Senator Helming Announces $8.5 Million for Rural Public Transportation

GENEVA – Senator Pam Helming today announced that the six counties she represents were awarded a combined $8,519,000 in state and federal funding to support rural transportation projects. The funding will be administered by the New York State Department of Transportation and supported through grants from the Federal Transit Administration. The initiative will support rural public transportation operations; help local communities obtain new clean-fuel, ADA-accessible buses and related equipment; and construct new transit-related infrastructure, including facilities, passenger shelters and technology enhancements.

“From our small cities to our rural communities, many people throughout the six-county area that I represent rely on public transportation to get to work or school each day, go grocery shopping, go to medical appointments, or just travel around the region. This is especially true of our senior citizens, who remain vital contributors to our communities well into their golden years, and our adult learners who attend community college as well as our disabled population. It is critical that we keep the operations, equipment, and infrastructure of our public transportation in good working order so that our residents can use this important service to access vital programs and resources. I am grateful for this funding opportunity for the Wayne-Finger Lakes region, and I am glad that it will benefit the people and communities in all of the counties that I represent,” Senator Helming said. 

The projects in the Wayne-Finger Lakes region include:

• $447,000 in operating assistance and $203,000 for a backup generator and facility maintenance for CENTRO in Cayuga County.
• $124,000 in operating assistance for RTS in Monroe County.
• $743,000 in operating assistance, $845,000 to replace 11 transit buses, and $231,000 for three bus shelters, backup equipment, facility maintenance, and construction for RTS in Ontario County.

• $525,000 in operating assistance, $1.68 million to replace four transit buses, $420,000 for 16 bus shelters, technology equipment, facility maintenance, and construction, and $490,000 for projects that support mobility in Tompkins County.
• $475,000 in operating assistance, $1.46 million to replace 13 transit buses, and $315,000 for five bus shelters and facility design for RTS in Wayne County.