SCHUMER ANNOUNCES OVER $33 MILLION FOR 74 NEW FUEL-EFFICIENT, CLEANER BUSES IN BROOKLYN AND QUEENS
Funding Will Increase Efficiency of Commute for Hundreds of Thousands of New Yorkers, and Replace Diesel- Belching Buses with Cleaner Natural Gas Models
Schumer: Grant Gives New Yorkers the Cleaner, Modern and Efficient Bus Service They Deserve
On Monday, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer announced $33,862,400 in federal funding for 74 new fuel-efficient buses to be purchased for Brooklyn and Queens as part of the Federal Transit Authority's State of Good Repair Program. With the funding, the New York Metropolitan Transit Authority will replace old diesel buses at the Spring Creek and College Point facilities, which dispatch many routes across the two boroughs, with composite natural gas buses. The grant also includes an option to purchase up to 30 additional natural gas buses, in order to either convert an additional MTA bus route from diesel to natural gas or to increase bus service in New York through the creation of new routes. All natural gas buses that have been in operation for over 12 years will also be replaced, as part of FTA's program.
"This funding replaces diesel-belching busses that pollute our air with cleaner, modern natural gas busses that are a big upgrade for bus riders," said Schumer. "By adding brand new buses with the most up-to-date technology in fuel efficiency, hundreds of thousands of daily bus riders in Brooklyn and Queens will now have the modern and efficient bus service they deserve - and we will reduce the kinds of air pollution that impacts our kids with asthma and other breathing problems."
The Spring Creek and College Point Bus Depots dispatch a collective twenty-six routes that are far-reaching across both boroughs. The new buses will increase the efficiency and quality of the daily commute for all those New Yorkers who rely on those routes, maintaining the New York City transportation system as one of the best in the world.
This funding comes as a part of the FY 2010 State of Good Repair project of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). Maintaining the nation's bus and rail systems in a State of Good Repair (SGR) is essential if public transportation systems are to provide safe and reliable service to millions of daily riders, especially the elderly and those with disabilities, who need to get to work and around their communities. State of Good Repair is an initiative at the FTA that provides assistance to local transit agencies, which 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.