The Captain Neal Burgess departing Rockland for North Haven as the Everett Libby arrives from Vinalhaven. (Maine DOT photo)
The Maine Department of Transportation will receive $16.6 million in federal dollars to modernize rural ferry terminals in the northeast portion of the state.
The terminals in Lincolnville and Islesboro were built in 1959 and will receive safety enhancements and other improvements to support the future operation of hybrid ferries, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration.
“These investments are critical to maintaining the safety and reliability of our fleet while fighting against climate change,” said Joyce Taylor, chief engineer at the Maine DOT.
The money is part of nearly $300 million in federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding that the Biden administration is using to modernize ferry systems across the nation and lower carbon emissions by adopting low- or zero-emissions vessels. The grants were announced by the FTA’s Acting Administrator Veronica Vanterpool Monday afternoon in Rhode Island.
At the event, Taylor highlighted the state’s efforts to fight climate change and maintain connections with island communities. She said the state is exploring how to rely less on fossil fuels when replacing older Maine State Ferry Service vessels, which operate year-round between the midcoast region and six islands in Penobscot and Blue Hill bays.
Taylor went on to say that FTA funding allowed for the construction of the first hybrid diesel-electric ferry for the Maine State Ferry Service, which is named the Captain Almer Dinsmore. Additionally, FTA dollars have allowed Maine to pursue a second hybrid vessel, which the state expects to accept construction proposals for later this year, she added.
However, that lower emission technology will require upgrades to shoreside infrastructure, which is what the funding announced Monday should help with. Taylor said the latest grant, in addition to FTA funding awarded last year, will allow the Maine State Ferry Service to modernize charging and other infrastructure at the two terminals to support those vessels.
Maine is among 14 states to receive new ferry funding. Maine’s grant comes from the FTA’s Ferry Service for Rural Communities Program, which provides resources to states to ensure essential ferry services are provided in rural areas.
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