The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has announced a new fund of 316 million USD set aside for the support and modernisation of passenger ferry services across the country.
With average riderships of three million per month, the Biden-Harris Administration has introduced the funding availability alongside the FTA’s existing Passenger Ferry Program, with the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) establishing further federal support for ferry systems transitioning to zero-emission, climate-friendly alternative technologies, as well as expanding ferry services in rural communities.
The announced Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) includes 51 million USD for The Passenger Ferry Program, 49 million USD for The Electric or Low Emitting Ferry Program under the BIL and 216 million USD for The Ferry Service for Rural Communities Program, also under BIL.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, said:I have seen firsthand how, for many Americans in many different parts of the country, ferries are the best and sometimes only way to get where they need to go.
Through President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we’re pleased to make $316 million available to help communities modernize their ferry service so that Americans better, easier, more reliable options.
Previous grants have seen support given for transit authorities’ upgrades of ferry services across the country, with the FTA committing 220.2 million USD to project selections through its ferry programmes in 2023.
