Electric or Low-Emitting Ferry Pilot Program

Federal Agency

Sub-Department

Federal Transit Administration (FTA)

Purpose

To purchase electric or low-emitting ferries and the electrification of or other reduction of emissions from existing ferries.

Applicant and/or Project Eligibility Requirements

Eligible applicants under this program are any eligible recipient of 5307 or 5311 funding, including the entity that operates ferry service that serves the State with the largest number of Marine Highway System miles and bi-State ferry services.

Decarbonization Considerations

This program explicitly intends to reduce emissions from ferries and ferry fleets.

Equity Considerations

Ferries provide transportation options to people in communities separated by water, and to people without personal automobiles. Ferries can be an important element of equitable, multimodal transit systems.

Helpful Tips

The Federal government will cover 85% (additional 5%) of the cost of leasing or purchasing a Clean Air Act (CAA) or Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ferry. Past recipients can be viewed here: https://www.transit.dot.gov/funding/grants/grant-programs/fta-ferry-grant-program-2022-selected-projects

Other Notes

At least one grant will serve the State with the largest number of Marine Highway System miles, and one grant will serve a bi-State ferry service (A) with an aging fleet; and (B) whose development will propose to advance the state of the technology toward increasing the range and capacity of zero emission power source ferries.