The Associated Press

CLEVELAND - A ferry that would carry vehicles and passengers from a downtown dock across Lake Erie to a port in Canada could be profitable, according to preliminary findings of a feasibility study.

The Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority will consider the newly completed study of TranSystem Corp., which plans to present its report June 4. The port authority board budgeted $400,000 last August to study demand for the ferry service.

The study suggests a Lake Erie ferry service could make money because it would dock near downtown, said Rose Ann DeLeon, director of strategic development for the port authority.

But a possible problem is a Canadian trade act that could lead to excessive annual licensing fees.

The port authority has no plan to subsidize the service, beyond lobbying for $6 million in federal assistance to build a terminal behind Cleveland Browns Stadium.

If the port authority determines the ferry service can turn a profit, it could decide to seek offers from ferry operators with the hope of beginning the service in 2006.

The possible ferry service could be part of a development plan for Cleveland's lakefront, which includes moving shipping and warehousing operations west of the Cuyahoga River to make way for housing and other public uses.