The Federal Highway Administration recently issued $175 million in formula funding via its Ferry Boat Program or FBP to 35 states, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and American Samoa to improve ferry service and provide more cost-effective travel options.
[Above photo by WSDOT]
FHWA said that funding will help construct and operate ferry boats, ferry terminals, and ferry maintenance facilities for both ferry boats carrying cars and passengers and ferry boats carrying passengers only if service is on a public route on which it is not feasible to build a bridge or tunnel.
[Editor’s note: The video below by the Washington State Department of Transportation highlights the conversion process of its Wenatchee ferry vessel from diesel-only power to a hybrid-electric propulsion system.]
FHWA pointed out that federal-aid highway formula funds are distributed to ferry operators via state departments of transportation for the acquisition of ferry boats, capital improvements to existing ferry boat facilities, operational costs of ferry operators, and, if ferry operator eligibility requirements are met, for designing and constructing new ones along with acquiring right-of-way.
“We make life easier when we make the transportation of people and products smoother,” noted Sean Duffy, secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation, in a statement. “In places like Alaska, our maritime highways are critical arteries for commuters and regional supply chains.”
FHWA added that FBP funding aims to improves mobility and helps fill a transportation gap by funding ferry boat projects that provide critical access to areas that lack other means of transport and where high passenger demand already exists.
The improvements made possible by this program can increase ridership and help relieve congestion on nearby highways, the agency noted.
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