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 August 11, 2005 Highways act funds ferry projects President Bush yesterday signed into law the $286.4 billion Safe, Accountable, Flexible and Efficient Transportation Equity Act-Legacy for Users, or SAFETEA-LU. The legislation is the reauthorization of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) and sets surface transportation policy for highways, rail, buses and ferries for the next six years. SAFETEA-LU reauthorizes and also doubles the funding levels available for the Ferry Boat Discretionary Program. Funding will be at $38 million for Fiscal Year 2005 and rise to $67 million each year from 2006 to 2009. The funding level includes $20 million in set asides for Alaska ($10 million), New Jersey ($5 million) and Washington State ($5 million). Separately from the Ferry Boat Discretionary Program, starting Fiscal Year 2006, $10 million is set aside for ferries and ferry terminals in San Francisco, New York City, Philadelphia, Camden, N.J., and Rockland and Swans Island, Maine. A feature of the bill is the huge proportion of the funding that has been earmarked for specific projects. Except when such funding benefits ferries, this is called "pork." There's more detailed coverage on SAFETEA-LU in the current issue of Marine Log's FERRIES AND FAST CRAFT NEWS--including a table listing, state-by-state, funds earmarked for ferries and ferry terminals.the legislation is the reauthorization of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) and sets surface transportation policy for highways, rail, buses and ferries for the next six years. There's more detailed coverage on SAFETEA-LU in the current issue of Marine Log's FERRIES AND FAST CRAFT NEWS--including a table listing, state-by-state, funds earmarked for ferries and ferry terminals.
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