Today, U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) awarded a total of $9,500,000 to the Capital District Transportation Authority. Specifically, $4 million will be used for the replacement of transit buses in the fleet. An additional $5.5 million will be used to fund eight bus shelters, emergency phones, additional real time signs and security cameras, and other amenities for NY5 bus rapid transit, a 17-mile corridor that runs from downtown Schenectady to downtown Albany through the communities of Colonie and Niskayuna. Schumer and Gillibrand applaud DOT for their efforts to improve quality and efficiency in New York’s transit systems.
“Safe and reliable buses and transportation are critical to the economic future of Albany,” Schumer said. “This grant will improve the daily commutes to and from work and shopping and visiting loved ones for hundreds of residents, who will ride on newer and upgraded buses each day.”
“This is an important investment for Albany and the local economy,” Senator Gillibrand said. “These federal funds will help upgrade our bus transit system, easing commutes for workers, and providing better service for local residents. I will keep fighting to secure the resources New York’s transit services need.”
The Capital District Transportation Authority will use this DOT State of Good Repair Program grant to replace buses in the fleet and make capital improvements to bus stations. This project was selected on a competitive basis through the FY 2011 State of Good Repair Program.
The Department of Transportation’s State of Good Repair program is administered through the Federal Transit Administration. This program aims to maintain the nation’s bus and rail systems in a State of Good Repair (SGR), which is essential if public transportation systems are to provide safe and reliable service to millions of daily riders. State of Good Repair includes sharing ideas on recapitalization and maintenance issues, asset management practices, and innovative financing strategies. It also includes issues related to measuring the condition of transit capital assets, prioritizing local transit re-investment decisions and preventive maintenance practices. Finally, research and the identification of the tools needed to address this problem are vital. The FTA will lead the nation’s effort to address the State of Good Repair by collaborating with industry to bring the nation’s transit infrastructure into the 21st Century.