Evergreen Reporter

Mukilteo, WA – On July 6, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, joined Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg to tour the Mukilteo Ferry Terminal and discuss recent efforts to modernize and electrify Washington’s ferry system, which is the largest in the nation. Senator Murray highlighted the $11.6 million in funding she recently secured to improve and electrify the Washington State Department of Transportation’s (WSDOT) ferry fleet.

On the tour, Senator Murray and Secretary Buttigieg were joined by Governor Jay Inslee, First Spouse Trudi Inslee, Congressman Rick Larsen (D, WA-02), and Washington State Representative Dave Paul (LD 10). During the tour, they heard from Tulalip Tribes Chairwoman Teri Gobin, Washington Secretary of Transportation Roger Millar, and Washington State Ferries (WSF) Chief of Staff Nicole McIntosh, who spoke about the history of the site, the state-of-the-art terminal—which was crafted with support from Tribes and Native artists—and the importance of making Washington’s ferry fleet more efficient and environmentally sustainable. 

“Like so many in Washington state, ferries are a part of my commute, so I know first-hand just how important it is that they are running on schedule to get people where they need to be,” said Senator Murray. “That’s why, over the years, I’ve made it a priority to secure federal funding to help WSDOT expand and improve their service—most recently to help achieve their goal of electrifying the entire Washington State Ferry system, because, with the largest ferry system in the country, electrifying the transportation industry bit by bit will make a big difference as we work to curb emissions and build a stronger clean energy economy.”

“People understand that transportation means trains, planes and automobiles — it also means ferries, and there are tens of thousands of people a day who really depend on facilities like the Ferry Terminal here in Mukilteo,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “Thanks to Senator Murray and Rep. Larsen’s leadership in passing the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we’re investing big to make ferry service cleaner and more efficient with modern electric ferries. This funding is going to make a big difference for ferry commuters across Washington state — and there’s no substitute for seeing it firsthand.”

“It has been incredibly exciting to watch the progress of our efforts to electrify Washington’s ferry system, which is the largest public ferry system in the nation,” said Governor Inslee. “This level of innovation has been possible thanks to the partnership and support of our local and federal partners, and Washington’s stellar congressional delegation.”

“In the Pacific Northwest, ferries are a necessity – not a luxury,” said Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-02), the lead Democrat on the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee. “Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, states like Washington are making the commitment to cleaner and greener passenger ferry fleets and shoreside infrastructure to reduce pollution, create more jobs, and keep people and the economy moving. I will continue to work with Secretary Buttigieg to fully implement the BIL’s historic provisions to ensure Puget Sound benefits from this movement toward a cleaner and greener transportation network.”

The new Mukilteo Multimodal Ferry Terminal opened in December 2020. It was the first new terminal to open in 40 years and services the second-busiest ferry route in the state—with nearly 4 million passengers each year. Senator Murray helped to secure $4.9 million from the Fiscal Year 2022 spending package to construct an electric charging station on the Clinton side of the Mukilteo-Clinton ferry route through the Federal Transit Administration (FTA)’s Electric or Low-Emitting Ferry Pilot Program and the Passenger Ferry Grant Program.

Senator Murray has long fought to prioritize investments into WSF and ferry systems nationwide. In last year’s spending package, Senator Murray successfully fought to increase investments for the Passenger Ferry Grant Program, including a minimum of $5 million set-aside for low or zero-emission ferries. Senator Murray also helped secure record funding for ferries in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which included $2.5 billion for ferry boats and terminal infrastructure, including $250 million over five years for low or zero emission ferries and more than $17 billion for port and waterway infrastructure. Earlier this year, Senator Murray announced $11.6 million in funding for the improvement and electrification of the WSDOT ferry fleet.

Original source can be found here.