Good news for green ferries in latest FTA grant announcement
Written by Marine Log Staff
Plans for all-electric ferries, such as this one planned for Washington State's Skagit County, could get a boost from a set aside in the latest round of FTA ferry grants. [Image courtesy of Glosten]
In a first, $4 million of the $38 million available in the Federal Transit Administration’s latest round of Passenger Ferry Grants will be set aside specifically for low or zero-emission ferries, or ferries using electric battery or fuel cell components and the infrastructure to support such ferries.
The latest round of grants was announced in a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) released today. The Passenger Ferry Grant Program funds capital projects that help eligible project sponsors support existing passenger ferry service, establish new ferry service, and repair and modernize ferry boats, terminals, and related facilities and equipment.
“Passenger ferries are a critical form of public transportation in the United States, allowing commuters and others to get to work, school and medical appointments,” said FTA Administrator Nuria Fernandez. “Funding through the Passenger Ferry grant program ensures this infrastructure remains safe and dependable for people who rely on them.”
Eligible applicants for the funding include public transit agencies, state transportation departments and Indian tribes. Projects will be evaluated by criteria defined in federal law and in the NOFO, including the applicant’s demonstration of need, the project’s benefits, project implementation strategy, and capacity for implementing the project.
The set aside for low or zero-emission ferries is intended to advance the goals of President Biden’s January 20, 2021 Executive Order on Protecting Public Health and the Environment and Restoring Science to Tackle the Climate Crisis.
Instructions for applying can be found on FTA’s website and in GRANTS.GOV (funding opportunity FTA-2021-006-TPM-Ferry). Complete proposals must be submitted electronically through the GRANTS.GOV “APPLY” function by October 5, 2021.
