Balboa Island Ferry Gets $7.9M Grant To Continue Operations

NEWPORT BEACH, CA — The Balboa Island Ferry just got a much-needed cash infusion, after the ferry received a preliminary $7.9 million grant from the California Air Resources Board that will be used to transition the ferry to a zero-emission operation.

The grant was announced Monday by Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley.

According to Foley, the ferry was at risk of closure due to state law the requires all short-run ferries in California to transition to zero-emission operation by Dec. 31, 2025.

"After meeting with the Beek family, the longtime owners and operators of the Balboa Island Ferry, my office coordinated a bipartisan working group to save the ferry," Foley said. "Our working group pooled together resources and identified grant opportunities for the ferry to ensure this critical infrastructure remained functional after 2025."

Foley said she wrote a letter to the California Air Resources Board in 2023 to request funding and an extension to comply with the Dec. 31, 2025 timeline.

"The Balboa Island Ferry reduces vehicle miles traveled by 4.2 million annually, and this grant funding will allow the ferry to continue providing the necessary, and greener, services for our residents and tourists for many years to come," Foley said.