Friday, July 30, 2010

State Has Received $1.7 Million of Its $151 Million from Economic Recovery Act

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today announced $727,000 for the State of New York to continue work on its high-speed rail program with the rehabilitation of the Buffalo-Depew railroad station. The Department of Transportation has provided New York $1.7 million of the $151 million awarded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) for high-speed rail.

“President Obama’s bold vision for high-speed rail is a game-changer for transportation in New York and the United States,” said Secretary LaHood. “This undertaking is not only creating good jobs and reinvigorating our manufacturing base, it’s also going to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.”

The money will provide Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility upgrades, reconstruction of the ticket counter, installation of a passenger Information Display System, and platform repairs. The FRA is actively working with the New York State Department of Transportation on additional grant agreements to further develop the Empire Corridor.

“Improving the railroad infrastructure, including stations, is a vital part of overall high-speed passenger rail program,” said FRA Administrator Joseph C. Szabo. “The customer experience of train travel will be made better with station improvements, and becoming ADA compliant is not only the right thing to do, it’s the law.”

FRA has released more than $136 million of the $8 billion down payment provided in the Recovery Act for the development of a national network of interconnected high-speed rail corridors.