The US announces $220 million to modernize ferry service

The US Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration has announced that $220 million from President Biden’s bipartisan infrastructure bill is available to support or modernize passenger ferry service in rural and urban communities across the country. The program aims to improve access to affordable and reliable transportation for Americans. Around three million ferry passengers travel across the country every month. The Passenger Ferry Program supports capital projects to purchase, replace, or modernize passenger ferries, terminals, and related equipment.
The Rural Community Ferry Service program includes $170 million that will support capital, planning and operational assistance. The funds will support or expand ferry service in rural areas. “Passenger ferries provide an important and inexpensive means of travel for people across the United States, but they currently face a backlog of investment in health and safety. This funding will modernize and expand transportation systems, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and promote equity by making mass transit accessible to more people, while preserving and creating good-paying jobs,” says FTA Administrator Nuria Fernandez.
Previous grants have helped transportation authorities improve ferry service across the country, from Alaska to Maine to Georgia and California. According to US Secretary of Transportation, Pete Buttigieg, ferries are the best way to get to work, school or a hospital, especially in Alaskan islands and Native American villages. The initiative is a direct outcome of President Biden’s ‘Investing in America’ agenda.
The Notice of Funding Opportunities includes two grant programs, Passenger Ferry Program and Rural Community Ferry Service Program. Fiscal year (FY) 2023 has $50.1 million available, of which $5 million is marked specifically for low- or zero-emission ferries and associated facilities/equipment. The Rural Community Ferry Service program is a competitive grant program created by the bipartisan Infrastructure Act that provides funds to ensure essential ferry service in rural communities.
Earlier this year, the FTA announced $384.4 million in project selections under its Ferry Grant programs, with nearly $100 million going to its third ferry program, the Electric or Low-Emitting Ferry Pilot Program. The program aims to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the transport sector.


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