Commuters in New York’s two most populous boroughs, Brooklyn and Queens, will soon be enjoying the benefits of new fuel-efficient, cleaner buses. Federal funding to the sum of $33,862,400 has been made available for the purchase of 74 buses, 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 U.S. Senator Charles E. 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.
This funding comes as a part of the FY 2010 State of Good Repair project of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). The initiative 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.
(This article compiled using information from a Senator Charles E. Schumer press release)
