U.S. DoT awards $58.2 million to improve passenger ferry service

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) today announced approximately $58.2 million in project selections to improve the safety and reliability of America’s passenger ferries and enhance mobility for ferry users across the United States. A total of 20 projects in 12 states will receive funding from FTA’s Passenger Ferry Grant Program.

The grants will fund projects to purchase, replace or rehabilitate passenger ferries, terminals and related infrastructure and equipment.

"FTA is proud to help modernize and rehabilitate our nation’s passenger ferry systems across the country," said FTA Acting Administrator K. Jane Williams. "These projects will help improve mobility for the millions of Americans who rely on ferry service."

Among the projects selected to receive funding:

• The Casco Bay Island Transit District in Portland, Maine will receive $6 million to replace a passenger ferry that has exceeded its useful life and will allow for safer and more reliable service.
• The Chatham Area Transit Authority in Savannah, Georgia will receive $2.07 million to construct a ferry maintenance facility on Hutchinson Island and construct a new ferry dock on the west end of historic River Street.
• The town of Bristol, Rhode Island will receive $1.17 million to rehabilitate the Prudence Island Ferry Dock Pier, which will improve ferry service to Prudence Island.

FTA received applications for 22 eligible projects totaling approximately $65.4 million in funding requests from a total of 12 states. Project proposals were evaluated based on criteria outlined in the Notice of Funding Opportunity. The selected projects will receive a combination of fiscal year 2017 and 2018 funds.

Federal public transportation law (49 USC § 5307(h)), as amended by the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, authorizes FTA’s competitive Passenger Ferry Program through FY2020.

About Federal Transit Administration (FTA)

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) provides financial and technical assistance to local public transit systems, including buses, subways, light rail, commuter rail, trolleys and ferries. FTA also oversees safety measures and helps develop next-generation technology research.

Transit services supported by FTA span many groups and provide wide-ranging benefits. Since 1964, FTA has partnered with state and local governments to create and enhance public transportation systems, investing more than $12 billion annually to support and expand public rail, bus, trolley, ferry and other transit services. That investment has helped modernize public transportation and extended service into small cities and rural communities that previously lacked transit options.

An agency within the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), FTA is headed by an administrator appointed by the President of the United States. FTA is one of DOT’s 10 modes of transportation and is run by a headquarters in Washington, D.C. as well as 10 regional offices that assist transit agencies in all states and U.S. territories.