Peninsula Daily News News Sources
OLYMPIA — U.S. Sen. Patty Murray said Wednesday she has secured $7.6 million more in federal money for Washington state’s ferry system, a day after the state was snubbed in an initial announcement of stimulus grants.
Murray, D-Freeland, said that U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood told her it was an oversight that the state only got one original grant — for $750,000.
The U.S. Department of Transportation says the new money announced Wednesday is not stimulus money, but separate federal money.
Washington state’s grants were denied because the projects were not in areas that were considered economically distressed, which was required under the stimulus formula, officials said.
State Transportation Secretary Paula Hammond said the state and county ferry systems applied for 11 grants for various projects that totaled about $56 million.
Washington has the largest ferry system in the nation.
But initially, of the 19 states and one U.S. territory that received ferry money,
Washington received more than only Arkansas and Kentucky.
Michigan received the most ferry money, with two grants worth $8.3 million.
Maine was next, with two grants totaling $6.8 million, and New York received $6.5 million in two grants.
Washington’s only initial grant was for a new ferry terminal for Guemes Island in Skagit County.
Now the state will receive additional money for three other projects — $3 million for replacing the Anacortes state ferry terminal, $2 million for the King County Ferry District’s fledgling passenger-only system and $2.6 million for Kitsap Transit’s Seattle-Bremerton passenger-only fast ferry prototype vessel procurement, according to Murray’s office.
Last week, LaHood was in Washington state and rode a ferry from Seattle to Bremerton with Rep. Norm Dicks, D-Belfair, whose congressional district includes the North Olympic Peninsula, and Gov. Chris Gregoire, a Democrat.
LaHood was in Washington state to celebrate stimulus money sent here for light rail and the opening of a new tunnel at the Bremerton ferry terminal.
“When you talk about economic recovery in Washington state you’re talking about ferries,” Murray said in a prepared statement.
“They get people to work, keep businesses moving and keep our economy going.”
