42 Local Elected Officials Sign FERRIES Act Support Letter
PSRC sent a letter signed by 42 local elected officials in support of the FERRIES Act (H.R. 7774) to Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee leadership, requesting that the legislation be included in the upcoming Surface Transportation Reauthorization.
The FERRIES Act was introduced by Representative Emily Randall (WA-06) and a bipartisan group of lawmakers from the ferry caucus in early March. The bill would significantly increase funding for federal ferry programs, including the Passenger Ferry Grant Program, the Rural Ferry Grant Program, the Electric/Low Emission Ferry Grant Program and the Ferry Boat Program. The legislation would also redefine the eligibility for certain federal ferry programs, allowing operators like Washington State Ferries to access more funding sources.
For more information, please see Congresswoman Randall’s press release and the Federal Ferry Caucus.
Support Letter Text:
Dear Senator Cruz, Senator Capito, Representative Graves, Senator Cantwell, Senator Whitehouse and Representative Larsen:
We are local elected officials from the Puget Sound region writing in support of the Federal Enhancement and Revitalization of Reliable Infrastructure for Essential Seaways (FERRIES) Act (H.R. 7774).
The FERRIES Act would provide up to $550 million per year for the Federal Transit Administration Passenger Ferry Grant Program, up to $550 million per year for the Rural Ferry Grant Program, $240 million per year for the Electric/Low Emission Ferry Program and $260 million for FY 2026 for the Federal Highway Administration Ferry Boat Program. This bill would set aside 20 percent of the funds for the Rural Ferry Grant Program for rural areas with no minimum distance requirement. The FERRIES Act would also allow ferry operators that service both urban and rural areas to be eligible for the Passenger Ferry Grant Program and the Rural Ferry Grant Program.
This bill would impact our communities by providing much needed flexibility for ferry program applications, meaning more ferry operators will be able to access funding from either the Passenger Ferry Grant Program or the Rural Ferry Grant Program. We are supportive of this legislation because ferry service is vital for the Puget Sound region and supporting this service is incredibly costly. Our communities rely on ferry services and additional funding is needed to properly maintain the vessels and terminals, support day-to-day operations, modernize fleets and replace aging boats.
We respectfully request that the FERRIES Act be included in the upcoming Surface Transportation Reauthorization. Thank you for your consideration and attention to this important matter.
Sincerely,
Counties
Jefferson
Commissioner Heather Dudley-Nollette
King
Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda
Kitsap
Commissioner Christine Rolfes
Commissioner Oran Root
Commissioner Katie Walters
Pierce
Executive Ryan Mello
Councilmember Jani Hitchen
San Juan
Councilmember Jane Fuller
Councilmember Kari McVeigh
Councilmember Justin Paulsen
Snohomish
Executive Dave Somers
Councilmember Megan Dunn
Cities
Anacortes
Mayor Ryan Walters
Arlington
Mayor Don Vanney
Bainbridge Island
Councilmember Kirsten Hytopoulos
Councilmember Lara Lant
Councilmember Ashley Mathews
Councilmember Mike Nelson
Councilmember Leslie Schneider
Bremerton
Mayor Greg Wheeler
Council President Jane Rebelowski
Councilmember Christy Cammarata
Councilmember Jennifer Chamberlain
Councilmember Denise Frey
Councilmember Michael Goodnow
Councilmember Anna Mockler
Councilmember Rick Tift
Edmonds
Councilmember Susan Paine
Monroe
Mayor Pro Tem Jacob Walker
Mountlake Terrace
Mayor Pro Tem Bryan Wahl
Port Orchard
Mayor Robert Putaansuu
Poulsbo
Mayor Ed Stern
Councilmember Gary McVey
Redmond
Council President Melissa Stuart
Seattle
Councilmember Rob Saka
Stanwood
Mayor Sid Roberts
Ports
Port of Bremerton
Commissioner Cary Bozeman
Port of Everett
Commissioner Tom Stiger
Port of Seattle
Commissioner Ryan Calkins
Commissioner Fred Felleman
Transit Agencies
Kitsap Transit
Executive John Clauson
Public Utility Districts
Kitsap Public Utility District
Commissioner Debra Lester