Alaska Rural Transportation Pollution Reduction Feasibility Study (Grant Overview)
Alaska Rural Transportation Pollution Reduction Feasibility Study (Grant Overview)
In alignment with the DOT&PF Carbon Reduction Strategy and the Alaska Statewide Long-Range Transportation & Freight Plan (LRTP), our study aims to establish a comprehensive roadmap that bolsters rural transportation resilience. This includes minimizing the freight and passenger service expenses for Alaska’s air-reliant communities, and curtailing greenhouse gas and other pollutant emissions within Alaska's rural on-airport surface transportation domain.
Strategically, our scope will explore initiatives that can derive dual benefits from decreasing fossil-fuel utilization in both the facilities and vehicle fleets of seven central hub airports dispersed throughout Alaska. These hubs play a pivotal role in Alaska’s rural transportation matrix, acting as vital links to isolated communities, many of which are predominantly Indigenous and lack access to the conventional road network.
The investigation will encompass:
- Assessing the viability, infrastructure prerequisites, and incentivization frameworks for integrating hybrid-electric powertrains in the commercial light aircraft domain.
- Delving into the electrification of on-ground vehicle fleets and exploring alternative low-emission fuels.
- Evaluating the potential of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) to address freight requirements.
- Crafting strategies to foster intermodal synergy, especially shifts towards marine or river-based transport, thus promoting a sturdier and eco-friendlier transportation ecosystem.
Furthermore, DOT&PF’s LRTP underscores the necessity of pinpointing airports vital to the state’s freight logistics while highlighting potential funding avenues for specific freight enhancements. Our feasibility study seeks to bridge this gap by scrutinizing alternative air solutions, optimizing freight delivery via maritime transport, and considering bundled freight delivery to maximize existing systems. Concurrently, DOT&PF will audit its maintenance and operations to identify and implement measures, such as fleet upgrades, that can further diminish emissions.