ST. GEORGE — The Staten Island Ferry will get an extra $3.2 million a year thanks to a transportation bill that restructured how federal money is allocated to ferry systems.
The five-year legislation, which was agreed on by House and Senate negotiators Tuesday, changes the formula for how public ferries are funded. The extra money can be used for construction and maintenance of ferry boats and terminals.
"This was a longshot, but by working collaboratively with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, we successfully increased funding for the Staten Island Ferry," Rep. Dan Donovan, who fought for the increase, said in a statement.
"I'm proud of this work and I will continue to partner with whomever necessary to advance the interests of our community and our city."
The bill, dubbed the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) act, restructured the funding to take the emphasis off on ferry service that can carry cars and distribute it more evenly.
Previously, 34 percent of the allocations were based on route mileage, 45 percent on the on vehicle ridership — which the Staten Island Ferry doesn't have — and 20 percent on passenger ridership, Donovan said.
The new bill changes the formula to 35 percent for both vehicle and passenger riderships and 30 percent for route mileage.
The FAST act also restored the previously cut public transportation funding to "high density" states across the country — which included more than $75 million per year for the MTA and Department of Transportation — and increased it by $11.5 million over the next five-years, Sen. Charles Schumer said.
"This is great news for New York City, Long Island and all of New York and a major victory for our regional transit agencies — because it means we have protected millions in critical transportation funding our agencies were set to receive over the next six years," Schumer said in a statement.
"With this funding, agencies like the MTA and NYCDOT will be able to continue operating and keeping passengers safe."
