{"id":2341751,"date":"2024-09-16T10:27:06","date_gmt":"2024-09-16T14:27:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/kitsap-transit-awarded-13-5-million-federal-grant-for-new-fast-ferry-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-09-16T10:36:32","modified_gmt":"2024-09-16T14:36:32","slug":"kitsap-transit-awarded-13-5-million-federal-grant-for-new-fast-ferry-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/kitsap-transit-awarded-13-5-million-federal-grant-for-new-fast-ferry-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Kitsap Transit awarded $13.5 million federal grant for new fast ferry &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">28<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fkitsap-transit-awarded-13-5-million-federal-grant-for-new-fast-ferry-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2341751&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Kitsap Transit has been awarded a $13.5 million federal grant to \u2062purchase a new fast ferry for the Kingston-Seattle route, addressing the urgent need to replace their outdated vessel, the \u200cM\/V Finest. The \u2062funding, provided through the Federal Transit\u2064 Administration&#8217;s Passenger Ferry Grant program, covers nearly\u2064 80% of the $17.5 million total\u200b cost. Kitsap Transit will contribute about $4\u2062 million to the project. <\/p>\n<p>The current ferry,\u200b which \u2062can\u2062 carry 349 passengers, \u200chas experienced\u2064 frequent breakdowns,\u2063 including a recent \u200dfive-day suspension of service due to a \u2062water jet malfunction. U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell played a significant role in securing this grant, emphasizing the ferry service&#8217;s\u2063 importance\u200b to over 270,000 residents in\u200d Kitsap County. <\/p>\n<p>While ridership has notably increased since the pandemic, it will take\u200d several years before the new ferry is \u2063operational due to various logistical \u200dsteps, including\u2063 finalizing vessel\u200b specifications and construction bidding. Additionally, the potential impact of an upcoming state initiative related to\u2063 carbon auction revenues may affect funding for future transit projects.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Kitsap Transit awarded $13.5 million federal grant for new fast ferry<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1761383\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>(The Center Square) &ndash; Kitsap Transit is set to receive $13.5 million in federal funding to replace the aging fast ferry that serves the Kingston-Seattle route.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>The funding comes from the Federal Transit Administration&rsquo;s Passenger Ferry Grant program, covering almost 80% of the $17.5 million cost to purchase a replacement vessel. Kitsap Transit is contributing about $4 million.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;This funding allows us to buy a new boat to operate a route that has been running with a backup vessel &ndash; M\/V Finest &ndash; that is older and has had to go out of service repeatedly for multiple issues,&rdquo; Executive Director John Clauson said in a&nbsp;news release.<\/p>\n<p>The agency had to suspend sailings on the route for five days due to a breakdown.<\/p>\n<p>The 349-passenger Finest &ndash; its hull and engines at or near the end of their useful life &ndash; suffered a water jet malfunction last month, forcing Kitsap Transit to temporarily halt the Kingston-Seattle route.<\/p>\n<p>To extend the functional lifespan of the Finest would cost between $14 million and $17 million, according to Kitsap Transit.<\/p>\n<p>U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/tester-advocated-for-montana-tech-executives-who-donated-to-campaign-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"Tester advocated for Montana tech executives who donated to campaign - Washington Examiner\">helped secure federal funding<\/a> for a new ferry.<\/p>\n<p>Cantwell &ndash; who is chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, &amp; Transportation &ndash; wrote a July&nbsp;letter&nbsp;to U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in support of the grant application.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;More than 270,000 Kitsap County residents count on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/dozens-of-unvaccinated-wash-state-ferry-workers-set-to-be-fired\/\" title=\"Dozens of unvaccinated Wash. State ferry workers set to be fired\">ferry system<\/a> to get them to work, school, doctor appointments, sports and cultural events, and more. This grant will replace a 25-year-old fast ferry that broke down just last month with a new eco-friendly vessel on the Kingston-Seattle route,&rdquo;&nbsp;Cantwell said in a news release.<\/p>\n<p>According to a January&nbsp;report&nbsp;put out by the agency, Kitsap Transit&rsquo;s passenger-only ferries carried more than 1 million passengers in 2023, a 37% jump over ridership in 2022, as demand rebounded after the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n<p>Kitsap Transit expects to carry more passengers this year, as its fast ferry system transported 40,800 more riders in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the first quarter of 2023.<\/p>\n<p>But it will be several years before a new ferry can be put into service.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We need to finalize the vessel&rsquo;s specifications, receive the Kitsap Transit Board&rsquo;s permission to go out for construction bids, advertise the bids, award a contract, wait for shipyard availability, and manage any issues that arise during the construction of a new vessel,&rdquo; explained Sanjay Bhatt, Kitsap Transit&rsquo;s marketing and public information director.