Image (C) Architect of the Capitol
Congressman John Garamendi (D-Calif.) and U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash) have launched the “Ferry Service Expansion Act,” searching for vital further funding for quite a lot of packages — together with the retrofit of present diesel-powered ferries
“With rising sea levels due to man-made climate change and increasing congestion on our bridges, I strongly support expanding ferry service across the Bay Area,” stated Rep. Garamendi. “I am thrilled to partner with Senator Murray from Washington State on this much-needed legislation to improve ferry service for commuters and visitors alike. Our Ferry Service Expansion Act would provide more federal funding to help retrofit diesel WETA ferries to reduce emissions and eventually replace the entire Bay Area fleet with zero-emission ferries built by skilled American workers.”
Specifically, the “Ferry Service Expansion Act” would:
- Increase funding for each the Federal Highway Administration’s components and the Federal Transit Administration’s aggressive grant packages to the degrees requested by the Public Ferry Coalition.
- Provide $640 million whole from fiscal years 2023 to 2026 in components grants from the Federal Highway Administration’s Ferry Boats and Ferry Terminal Facilities Formula Program, a $180 million improve over present regulation.
- Provide $450 million whole from fiscal years 2023 to 2026 in aggressive grant packages from the Federal Transit Administration’s Passenger Ferry Grant Program, a $300 million improve over present regulation.
- Provide a one-time $1.25 billion funding in federal transit funding for passenger ferries serving urbanized areas like San Francisco-Oakland and Seattle.
- Allow States to make use of their federal Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBG) for hovercraft ferry tasks. Under present regulation, solely “watercraft” ferry tasks can be found, not hovercraft performing the very same overwater transit service. In December 2020, the Bay Area Council launched a feasibility research for using hovercraft to supply ferry service within the South Bay.
- Make all Census Bureau-designated rural areas nationwide eligible for Ferry Service for Rural Communities Program established beneath 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (Public Law 117–58).
- Make the 85% federal price share everlasting for the alternative or retrofit of diesel-powered ferries to considerably cut back emissions. Under present regulation, this extra beneficiant federal price share will finish after fiscal 12 months 2025. The regular price share is 80% for toll roads, bridge, tunnels, and ferry tasks.
- Apply “Buy American” and Davis-Bacon prevailing wage necessities to the 2 newly approved ferry grant packages established beneath the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
- Make privately operated passenger ferries eligible to register Capital Construction Funds with the Maritime Administration (MARAD), which permit vessel operators to forgo paying federal enterprise taxes on such vessels offered all that forgone tax fee is reinvested in setting up new U.S.-flagged vessels in American shipyards. Under present regulation, solely cargo vessels and business fishing boats are eligible for this particular tax exemption.
More on the Ferry Service Expansion Act here
