Senator Murray secures nearly $30 Million for ferries in WA | Murray made WA ferries eligible for rural ferry grants for first time ever

Murray authored and passed new language into law to make Washington state eligible for rural ferry grants for the first time ever

Murray leads efforts to fund federal support for urban and rural ferry funding streams

Murray has supported both the Passenger Ferry Grant Program and Rural Ferry Grant Program since both were established

||| FROM THE OFFICE OF  U.S. SENATOR PATTY MURRAY |||

Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced $22.1 million for King County Metro Transit, and $7.2 million for Washington State Ferries. The funding will support expanding a passenger-only ferry facility in Seattle and operations of rural ferry routes from Anacortes to the San Juan Islands, and Port Townsend to Coupeville. The funding comes from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA)’s Passenger Ferry and Rural Ferry Grant Programs.

“Like so many in Washington state, ferries are a part of my commute, so I know firsthand just how important they are so we can get around to work, a doctor’s appointment, or anywhere else we need to go,” said Senator Murray. “This funding will help make sure ferries are running on time, getting the necessary upgrades, and serving passengers for years to come. We actually use ferries in Washington state not just for tourism, but in our daily lives—so as Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee I wrote our funding bills in a way to make sure they work for and benefit Washington state. Now, for the first time ever, Washington state is receiving funding from the rural ferry grant program—and I’ll be working to keep building on this progress.”

In the FY26 transportation funding bill, Senator Murray secured $25 million for the Passenger Ferry Grant Program, which is $5 million above last year’s funding level. Washington State Ferries has successfully competed for funding through this program before.

Senator Murray also secured $20 million for the Rural Ferry Grant Program, and—importantly—authored new language in the funding bill she negotiated to ensure Washington State Ferries can compete for this funding and applied this new language to prior fiscal year funding that remained available for rural ferry grants.

The Rural Ferry Grant Program was recently established as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, legislation Murray helped pass as then-Assistant Democratic Leader.