SEATTLE — Exciting news for Kitsap Transit as a new ferry sails into their fleet.
The agency got a big chunk of change today, $13.5 million to be exact, to replace one of their old vessels. The money comes from the Federal Transit Administration’s Passenger Ferry Grant Program and 2024 fiscal year funding bills.
Washington has cashed in on that program before, and with today’s chunk, the state has now received about 26% of the funds available in that ferry grant program.
Senator Maria Cantwell wrote a letter in support of the grant application to the Department of Transportation, saying, “More than 270,000 Kitsap County residents count on the ferry system 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. As ridership on Kitsap Transit’s fast ferries soars, this new ferry will deliver the world-class service and reliability Washingtonians deserve.”
While there is no word yet as to when Washington will see that new ferry, it is set to replace the MV Finest on the Kingston-Seattle route.