Gridlock: Not Just for Feds Anymore

PALMER -- The Mat-Su Borough soon will take ownership of a unique ferry born out of a partnership with the U.S. Navy that cost local taxpayers almost nothing.

Until now.

The Susitna -- paid for in an era of federal largesse and congressional earmarks -- will be turned over to the borough as soon as next month, the Mat-Su Assembly was told this week at a work session.

And with the ship title comes bills for berth fees, utilities, security and a minimal crew, no matter whether the Susitna is used as a ferry or not. Just to store the ship in Ketchikan, where it was built and still is being docked, could cost the borough an estimated $1.3 million a year, Assembly members were told. Docking it at the borough's Port MacKenzie could be even more expensive.

(~snip~) If the borough decided to forget about ferry service and sell the vessel, it would have to repay the federal government $21 million in transit grants it received for the project, the Assembly was told. 

Oh, it gets better:

Neither Port MacKenzie nor the Port of Anchorage have landings to accommodate vehicles rolling on and off, and foot traffic alone wouldn't be enough to justify its operation, borough officials say. There's not enough money in hand to build landings, and there's not an approved site on the Anchorage side, borough Assembly members were told. And there's little assurance of a customer base big enough to support the cost of running a ferry between Anchorage and Point MacKenzie.

So they have a "free" ferry boat, but no place to land it, no customers, and neither gummint on either side of the Cook Inlet/Knik Arm can agree on where to place such a landing. Those oh-so-tempting Federal dollars don't look so good now, do they?


Bringing teh stupid, Alaska-style.