9 8 Photo: City of Berkley COMMENTARY Not everyone knows that the USA federal government’s infrastructure bill includes a $1.6 billion funding allocation for projects related to ferry services. Private-sector contractors should take a moment to check out some of the upcoming projects designed to amplify ferry services throughout the USA. In California, public officials are pursuing well-funded initiatives to improve ferry operations along the Pacific Coast. Recently, the city of Berkeley and California’s Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA) completed a joint feasibility study related to local ferry services. The study examined a $93 million project with the objective of building new pier and ferry facilities in Berkeley. The project is moving into the design and permitting stages, and solicitation documents are soon to be made publicly available. Nearby, WETA is partnering with the Port of San Francisco and other local agencies to carry out work on the joint Mission Bay Ferry Landing project. The first phase of this project included marine clean-up work, which is now completed. The second phase carries a budget of $58.8 million for design and construction work. New York City’s Department of Transportation (NYCDOT) owns and operates the Staten Island Ferry and interacts with other city agencies and private ferry operators to promote use of the waterways for transportation. The upcoming opportunities in the New York area that are related to ferry services focus on the bicoastal need to improve ferry services. State officials have allocated $433 million for projects that include reconstruction, new construction and upgrades for ferry services. From that initial pool of funding, the state has earmarked $88 million to build new vessels over the course of 2022. NYCDOT staff hopes to put that plan in motion with an April 2022 solicitation for the estimated $24 million project. NYCDOT also expects to issue a request for qualifications soon for construction partners for a Staten Island Ferry Facility Flood Protection project. Based on the responses, the agency will Funding influx for ferry projects Strategic Partnerships’ Mary Scott Nabers outlines how cities, public transportation agencies and other organisations are improving ferry services across the USA with the help of federal funding MARY SCOTT NABERS Mary Scott Nabers is president and CEO of Strategic Partnerships, a business development company specialising in government contracting and procurement consulting for public transportation and more across the USA. The city of Berkeley and WETA are in the process of designing new pier and ferry facilities in Berkeley, California
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