[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 96 (Thursday, June 26, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8734-S8735]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mrs. MURRAY (for herself, Mrs. Boxer, Ms. Cantwell, Mrs. 
        Clinton, Mr. Corzine, Mr. Edwards, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. Kennedy, 
        Mr. Lautenberg, Mr. Schumer, and Mr. Hollings):
  S. 1345. A bill to extend the authorization for the ferry boat 
discretionary program, and for other purposes; to the Committee on 
Environment and Public Works.
  Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce legislation 
that will greatly enhance Federal participation in financing and 
improving our Nation's ferry transportation system.
  Today I am introducing the Ferry Transportation Enhancement Act. I am 
proud to have Senators Boxer, Cantwell, Corzine, Clinton, Edwards, 
Feinstein, Hollings, Kennedy, Lautenberg, and Schumer as original 
cosponsors. This bill will provide significantly more resources to 
state governments, public ferry systems, and public entities 
responsible for developing facilities for ferries.
  Specifically, the bill would: provide $150 million a year for the 
Federal Highway Administration's Ferry Boat Discretionary Program for 
fiscal years 2004 through 2009. This is approximately four times the 
$38 million a year that is currently being provided under this program; 
add ``ferry maintenance facilities'' to the list of allowable use of 
funds under this program; add ``ferries'' to the Clean Fuels Program; 
establish a Ferry Joint Program Office to coordinate Federal programs 
affecting ferry boat and ferry facility construction, maintenance, and 
operations and to promote ferry service as a component of the Nation's 
transportation system; establish an information database on ferry 
systems, routes, vessels, passengers and vehicles carried; and 
establish an institute for ferries to conduct R&D, conduct training 
programs, encourage collaborative efforts to promote ferry service, and 
preserve historical information. This will parallel institutes that now 
exist for highways, transit, and rail.
  Currently, the Federal investment in ferries is only one-tenth of one 
percent of the total Surface Transportation Program. There is virtually 
no coordination at the Federal level to encourage and promote ferries 
as there are for other modes of transportation.
  We need better coordinated ferry services because it's the sole means 
of surface transportation in many areas of the country, including 
Hawaii, Alaska and my home State of Washington.
  Ferries are also the preferred, and the only feasible, method of 
commuting from home to work in places like Washington State, New York/
New Jersey, North Carolina, Hawaii and Alaska.
  Finally, in many States--like my home State of Washington--they are 
an important part of the tourism industry and represent a part of our 
cultural identity.
  The symbol of ferries moving people and vehicles on the waterways of 
the Puget Sound is as much a part of our cultural identity as 
computers, coffee, commercial aircraft and the Washington Apple.
  Ferry use is growing.
  In Washington State our ferry system--the Nation's largest--currently 
transports 26 million passengers each year and carries 11 million 
vehicles.
  Other systems that serve New York/New Jersey, North Carolina, San 
Francisco, and Alaska also have significant numbers of passengers using 
the ferries.
  The Nation's six largest ferry systems carried 73 million people and 
13 million vehicles last year.
  The growth projection for ferry use is very high. For these larger 
systems, it is projected that by 2009 there will be a 14-percent 
increase in passengers and a 17-percent increase in vehicles being 
carried by ferries compared to 2002.
  In San Francisco, that projection is a 46-percent increase.
  It is clear that many people are using ferries and more will be using 
them in the future.
  This is all with very little help from the Federal Government.
  Our investment in ferries pails in comparison to the Federal 
investments in highways and other forms of mass transit.
  Our bill would provide the needed funding for these growing systems 
for new ferry boat construction, for ferry facilities and terminals, 
and for maintenance facilities.
  The bill also would make ferries eligible under the Clean Fuels 
Program.
  Like busses, ferries are a form of mass transit that is 
environmentally cleaner than mass use of cars and trucks. Making them 
eligible for the Clean Fuels Program will encourage boat makers to 
design cleaner and more efficient vessels in the future. This will make 
ferry travel an even more environmentally friendly means of 
transportation than it already is today.
  Finally, setting up a Ferry Joint Program Office, keeping track of 
ferry statistics, and establishing a National Ferry Institute will 
increase the profile of ferries as part of our Nation's infrastructure 
and provide a method to analyze and research ways to improve their use.
  In the end, I hope this proposal can be included in the TEA-21 
Reauthorization.
  Ferries are an important part of our Nation's transportation 
infrastructure.

[[Page S8735]]

This bill recognizes their importance by providing the resources and 
support they need to grow and serve passengers.
  I urge the Senate support this bill, and I look forward to working 
with my colleagues to see it passed.
                                 ______