The U.S. Department of Transportation announced Wednesday that its Federal Highway Administration awarded the Washington State Department of Transportation’s Ferries Division a $5.1 million grant for a traveler information system aimed at enhancing “service reliability and customer experience,” according to a news release.
The announcement comes just days after federal officials promised more than $42 million in infrastructure money to the state’s ferry systems, including more than $38 million to Washington State Ferries.
The grant money is part of the FHWA’s Advanced Transportation and Congestion Management Technologies Deployment program, which funds projects using “intelligent transportation systems technologies that will improve mobility and safety, provide multimodal transportation options and support underserved communities,” the news release said.
The goal is to improve service reliability and increase ridership while adding to existing city and highway congestion data.
The WSF Terminal Wait Times Traveler Information System plans to use the grant money to design a terminal wait time system for customers.
“Washington’s project will explore advanced technologies to help travelers make better decisions on how and when to get to their destinations,” said Acting Federal Highway Administrator Stephanie Pollack.
“With these grants, the Biden-Harris Administration is helping communities deliver modern transportation systems that connect people to where they want to go more affordably, efficiently, and safely,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “We’re pleased to support these innovative solutions that will improve driving and public transit for Americans in urban, suburban, and rural areas alike.”