Governor Cuomo Declares $110 Million is Accessible to Fund Neighborhood-Based mostly Mobility and Environmental Mitigation Tasks

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced today that $ 110 million in new funding is available to support community-based investments designed to enhance the cultural, aesthetic and environmental aspects of local and regional transportation systems while promoting safety and mobility . This initiative funds projects that create new and existing bicycle and pedestrian facilities, improve access to public transport, create safe routes to schools, convert abandoned railway corridors into pedestrian walkways, and help reduce congestion and greenhouse gas emissions from the transport sector. In addition, these funds can be used by communities to support activities that meet the requirements of the Clean Air Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act.

“As we redesign, rebuild and renew for the post-pandemic future, we need to recognize that security and mobility are essential to the growth and prosperity of our diverse regions.” said Governor Cuomo. “These community-based projects reaffirm New York’s national leadership in protecting the environment while promoting local economic development and improving public health.“

Projects will be selected through a competitive tendering process and assessed on the basis of established criteria that include public benefits, air quality improvements, and funding and / or innovation in delivery. The projects must be related to the above-ground transport system and be fully accessible to the public. Applications for funding can be submitted by any municipality or non-profit corporation, but projects must either be funded by a municipality, a state authority or a public authority that is authorized to manage federal transport. The eligible project activities include:

• New construction / expansion of existing pedestrian and bicycle paths.
• Build new / improve existing ADA accessible walkways, install pedestrian protection facilities, and add street / corridor landscaping.
• Converting abandoned railway corridors into multi-purpose recreational routes.
• Preservation / renovation of historical traffic systems.
• Implementing mitigation measures to address rainwater management, control, and water pollution prevention or mitigation related to freeway runoff.
• Reducing vehicle mortality or restoring and maintaining links between terrestrial or aquatic habitats.
• Improving traffic signals or intersections that improve traffic flow; and
• Providing travel demand programs to shift traffic demand to non-peak hours or other modes of transport

Funds, made available to the state through the Federal Highway Administration and administered by the New York State Department of Transportation, will be provided through the Transportation Alternatives Program and the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program. These programs bear up to 80 percent of the project-related costs, the remaining 20 percent are provided by project sponsors. The New York State Department of Transportation is accepting applications for this grant until September 29, 2021. The application, the program instructions and the workshop schedules can be found at dot.ny.gov/tap-cmaq.

Ministry of Transport Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez said: “This program is a great example of how the New York State DOT continues to advance policies and programs that provide all New Yorkers with safe and environmentally friendly mobility for work, recreation and social connectivity. These critical community-based investments are having a positive impact on improving our downtown business districts and improving the overall safety and quality of life for our state’s residents and visitors. ”

New York State’s National Leading Climate Plan

Governor Cuomo’s nationwide leading climate agenda is the nation’s most aggressive climate and clean energy initiative, calling for an orderly and equitable transition to clean energy that creates jobs and continues to foster a green economy as New York State moves away from COVID-19 Pandemic recovered. Anchored in law by the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, New York is on the way to achieving its mandate target of an emission-free power sector by 2040 with 70 percent renewable energy generation by 2030 and macroeconomic CO2 neutrality. It builds on New York’s unprecedented clean energy expansion, including a $ 3.9 billion investment in 67 major renewable projects across the state, the creation of more than 150,000 jobs in New York’s clean energy sector, a commitment to development of 9,000 Megawatts offshore of wind energy by 2035 and 1,800 percent growth in the decentralized solar sector since 2011. Under the leadership of Governor Cuomo, New York will build on these advances and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 85 percent by 2050 compared to 1990 while achieving the goal of 40 percent the benefits of investing in clean energy for disadvantaged communities and advancing towards the state’s 2025 energy efficiency target to reduce local energy consumption by 185 trillion BTUs to achieve savings in end use.