Stimulus money keeps local commerce afloat

PORTLAND, Ore. - Marion County’s Buena Vista ferry will receive $3.2 million in federal stimulus money for a newer, bigger and electric ferry.

The 54-year-old Buena Vista ferry was in danger of being decommissioned because the aging boat might not pass U.S. Coast Guard inspections.

The ferry service has connected Polk and Marion counties for the past 158 years, linking farms and families to the town of Independence and Interstate 5.

Although it is one of the least used river crossings on the Willamette River, operating only five days a week for only half the year, the Buena Vista ferry is a vital link for local commerce.
 
“I use it to get to business. I got to work today,” said Peter Carson, a ferry user.

If the ferry was shut down, ferry users could have an extra hour or more to their trip. They would be forced to drive to the nearest bridge to reach their destinations.

The ferry also helps farmers who could lose valuable time getting from their land on one side of the river to their property on the other side.

“Well it saves time, but also like the gas and the time is huge,” said Carrie Platt from Platt Dairies.

Each year, the ferry carries more than 8,000 cars, trucks and farming machines across the river. Traffic for the ferry should pick up, as GPS devices continue to steer drivers to the crossing.

The ferry generates about $13,000 a year in user fees, but costs nearly $150,000 to operate. Marion County hopes to offset expenses by generating more user fees with a bigger ferry and abandoning the diesel fuel costs since the ferry will be electric.

The new ferry will begin operation in late 2010.