North Slope Borough Comprehensive Transportation Plan Prepared for: The North Slope Borough Prepared by: ASCG Incorporated August 2005 DRAFT Abbreviations AADT Average annual daily traffic ADF&G Alaska Department of Fish and Game ADOT&PF Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities ADT Average daily traffic APEB Airport Project Evaluation Board APSC Alyeska Pipeline Service Company ASOS Automated Surface Observation System ASRC Arctic Slope Regional Corporation ASRTC Arctic Slope Region Transportation Consortium ATV All-terrain Vehicle AWOS Automated Weather Observation System BIA Bureau of Indian Affairs BLM Bureau of Land Management CFR Code of Federal Regulations CIP Capital Improvement Program COE U.S. Army Corps of Engineers DEW Distant Early Warning DMS Department of Municipal Services DNR Alaska Department of Natural Resources DOT&PF Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities EIS Environmental Impact Statement FAA Federal Aviation Administration FHWA Federal Highway Administration GPS Global Positioning System HIRL High Intensity Runway Lights HMP Hazard Mitigation Plan HOME Heavy Operations and Maintenance Equipment HPP High Priority Project ICAS Iñupiat Community of the Arctic Slope IHLC Iñupiat History Language and Cultural Commission IRR Indian Reservation Roads MALS Medium Intensity Approach System MALSR Medium Intensity Approach Lighting System with Runway Alignment Indicator Lights MIRL Medium Intensity Runway Lights MITL Medium Intensity Taxiway Lights MP Milepost NARL Naval Artic Research Lab NDB Non-directional beacon NPR-A National Petroleum Reserve – Alaska NSB North Slope Borough NWATP Northwest Alaska Transportation Plan PAPI Precision Approach Path Indicator, VASI: Visual Approach Slope Indicator PAR Project Analysis Report PEB Project Evaluation Board REIL Runway End Identifier Lights RIFDS Road Inventory Field Data System SAFETEA-LU Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act – A Legacy for Users SAR Search and Rescue STIP Statewide Transportation Improvement Program TAC Transportation Advisory Committee TAPS Trans-Alaska Pipeline System VORTAC VHR Omnidirectional Range Tactical Aircraft Control North Slope Borough Transportation Plan Table of Contents Executive Summary ......................................................................................................................................i 1.0 Introduction.............................................................................................................................1 2.0 Planning Issues, Objectives, Policies, And Responsibilities...................................................5 2.1 TRANSPORTATION CAPITAL PROJECTS FUNDING .......................................................................5 2.2 TRANSPORTATION MAINTENANCE FUNDING...............................................................................7 2.3 TRANSPORTATION AND SUBSISTENCE CONFLICTS .....................................................................8 2.4 SAFETY, HEALTH AND TRANSPORTATION ................................................................................10 2.5 HIGH TRANSPORTATION COSTS ..............................................................................................12 2.6 TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION ..........................................................................................13 2.7 DALTON HIGHWAY MANAGEMENT............................................................................................14 3.0 Monitoring and Implementation ............................................................................................17 4.0 Background ..........................................................................................................................19 4.1 PEOPLE AND CULTURE ...........................................................................................................19 4.2 ECONOMY..............................................................................................................................26 4.3 LAND AND RESOURCES...........................................................................................................27 5.0 Regional Transportation Analysis.........................................................................................39 5.1 SURFACE TRANSPORTATION...................................................................................................39 5.2 AIR TRANSPORTATION ............................................................................................................47 5.3 MARINE TRANSPORTATION .....................................................................................................61 6.0 Maintenance Analysis...........................................................................................................65 6.1 ADMINISTRATION ....................................................................................................................65 6.2 COMMUNITY TRANSPORTATION MAINTENANCE ........................................................................66 6.3 REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION MAINTENANCE ...........................................................................68 6.4 FUTURE MAINTENANCE NEEDS ...............................................................................................69 7.0 Community Transportation Analysis.....................................................................................71 7.1 ANAKTUVUK PASS ..................................................................................................................75 7.2 ATQASUK ...............................................................................................................................76 7.3 BARROW................................................................................................................................77 7.4 KAKTOVIK ..............................................................................................................................80 7.5 NUIQSUT................................................................................................................................81 7.6 POINT HOPE...........................................................................................................................82 7.7 POINT LAY .............................................................................................................................83 7.8 WAINWRIGHT .........................................................................................................................85 Figures Figure 1. Study Area Map ............................................................................................................................3 Figure 2. Traditional Trade Routes ............................................................................................................21 Figure 3. NSB Land Status ........................................................................................................................29 Figure 4. NSB Regional Surface Transportation........................................................................................41 Figure 5. NSB Village Airports ...................................................................................................................49 Figure 6. NSB Marine Transportation ........................................................................................................63 Figure 7. NSB Community Transportation .................................................................................................73 Tables Table 1. Household Consumption of Subsistence Resources ...................................................................24 Table 2. Average Number of Persons per Household................................................................................25 Table 3. Existing and Forecasted Population.............................................................................................25 Table 4. Distances between North Slope Borough Communities ..............................................................31 Table 5. Stockpiled Earthen Materials in NSB Communities*....................................................................34 Table 6. Earthen Material Source Locations ..............................................................................................35 Table 7. Potential NSB Community Gravel Needs in the NSB* .................................................................36 Table 8. Estimated Annual Maintenance Use of Gravel (in cubic yards) ...................................................37 Table 9. North Slope Borough Intervillage Trails........................................................................................39 Table 10. Description of Dalton Highway Segments within the NSB..........................................................43 Table 11. Summer ADT projections on the Dalton Highway at Coldfoot* .................................................44 Table 12. Main Air Carrier Routes in the NSB ...........................................................................................48 Table 13. Community Airport Ownership in the NSB .................................................................................51 Table 14. NSB Community Airport Information ..........................................................................................52 Table 15. Active FAA Grants to NSB Villages............................................................................................58 Table