The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announces the opportunity to apply for $216 million in competitive grants under the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Ferry Service for Rural Communities Program (FSRC) (Federal Assistance Listing #20.532). FSRC makes funding available competitively to assist in the financing of capital, planning, and operating assistance for eligible ferry services. This is a joint Notice of Funding
Opportunity (NOFO) and announces the
availability of FY 2024 funding for the
Passenger Ferry Grant Program
(Passenger Ferry Program), Electric or
Low-Emitting Ferry Pilot Program (LowNo Ferry Program), and Ferry Service
for Rural Communities Program (Rural
Ferry Program). All programs can be
found under Federal Assistance Listing:
20.532.
Federal public transportation law (49
U.S.C. 5307(h)) authorizes FTA to award
grants for passenger ferries through a
competitive process. The Passenger
Ferry Program provides funding to
designated recipients and direct
recipients under FTA’s Urbanized Area
Formula Program, as well as public
entities engaged in providing public
transportation passenger ferry service in
urban areas that are eligible to be direct
recipients. Projects funded under the
program will improve the condition and
quality of existing passenger ferry
services, support the establishment of
new passenger ferry services, and repair
and modernize ferry boats, terminals,
and related facilities and equipment.
Section 71102 of the Infrastructure
Investment and Jobs Act (also called the
‘‘Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’’ or
‘‘BIL’’) (Pub. L. 117–58) authorizes FTA
to award grants for electric or lowemitting ferries through a competitive
process, as described in this notice. The
Low-No Ferry Program is available to
any eligible designated or direct
recipient of FTA’s Urbanized Area
Formula Program or Formula Grants for
Rural Areas funding, including States
(including territories and Washington,
DC), local governmental authorities, and tribal governments. Grants will be
awarded under this program for the
purchase of electric or low-emitting
ferries, the electrification of or other
reduction of emissions from existing
ferries, and related charging or other
fueling infrastructure (for which the
applicants will maintain satisfactory
continuing control) to reduce emissions
or produce zero onboard emissions
under normal operation.
Section 71103 of the BIL authorizes
FTA to award grants for the Rural Ferry
Program through a competitive process,
as described in this notice. The Rural
Ferry Program provides funding for
capital, operating, and planning
expenses to States and territories for
ferry service to rural areas. Applicants
to this program are required to have
operated ferry public transportation
service on a regular schedule at any
time during the five-year period from
March 1, 2015, to March 1, 2020, and
operated at least one route segment of
more than 50 sailing (nautical) miles
between two rural areas.
The Department seeks to fund projects
that advance the Departmental priorities
of safety, equity, climate and
sustainability, workforce development,
job quality, and wealth creation as
described in the USDOT Strategic Plan,
Research, Development and Technology
Strategic Plan, and in executive orders.1