The governor’s budget proposal for next year contains numerous cuts, including a pay cut for the governor himself. The same day his budget was released, Gov. Bill Walker also announced that he was selecting the “no build” alternative for the Juneau Access Project. In other words, the state is no longer planning to spend $574 million on a 50-mile road to a new ferry terminal north of Juneau.
“No build” does not mean nothing will be built; it means that we will build smarter and safer things other than the road. In fact, for several years the folks at the Ketchikan Shipyard have been hard at work constructing two new Alaska Class Dayboat Ferries to more reliably connect Juneau, Haines and Skagway.
It’s also important to note that cancellation of the road project does not mean Southeast loses a half-billion dollars in federal funding. Federal funding will continue to come to the state, but now we can spend it on existing infrastructure, like repairing old roads and replacing aging ferries.
Fixing what we have tends to have a much better return on investment. For example, a study commissioned by the Alaska Department of Transportation — an agency that has long advocated for the road project — found that every dollar invested in the Juneau road extension would generate a shockingly low 28 cents in benefits. A study published last year by the governor’s office found that for every dollar spent on the Marine Highway System, two dollars are generated in economic return for the region.
Now that the majority of transportation funding for Southeast won’t be locked up in one project, for one community, the state could (and should!) consider building at least one new vessel to replace the three ferries — the Taku, Matanuska and Malaspina — that are scheduled to be retired by 2024. We can now also invest in rebuilding our existing roads and ferry terminals, serving many communities.
There’s no doubt that some people are disappointed by the governor’s decision, which he clearly did not come to lightly. At the end of the day, however, Gov. Walker should be applauded for making the best decision for Southeast and the people of Alaska.
Janet Kussart
Juneau