Ferry operators around the country to receive $200M in federal grants to modernize fleets

WASHINGTON — The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) was recently awarded $4.8 million by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to refurbish aging passenger spaces on Issaquah ferries.

The funding comes from FTA's Urbanized Area Passenger Ferry grant program, according to the FTA. WSDOT has voiced its plans to use the funding to improve passenger spaces on multiple Issaquah ferries, which were built between 1979 and 1982.

The ferries in question are: the M/V Cathlamet, M/V Chelan, M/V Issaquah, M/V Kitsap, M/V Kittitas, and M/V Sealth.

WSDOT estimates the project will extend the useful life of the vessels for another five to 10 years, according to the FTA.

“Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, WSDOT can upgrade its aging ferry fleet to ensure passengers can safely travel to and from Snohomish County, Whidbey Island, Skagit County, the San Juan Islands, and communities across Northwest Washington,” said Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-02), the lead Democrat on the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee.

Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

Two years ago, President Joe Biden and Congress passed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), which provides record ferry funding through competitive grants and annual funding, according to the FTA. In the first year of the BIL, Washington state received $42 million in yearly funding for its ferry system, which is the largest in the United States.

The grant program will focus on expanding ferry service in rural communities, helping them acquire modern ferries, including electric boats, and upgrading shore infrastructure to support low-emission ferry service, officials said.

“The grants help transit agencies make investments to increase reliability, improve connections to other modes of transportation, and bring older ferry systems into a state of good repair," said Nuria Fernandez, administrator of the FTA.

In January 2023, FTA awarded $11.6 million in competitive grant funding to WSDOT for three projects:

• FTA announced $6.7 million in grant awards for two WSDOT projects to upgrade Washington State Ferries’ electronic payment system and build a new Southworth Ferry Terminal.
• FTA also awarded $4.9 million to build an electric charging facility at the Clinton Ferry Terminal, part of WDOT's plan to electrify the Mukilteo-Clinton Ferry Route.

“Ferries are critical to our state’s infrastructure and play a major role in our economy,” said Rep. Pramila Jayapal (WA-07). “Thanks to the Infrastructure Law, this funding will help to keep our ferries running safely and improve service reliability. I am proud that the federal government is investing in connecting our communities and enhancing regional transportation mobility.”

In July, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg visited Mukilteo and Port Orchard to emphasize the importance of investing in reliable ferry service in Washington state.

For more information on FTA’s Urbanized Area Passenger Ferry grant program, click here.