June 25, 2023 | By Kellen M. Quigley, Managing Editor | salamancapress.com
JIMERSONTOWN — New buses and facilities for eco-friendly transportation service could soon be coming to the Seneca Nation’s Allegany Territory.
A federal grant for transportation infrastructure totaling $5,883,200 was awarded to the Nation’s Department of Transportation, U.S. Rep. Nick Langworthy announced Thursday.
The grant is part of the DOT’s Low or No Emission Grant Program, which provides funding to purchase or lease zero-emission and low-emission transit buses and for the acquisition, construction and leasing of required supporting facilities.
The Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority also received a grant of about $28.95 million for its electric bus program.
“I’m pleased to announce these significant grants to help grow our transportation system in Western New York,” Langworthy said. “I’m a firm believer in an all-of-the-above energy approach, and as we seek to diversify and grow our technology, these will be great additions for the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority and the Seneca Nation to provide new public transportation options. This investment reaffirms our commitment to promoting the development and future of our communities.”
Requests for comment from Nation officials were not immediately returned Thursday.
A similar grant for the Nation’s Cattaraugus Territory in Irving was announced in November by Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer, who met with Nation officials to announce the $7.6 million grant for a regional transportation hub on their territory.
The hub, to be located in Irving on the Cattaraugus Territory, was expected to be used to store Seneca Transit System buses, provide a location for riders to get out of the elements and link to Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority routes as well as Chautauqua Area Regional Transit System and other transit services.
Groundbreaking on that facility could begin later this year in Irving.
The Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equality (RAISE) grant is designed to overcome a lack of federal assistance to tribal communities.
“Access to reliable transportation is an important tool in helping bridge socio-economic gaps that exist for many of our people, which can be particularly challenging in rural communities,” Armstrong said in November.
The Seneca Transit System offers regular bus service between Steamburg and Irving — mostly through Cattaraugus County communities.
“The Seneca Nation is now in the fast lane for a new one-stop regional transit hub,” Schumer said. This will increase opportunities for the Senecas’ economic growth, he added.
