State Transportation Ferries Division Secretary David Moseley, will travel to Washington D.C to support Senator Patty Murray’s efforts at an April 29th press conference announcing the introduction of her “Ferry Transportation Enhancement Act” bill.
“This very welcome legislation would greatly expand federal funding for the ferry discretionary program. This program has provided needed federal funding for ferries and WSF has benefited significantly from this program,” said Moseley.
Update on federal stimulus funding
Moseley said, “WSF has submitted applications to the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) for two grants totaling $8.4 million. This funding, part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (stimulus), will fund several preservation projects on both vessels and terminals.
“After the FTA approves our applications, they will go through a Department of Labor review (estimated 30 days) and the Congressional release process (estimated at up to 30 days).
“In addition, we will be submitting applications under other stimulus grant programs, including the Transit Investments for Greenhouse Gas and Energy Reduction (TIGGER) and the $60 million Recovery Act Ferry Boat Discretionary program.”
Surcharge starts May 1
In other news, Moseley announced that the peak season officially begins at WSF on Friday, May 1 with an additional 25 percent surcharge applied generally to full fare vehicle/driver tickets. The peak season surcharge will apply to the Anacortes/San Juan routes and will impact passenger fares and frequent user multi-ride fares.
Moseley’s remarks were in his April 24 weekly newsletter, which can be accessed at wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/weekly.
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