WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Nita M. Lowey (D-Westchester/Rockland) announced today that she has successfully secured $17.744 million in federal funds for local transportation priorities. 

“Our quality of life is truly dependent upon the quality of our transportation systems,” said Lowey.  “That’s why I fought so hard to obtain these critical funds for local projects.  Upgrading train crossings to provide quiet zones will decrease noise pollution, and rehabilitating our roads and bridges will provide a safer, quicker commute to work every day.”

The Transportation Equity Act, which is reauthorized by Congress every few years, sets funding levels for the nation’s transportation infrastructure.  Lowey outlined more than a dozen projects she fought to include in the bill:

• $1.2 million for the construction of ferry terminals and purchase or lease of ferry boats for Haverstraw, Yonkers, and Manhattan.  These funds will complement $1.25 million in funds Lowey secured in the Fiscal Year 2004 Omnibus Appropriations bill to begin a Haverstraw-Yonkers-Manhattan ferry loop, providing a one-seat ride from the northern suburbs to New York City.
• $1.28 million for highway/railway crossing improvements in the Town of Clarkstown and villages of Haverstraw and West Haverstraw. Funding would be used to install safety and noise-reduction upgrades for six rail crossings along the West Shore Line.  Lowey successfully pushed the Federal Railroad Administration to allow local governments to ban whistles after making upgrades at rail crossings.
• $1.42 million for the construction of a new entrance ramp from Route 9A Southbound to the Taconic State Parkway Southbound.  The ramp would reduce traffic and air pollution in the hamlet of Hawthorne.
• $1.728 million for the rehabilitation of four miles of roadway on North and South Ridge Street and Wappanocca Avenue in the Village of Rye Brook and the City of Rye. Funds will provide a new wearing surface, drainage structures, handicapped ramps, guiderails, signs, and pavement markings.
• $3.135 million to replace 56 overage buses in Westchester’s Beeline fleet with ultra-clean vehicles that comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
• $2.08 million for the structural rehabilitation of the Ashford Avenue bridge over I-87 in the Villages of Dobbs Ferry and Ardsley.
• $880,000 for the rehabilitation of Route 100 from Virginia Road to Westchester Community College. This project would improve drainage at this low point on the Bronx River Parkway and enhance east/west access into Westchester County.
• $800,000 for the reconfiguration of the New Rochelle Toll Plaza to include high-speed EZ Pass access in this congested segment of I-95.
• $1.2 million for improvements to Ashburton Avenue from the Saw Mill River Parkway to the waterfront.  Improvements to this roadway are essential to realizing the full economic potential of downtown redevelopment programs currently underway in Yonkers.
• $800,000 for the replacement of the Pleasantville Road bridge over the Pocantico River in the Village of Pleasantville.
• $2.212 million to rehabilitate five miles of roadway on Pines Bridge Road/Lake Avenue and Ryder Road, in Ossining, Yorktown and New Castle.
• $800,000 for improvements to Short Clove Road in Haverstraw.
• $209,000 to establish a new intermodal transportation facility at the Bronx Zoo's entrance just off exit 6 of the Bronx River Parkway. This project will help shorten the commute for suburban residents by providing parking and New York City subway access.

“These projects will not only keep us moving here in Westchester and Rockland Counties, they will also provide jobs, while relieving financial burdens on our local governments so they can focus on essential services,” said Lowey.  “I’m pleased that we are finally nearing completion of the transportation legislation so that we can begin work on these important projects.”

The legislation will now be considered by both houses of Congress for final approval and then sent to the President to be signed into law.