||| FROM GCAPTAIN.COM |||
The funding, part of President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will be allocated through various programs aimed at capital projects, purchasing low-emission ferries, and supporting ferry services in rural areas.
The initiative aims to improve transportation options, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and create jobs.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said the funding will help communities modernize their ferry service. “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.”
The Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) includes the Passenger Ferry Program with $51 million for capital projects, the Electric or Low Emitting Ferry Program with $49 million for purchasing low-emission ferries, and the Ferry Service for Rural Communities Program with $216 million for supporting ferry services in rural areas for the fiscal year 2024.
I encourage as many people as possible to reach out to start and federal legislators and ask them for support for Washington State Ferries and for passenger only ferry tests in San Juan County.
Also contacting WSF and asking them to request these granting opportunities would be helpful as well. (I assume they already have)
Rick Larsen
Washington, DC Office
2163 Rayburn HOB
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-2605
Fax: (202) 225-4420
Maria Cantwell
Washington, DC
511 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-3441
Patty Murray
Washington, D.C. Office
154 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: (202) 224-2621
Toll Free: (866) 481-9186
Fax: (202) 228-0514
As the nation’s largest and probably most important ferry system, the WA State Ferries should get in the front of the line seeking such funding, to help pay for the additional costs of conversion to hybrid-electric ferries.
Passenger only ferries for the San Juan Islands needs far more definition as to what might be logical/ feasible. It’s undoubtedly going to be very expensive, and with multiple islands and destinations, what are the envisioned routes and best guess estimate of passenger usage?
Kitsap Transit’s passenger ferry fleet could be a non-cost study in potential passenger ferry issues. They had ferry operating reliability issues, crewing issues, weather issues, and of course money issues as a start-up. They also have significant daily commuter traffic from a limited number of cross-sound ports to and from Seattle.
Kitsap County Sales tax for passenger ferries was increased .3% on a MUCH LARGER tax base and population density than exists in San Juan County.
Not dismissing the passenger ferry concept, but let’s see at a minimum what the concept entails before lobbying or spending any significant tax money.
Robert Dashiell has it right. Passenger-only ferries have been shown to work only with a large commuter ridership base on routes with one port on either side of the water, not competing with free walk-on publicly operated service, and even then, only with substantial tax subsidies.
For our county of four main islands, six port pairs and a low population, a workable schedule and service plan would require more than a single vessel. However attractive such a separate passenger-only operation might be, it would make little sense and become a huge fiscal drain on all taxpayers while providing some benefits for a very few.
Sadly, even if the entire federal ferry appropriation were allocatec to WSFS, it would not cover the construction cost of a single hybrid electric Olympic-class ferry. See https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/as-washingtons-ferry-fleet-ages-why-arent-we-building-new-boats/..
The estimate from Vigor Shipyards started at $4 million per boat. Bob Ferguson has made the reasonable proposal to build two new diesel boats to bridge the gap. For this, he was ridiculed by Emperor Inslee. See https://mynorthwest.com/3958278/rantz-governor-jay-inslee-brain-dead-bob-ferguson-ferries/.
Mr. Inslee has clearly determined that his “legacy’’ is more important than our health, safety and welfare. We deserve better.
Meanwhile, Congress has just appropriated $95 billion ( in borrowed funds) to support merchants of death and destruction worldwide.
If you are not screaming yet you are not paying arttention.
oops, i meant $400 million per bot, not $4 million.
Scott’s clearly not a Reagan Republican. Obviously not conservative either. Our governor is trying to save our Earth the best he can and by any means necessary. I am happy to pay a little more for fuel to help in that endeavor. Scott has forgotten that the Ukrainian people gave up their NUKES and the west PROMISED to protect them if they did.
“Meanwhile, Congress has just appropriated $95 billion ( in borrowed funds) to support merchants of death and destruction worldwide.”
Like Scott said Randy–
“If you are not screaming yet you are not paying arttention.”