Ferries: Funding for Mukilteo Terminal (Finally) Comes Through

 — from the office of U.S. Representative Rick Larsen —

The Mukilteo Multimodal Ferry Terminal project will receive $10 million through the federal TIGER program, Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, announced [recently]. Larsen wrote a letter of support for Washington state’s application for these funds and has previously talked with the U.S. Department of Transportation secretary about the importance of the project.

The Mukilteo Multimodal Ferry Terminal project will help reduce congestion through Mukilteo and on State Route 525. The project includes a new passenger terminal building with pedestrian, bicycle and high-occupancy vehicle loading, better commuter rail connections, and a bus transit center.

“Investing in transportation infrastructure like the Mukilteo ferry terminal creates jobs and keeps our economy moving. Great news today for the commuters, businesses and visitors who rely on the Mukilteo ferry terminal: $10 million in federal funding is on its way to the project. This federal investment will help pay for a new terminal that will improve safety, traffic congestion and ease of access, making the terminal safer and more efficient for the people and businesses who depend on this route to get around.

“In Washington state, ferries are an extension of our highway system. The Mukilteo-Clinton ferry route is one of the state’s busiest, serving nearly 4 million riders in 2014. That’s why I have pushed since I was first elected to make sure Mukilteo gets a world-class multimodal facility. The Mukilteo ferry terminal project is a perfect example of how federal, state and private stakeholders can work together to make needed improvements to our transportation infrastructure.

“The project underscores the critical role the federal government plays in transportation investments and the need for a long-term surface transportation bill,” Larsen said.

Larsen worked for more than 10 years with local, state and federal stakeholders to transfer the property for the new terminal from the Air Force to the Port of Everett. The transfer was completed in October 2013. Larsen also has advocated for federal funding for the Mukilteo Ferry Terminal, including in spending bills in 2007 and 2009.

Congress established the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) Discretionary Grant program in 2009 as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.