Once again certain businessmen in the City and Borough of Juneau are pushing us to revisit a second Douglas Island crossing. Not content with previous rejections of this idea, those business interests want an opportunity to join a Juneau project to such other “build it and they will come” efforts as the Ambler Road, Knik Arm Crossing, etc. So long as mostly state and federal dollars are used, they don’t seem to mind the downside lack of benefit to the general population or the environment. Our history around this project has always been that Juneauites like the general concept of a second crossing but not the locations, details or the costs.
Let’s look at the commonly used justifications for this project. First, that Douglas Island residents, among whom I count myself, need another way off the island in case of some unspecified circumstance in which whatever bedevils Douglas Island will leave the other side of the channel untouched. Far-fetched perhaps, but vaguely possible. It would only be justified if the need for emergency access could not be met by Douglas emergency services, boats or helicopters.
Mayor Ken Koelsch, who inserted $250,000 for yet another “study” into the CBJ budget, cites the possibility of housing benefitting from a bridge closer to West Douglas. However, he fails to give recognition to Juneau’s current and projected declining demographics. Not only is Juneau’s population and housing demand decreasing but housing miles away from any city services, including water, sewer, police, ambulances, schools, and buses will be either sub-standard housing or among the world’s most expensive, once infrastructures for all those residential requirements are added. Clearly, housing demand is declining with population and a bridge to extremely expensive housing is not a solution to economic decline.
The mayor’s next rationale is the concept of a West Douglas deep water port. Unless I am mistaken, no agency, organization or other developer has ever stepped forward to fund and build a deep water port in Stephens Passage. Nor is there a commitment or offer to build the upgraded North Douglas highway that the truck traffic would need. And if such a miraculous developer appeared, at what cost to residents and businesses would the port’s debt be retired? Let’s also recognize that air transport is more and more the preferred transportation method of many businesses (see Amazon) not a port for vessels for which there is little demand.
I certainly want the community I love to be thinking about its future. We may each have such projects in mind. Personally, I favor CBJ purchasing AEL&P to bring in an additional $6-8 million per year in revenue. But the business interests that keep trying to resurrect this frequently rejected building project should spend more time supporting projects other than the bridge, projects that have more realizable upsides and that will improve Juneau’s quality of life so that we can retain and attract residents and have a sustainable community.
• Margo Waring resides in Douglas.