<\/p>\n<p>Another factor:&nbsp;Initiative 2117&nbsp;to overturn the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/no-spike-in-florida-coronavirus-cases-despite-no-mask-mandate\/\" title=\"No Spike in Florida Coronavirus Cases Despite No Mask Mandate\">state&#038;rsquo<\/a>;s nascent Climate Commitment Act that requires the Department of Ecology to hold carbon allowance auctions. Voters will decide I-2117 this November.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The outcome of Initiative 2117 would have a definite impact on future revenue for transit projects, so that impact would also need to be taken into consideration,&rdquo; Bhatt said.<\/p>\n<p>According to the Department of Ecology&rsquo;s&nbsp;website, carbon auction revenue is eligible to go to emissions reductions programs for ferries.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>A new ferry would incorporate cleaner diesel engines and could resemble Kitsap Transit&rsquo;s bow-loading vessels Enetai and Commander, each with a 250-passenger capacity.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Once a new vessel is delivered, we typically need several months for testing, Coast Guard certification, and crew training before it&rsquo;s ready to put into service,&rdquo; Bhatt continued, adding that a new ferry wouldn&rsquo;t set sail until at least 2027.<\/p>\n<p>The aluminum-hulled catamaran fast passenger ferry Finest has something of a storied history.<\/p>\n<p>It was built at&nbsp;Derecktor Shipyards in 1997 for New York Fast Ferry Services. Finest is a former&nbsp;NY Waterway&nbsp;vessel that, at one point, provided service from the Massachusetts mainland to Martha&rsquo;s Vineyard and Nantucket.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The ship is perhaps best known for helping to evacuate lower Manhattan during the Sept. 11, 2001, attack on New York City that saw terrorists fly commercial airliners into the World Trade Center. It was the second vessel to arrive on the scene.<\/p>\n<p>Kitsap Transit has owned and operated the vessel on a Kingston-Seattle route since 2018.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1761383\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1761383\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Kitsap Transit has been granted $13.5 million in federal funding to replace its old fast ferry that operates on the Kingston-Seattle route. This financial support, sourced from the Federal Transit Administration&#8217;s Passenger Ferry Grant program, will cover nearly 80% of the total $17.5 million needed for a new vessel, with Kitsap Transit contributing approximately $4 million. Executive Director John Clauson stated that this funding enables them to acquire a new boat to replace the aging M\/V Finest, which has frequently gone out of service due to various issues and recently caused a five-day suspension of sailings after a breakdown. The current ferry can carry 349 passengers but is nearing the end of its operational life; repairs would cost between $14 million and $17 million according to Kitsap Transit estimates.<\/p>\n<p>U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell played a key role in securing this federal grant by advocating for it in a letter addressed to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. She emphasized that over 270,000 residents in Kitsap County rely on this ferry system for essential travel needs such as work and medical appointments, highlighting the importance of replacing the outdated vessel with an environmentally friendly option.<\/p>\n<p>In 2023, Kitsap Transit&#8217;s passenger-only ferries transported over one million riders\u2014a significant increase compared to previous years as ridership rebounded post-pandemic\u2014and they anticipate even higher numbers moving forward. However, it will take several years before the new ferry is operational due to necessary steps like finalizing specifications and managing construction timelines.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, there are concerns regarding Initiative 2117 which aims to repeal Washington&#8217;s Climate Commitment Act affecting future transit project revenues; voters will decide on this initiative in November. The upcoming ferry is expected to feature cleaner diesel engines and may resemble existing vessels like Enetai and Commander that each hold up to 250 passengers.<\/p>\n<p>Once delivered, there will be several months required for testing and certification before it can enter service\u2014meaning it&#8217;s unlikely any new vessel would be operational until at least 2027. The current fast passenger ferry M\/V Finest has an interesting history; built in 1997 for New York Fast Ferry Services, it was involved in evacuating lower Manhattan during the September 11 attacks before being acquired by Kitsap Transit in 2018 for its current route<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2341752,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/iStock-1058269468-1024x683.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[40984,40983,40982,40985],"class_list":["post-2341751","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-fast-ferry","tag-federal-grant","tag-kitsap-transit","tag-transportation-funding"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/iStock-1058269468-1024x683.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2341751","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2341751"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2341751\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2341752"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2341751"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2341751"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2341751"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}