Follow-up: Washington Ferries to get $7+ from the feds
The Seattle Times reported on July 16 that “Sen. Patty Murray, who describes herself as “furious” to learn Washington was virtually ignored on a list of federal stimulus grants to ferry projects this week, said Wednesday she’s been assured the state will receive an additional $7.6 million.
“Murray said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood told her it had been a mistake to allot Washington projects only $750,000 from a $60 million Recovery Act pool that Murray helped authorize in Congress.
“When she learned of the original allocation, Murray said, “I was shocked, and I called Secretary LaHood immediately and told him I couldn’t understand this,” the Washington Democrat said. “He did not have an answer.”
“Murray said LaHood called her back Wednesday, saying Washington would receive:
• $2.6 million toward the purchase of a prototype vessel for passenger-only service between Seattle and Bremerton.
• $3 million for the design of a replacement ferry terminal at Anacortes.
• $2 million toward purchase of a passenger ferry to be operated by King County between downtown and West Seattle.
“The only project in this state on the original list of allocations was $750,000 for construction of a terminal for the Guemes Island ferry, operated by Skagit County.
“The allocations announced Wednesday still fall far short of the $56 million Washington had sought. “We didn’t expect to get all the money we asked for, but we certainly expected to get more than we did” on the original list, said state Transportation Secretary Paula Hammond.”
To read the full story, go to http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009477599_webmurray15m.html
