OLYMPIA — U.S. Sen. Patty Murray said Wednesday she has secured $7.6 million more in federal money for Washington state’s ferry system, a day after the state was snubbed in an initial announcement of stimulus grants.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced $60 million in federal stimulus for the nation’s ferries on Tuesday, but Washington state — which has the largest ferry system in the nation — only received one grant for $750,000.

Murray, a Democrat, immediately called for a review of the decision.

The U.S. Department of Transportation says the new money announced Wednesday is not stimulus money, but separate federal money. Washington state’s grants were denied because the projects were not in areas that were considered economically distressed, which was required under the stimulus formula, officials said.

“They did not take into account appropriately the number of people who use our ferries every day for getting to work, getting their kids to school,” and getting necessary goods and services, Murray said Wednesday. “When you invest this money into a ferry that actually gets people to work, it’s a stronger investment for the country.”

State Transportation Secretary Paula Hammond said the state and county ferry systems applied for 11 grants for various projects that totaled about $56 million.

But of the 19 states and one U.S. territory that received ferry money, Washington received more than only Arkansas and Kentucky.

Michigan received the most ferry money, with two grants worth $8.3 million. Maine was next, with two grants totaling $6.8 million, and New York received $6.5 million in two grants.

Washington’s only initial grant was for a new ferry terminal for Guemes Island in Skagit County.

Now the state will receive additional money for three other projects, including a new passenger-only ferry from Seattle to Bremerton and a terminal replacement in Anacortes.

In a statement, LaHood said that the projects are “worthy of our support.”

“Washington’s ferries carry more passengers each day than all of our nation’s other ferry operations combined,” he said.

Last week, LaHood was in Washington state and rode a ferry from Seattle to Bremerton with Rep. Norm Dicks, D-Wash., and Gov. Chris Gregoire, a Democrat.

Murray said that it makes no difference to her that the new money isn’t official stimulus money.

The state ferry system is already receiving $8.4 million in federal stimulus money through public transit funding. And Murray said she’d work to get even more money in an upcoming transportation bill.

“This is one small step in a major investment that I hope we see in our ferry infrastructure,” she said.

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