Congressman Dan Maffei recently announced that the Central New York Regional Transportation Authority (CNYRTA) and the Rochester-Genesee Regional Transportation Authority (RGRTA) have been selected to receive federal grants, made available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). This highlights the continued commitment of the ARRA to make investments in our community that will provide both a short term economic boost and pay dividends in the long run.
The grant made available through ARRA will provide CNYRTA with $12,130,927 to purchase 39 replacement buses. This grant will allow CNYRTA to increase the number of routes they have, and will add more counties to their routes. These buses will enable CNYRTA to provide the most safe, and dependable transportation that they possibly can.
The grant provided by ARRA will provide RGRTA with $9,444,700 to purchase 10 articulated diesel low-floor buses to replace the existing 10 standard-floor buses. This grant will also enable RGRTA to replaces 50 of their vehicle with 50 new diesel low-floor buses. These new buses will aid RGRTA to become a more economically and environmentally friendly.
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood made the announcement that 50 grants amounting to $1.2 billion in Recovery Act funds will go to improve state and local transit systems within the United States. The majority of these awards will enable the recipients to purchase new vehicles with increased safety and security, as well as rehabilitate and maintain their transit systems.
Said Secretary LaHood, “The Recovery Act was put in place quickly to rescue the economy from the worst recession since the Great Depression and rebuild it for a stronger future, rebuilding the nation’s infrastructure is a key part of that prescription for strength. It creates jobs today and builds a better, more sustainable economy moving forward.”
CNYRTA was created in 1970 in order to provide safe, convenient, reliable transportation to the Central New York community. CNYRTA provides transportation in Onondaga, Oneida, Cayuga, and Oswego counties.
RGRTA was created in 1969 to provided Rochester with the most efficient and safe public transportation. RGRTA oversees public transportation in Monroe, Genesee, Livingston, Orleans, Wayne, Wyoming and Seneca counties.
RGRTA and CNYRTA will begin work on improving their transportation systems in the near future. For more information on RGRTA, visit http://www.rgrta.org/, and for CNYRTA, visit http://www.centro.org/.
