US transportation secretary Sean Duffy has announced US$175m (c.£128m) in funding under the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Ferry Boat Program (FBP).
The formula funding will seek to improve ferry services and provide more cost-effective travel options for communities across the country that rely on ferries to get to work, promote tourism, and enable commerce.
The funding is eligible to construct and operate ferry boats, ferry terminals, and ferry maintenance facilities for both ferry boats carrying cars for 35 states, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands and American Samoa.
Passengers and ferry boats carrying passengers are also included only if service is on a public route on which it is not feasible to build a bridge or tunnel.
FHWA’s Ferry Boat Program seeks to improve mobility and helps fill a transportation gap by funding ferry boat projects that provide critical access to areas that lack other means of transport and where high passenger demand already exists.
The improvements made possible by this program can increase ridership and help relieve congestion on nearby highways.
The federal-aid highway formula funds are distributed to ferry operators through state departments of transportation.
This is for the acquisition of ferry boats, capital improvements to existing ferry boat facilities, operational costs of ferry operators, and, if ferry operator eligibility requirements are met, for designing and constructing new ones along with acquiring right-of-way.
Duffy said: “We make life easier when we make the transportation of people and products smoother.
“In places like Alaska, our maritime highways are critical arteries for commuters and regional supply chains.”
Achievements and innovations in river services will be recognised and celebrated at the fourth annual CiTTi Awards on 25 November 2025 at De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in London. Visit www.cittiawards.co.uk to learn more about this unmissable event for the UK’s transportation sector!
