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    1. Alt. Mobility
    2. Water Transportation

    FTA issues combined NOFO for three ferry grant programs with $294 million in funds available

    July 11, 2022
    Two of the grants for ferries are newly established programs under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
    Jim Culp/WSDOT
    Jumbo Mark II class ferry M/V Tacoma. [Jim Culp/WSDOT]
    Jumbo Mark II class ferry M/V Tacoma. [Jim Culp/WSDOT]

    The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) issued a combined Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for three competitive grant programs that have more than $294 million available to expand ferry services and transition to lower emission water transportation options.

    Two of the programs, the Ferry Service for Rural Communities Program and the Electric or Low-Emitting Ferry Pilot Program, are new and were established under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that was signed into law in November 2021.

    The programs with available funding under the combined NOFO are:

    • The Passenger Ferry Grant Program has $36.5 million available with $3.25 million marked to support low or zero-emission ferries. The program funds capital projects that support existing passenger ferry service, establish new ferry service and repair and modernize ferry boats, terminals and related facilities and equipment in urbanized areas.
    • The Ferry Service for Rural Communities Program has $209 million available and will provide competitive funding to states for basic ferry service in rural areas.
    • The electric or Low-Emitting Ferry Pilot Program has $49 million available and will provide competitive funding for electric or low-emitting ferries and associated infrastructure that reduce greenhouse gas emissions by using alternative fuels or on-board energy storage systems.

    “Ferry service can be as important to everyday life as a highway or railway for many people across the country, whether in a small Alaskan community or a large metropolitan area," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

    FTA Administrator Nuria Fernandez added the trio of programs will provide funding to improve daily lives.

    “This record amount of funding made possible by the President's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will help provide more reliable and efficient travel for those who commute by ferry," said Administrator Fernandez.

    Interested parties have until Sept. 6, 2022 to submit and application.

    About the Author

    Mischa Wanek-Libman | Editor in Chief

    Mischa Wanek-Libman serves as editor in chief of Mass Transit magazine. She is responsible for developing and maintaining the magazine’s editorial direction and is based in the western suburbs of Chicago.

    Wanek-Libman has spent more than 20 years covering transportation issues including construction projects and engineering challenges for various commuter railroads and transit agencies. She has been recognized for editorial excellence through her individual work, as well as for collaborative content. 

    She is an active member of the American Public Transportation Association's Marketing and Communications Committee and serves as a Board Observer on the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) Board of Directors.  

    She is a graduate of Drake University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communication with a major in magazine journalism and a minor in business management.

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