planning and sound evaluation. To do so, Alaska is required to prepare a twenty-year long-range plan for all modes of transportation that addresses eight planning factors that are to be considered in all elements of the planning process. Alaska’s plan is called Let’s Get Moving 2030.

The Analysis

Let’s Get Moving 2030 provided a comprehensive analysis of Alaska’s baseline and future needs for all modes of transportation. A key objective of the analysis was to evaluate the various types of needs that the Alaska DOT&PF had to address for transportation facilities and services. The technical analysis provided a comprehensive, fact-based assessment that aided in setting priorities and planning for the future and presented a sound foundation for ongoing policy development. The models and decision support framework allowed for monitoring the performance of the transportation system and determining how to allocate funds to best meet desired outcomes.

DMG's technical work involved:

• Conducting a baseline assessment of the state-owned transportation system. The analysis addressed the surface, marine, and air transportation facilities that the Alaska DOT&PF is responsible for and assessed the current use, condition, and performance of different elements of the system. Broad categories of need were addressed, including system development, life cycle management, and routine maintenance and operations.
• Analyzing the trends affecting the future performance of the transportation system. The analysis considered factors that would impact the future performance of the transportation system, including economic and population growth, which determines future travel demands; the level of system preservation and maintenance investment, which impacts the physical condition of the transportation system; and factors affecting the delivery of transportation solutions, such as their cost, technology transfer and innovation, and changing citizen values and priorities.
• Evaluating the ability to fund the plan. We developed a historical analysis of expenditures and future forecasts of revenue available for transportation. The technical analysis provided the information necessary to ensure that policy and plan strategies were realistic and addressed Alaska’s most pressing challenges. The information provided for a balanced and well-considered assessment of maintenance and system-preservation needs, which are often overlooked in the desire to move forward with development.

The Results

Let’s Get Moving 2030 provides state officials with goals, strategies, and actions for guiding transportation policies, programs, and investments through 2030. This plan, detailed in the graphic below, identifies strategic priorities and provides a guide to investing transportation dollars. The Alaska DOT&PF depends on the support of all Alaska citizens to implement the Let’s Get Moving 2030 plan.

Visit the Let’s Get Moving 2030 website for more information.