Over 7 millions of dollars are expected to be invested on delivering a hybrid-electric ferry to Governors Island in New York City. The new craft is the most recent development in continuous attempts to combat climate change, and it is anticipated to cut the Big Apple’s carbon dioxide emissions by 800 tons annually.
The city’s first public hybrid electric boat is slated to start serving New Yorkers from Lower Manhattan to Governors Island next summer. It is anticipated to carry up to a million passengers when it begins operating, running on batteries with a diesel backup.
The U.S. Transportation Authority’s $7.5 million grant is a portion of a larger $10 million award meant to finance the city’s ferry operations. An extra $3 million will go toward the Staten Island ferry’s off-site storage facility.
“This federal grant from the Biden administration will help bring a state-of-the-art, electric ferry to our waters — reducing emissions, supporting green infrastructure, and furthering New York City’s the commitment to lead in the area of climate resiliency,” Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer stated on Friday.
“Building this infrastructure will significantly reduce emissions, decrease maintenance costs, improve reliability of ferry service for passengers, and provide significant improvements in air quality for residents of Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn,” said U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand said in a press release.
The hybrid-electric boat is just one of the many projects the nation’s most populous metropolis is implementing to reduce its carbon impact. Building owners in the city are anticipated to start adhering to a new climate rule next year in order to cut carbon emissions, and by 2030, all Uber and Lyft cars operating in the city are supposed to be carbon-free.
