Federal Boat Program

Ferry Boat

Background

The Ferry Boat and Terminal Facilities Construction Program, also called the Ferry Boat Program, the Ferry Boat Formulaic Program and FBP, provides federal-aid to local agencies and Tribes with publicly owned and/or operated ferry and ferry terminal facilities that provide substantial public benefit.  Funding is based on Ferry Operator Census Data, which is gathered once every two years from the Ferry operators.  For more information regarding this important program please see the informational links below:

The Ferry Boat Program federal-aid highway funds are available, through the State transportation agencies, for designing and constructing ferry boats and for designing, acquiring right-of-way, constructing ferry terminal facilities, including ferry maintenance facilities, and other activities as described in the FBP Implementation Guidance (linked below). Ferry boats and terminal facilities that serve vehicular travel as links on public highways (other than Interstate highways), as well as ferry boats and terminals only serving passengers as a fixed route transit facility, may be eligible for certain types of Federal-aid highway funding.

FUNDING:

Funding available is based on preliminary eligibility information. Eligibility* must be verified by the FHWA Division prior to allocation.

When a project is ready to be obligated, and the division has confirmed that the ferry service and project are eligible, please submit an allocation request to this office to make the funds available in FMIS.  The request for allocation (or transfer) of funds should include the following six items:

  • Identify the operator,
  • identify the FY and amount of the requested FBP funding,
  • identify the purpose for which the funds will be used,
  • provide confirmation that the ferry operation is eligible, 
  • provide confirmation the project is eligible, and
  • provide confirmation the project is ready for obligation.

If the State DOT wants to transfer of FBP funds to another Federal agency for project implementation, in addition to the above six items, a form FHWA 1575c must be completed and submitted to this office, as well as confirmation from the receiving Federal agency the project is ready for obligation once the transfer is completed. 

Select the Fiscal Year below to view funding available for allocation or transfer:
https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/specialfunding/fbp/allocation.cfm

Below you will find more helpful documents and links:

For more information concerning this program contact:
Daniel Karavan
Emergency Relief and Other Federal Programs
Office of Federal Programs
Division of Local Assistance, Caltrans
Daniel.Karavan@dot.ca.gov
Mobile: (279)-599-2037