Schumer Pushes to Secure FED Funds for Key Road Construction to Convert One-Way St. Paul Street & North Clinton Avenue to Two-Way Streets - Move Would Make Downtown Pedestrian-Friendly and Pave Way for New Bus Station

Press Release

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today, urged the U.S. Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to provide critical funds for the conversion of St. Paul Street and North Clinton Avenue between Main Street and the Inner Loop into two-way streets, a key development project for Rochester's downtown. Specifically, Schumer urged the FTA to award the City of Rochester and the Rochester Genesee Regional Transportation Authority a $562,500 investment that the city will match, in order to move forward with the $1.1 million construction project that would convert the streets by 2014, in time to better connect with Rochester's new downtown bus station.

Schumer has helped secure over $10 million in funding for the bus station to be built starting this summer, and highlighted that having two-way traffic on both St. Paul and North Clinton would complement that project and the City's transit system as a whole. In addition, Schumer stated that this project would help pedestrians, bicyclists, drivers and transit users gain safer access to downtown businesses, storefronts and restaurants. Schumer stated that the City of Rochester, the RGRTA, local businesses and residents are strong supporters of this project. In a personal call to Federal Transit Administrator Peter Rogoff, Schumer urged that the Administration provide the funds that the city needs to move this transformative construction project forward in Downtown Rochester.

"The City of Rochester's two-way street conversion project will open avenues for new development in Downtown Rochester, improves access to restaurants and shops, and will alleviate traffic to and from the new bus hub. That is why I'm strongly urging the Federal Transit Administration to provide critical funding to make this forward-thinking plan a reality," said Senator Schumer.

"The one-way roads in and out of downtown Rochester were designed for 1960s-era traffic but now more often create barriers for residents, drivers, pedestrians and businesses alike, all while hindering economic development for Downtown Rochester," Schumer continued. "Luckily, the City of Rochester has taken to heart the calls from the people who live and work downtown and now has a key plan to convert St. Paul Street and North Clinton Avenue into two-way streets, which would ease access to Rochester's new bus station while also helping to make Downtown Rochester more welcoming to residents, visitors and shoppers to head to businesses, restaurants and stores. The plan for this transformative transportation project in Rochester is on the brink of completion, and the federal government must do everything it can to support the effort to get this project off the ground and pave the way for development in Downtown Rochester."

Schumer was joined by Heidi Zimmer-Meyer, President of the Rochester Downtown Development Corporation, Bill Carpenter, CEO of the Rochester Genesee Regional Transportation Authority, St. Paul Quarter business and property owner Patrick Dutton, and City of Rochester Transportation Specialist Erik Frisch as he urged the Federal Transit Administration to provide $562,500 in key funding to the City and RGRTA for the conversion of St. Paul Street and North Clinton Ave into two-way streets. The RGRTA has applied for this funding under the Bus and Bus Facilities Initiative Grant Program and the City of Rochester has planned to match such funding to complete the construction project. The conversion project will incorporate traffic signal modifications and geometric improvements that will benefit multi-model traffic in and around the new Regional Transit Service Center that is set for completion in 2014. Schumer highlighted that this project will help connect Rochester Downtown with the new bus station, and will facilitate more efficient movement of buses in and out of the Transit Center.

Schumer also highlighted the positive impact that the conversion of St. Paul Street and North Clinton Avenue will have on the development of Downtown Rochester. By making each street two-way, the project would help pedestrians, visitors and shoppers better and safer access to storefronts, businesses and more of the downtown area. In addition, transit users would have better access to Downtown Rochester, particularly once the bus station is completed. The Rochester Genesee Regional Transportation Authority provides transportation services to tens of thousands of Rochester residents daily, as well as overseeing public transportation in Monroe, Genesee, Livingston, Orleans, Wayne, Wyoming and Seneca counties.

Schumer applauded the City of Rochester for its forward thinking plan, and in a call with the U.S. Federal Transit Administrator Peter Rogoff pushed the FTA to support this work. FTA is currently deciding its award recipients for the Bus and Bus Facilities Livability Initiative Grant Program, and anticipates announcing award recipients starting this July. On his call, Schumer highlighted to Administrator Rogoff that Rochester is clearly committed to efficient transportation, demonstrated through the funds secured to build the new transit service center, which makes commutes easier for the 25,000 people who use public transportation daily. In addition, Schumer highlighted Rochester's commitment to the road conversion project and that the City agreed to contribute 50% of the costs. Finally, Schumer noted to Administrator Rogoff that Rochester's project meets numerous FTA-desired livability principles for the grant program by providing safe and reliable transportation, expanding access to businesses and making communities more walkable.

Schumer has long supported redevelopment of Rochester's downtown, particularly through its transit system. Schumer has helped fight to secure $10.9 Million in federal funding for the approximately $50 Million Regional Transit Service Center project, for which construction is set to begin this summer and completed in 2014. The new bus station in Rochester perfectly complements the project to convert St. Paul Street and North Clinton Avenue into two-way streets. Schumer also wrote a letter in April 2012 to Transportation Secretary Ray Lahood to urge the FTA to award this critical funding to Rochester and the RGRTA so that the street conversion can move forward. Today, he is renewing that push, and urging that the FTA Administrator support Rochester's project, which would open avenues for new economic development in downtown Rochester.

The $1.1 million two-way conversation of these streets north of Main Street is the first of an overall $2.8 million two-phased conversion outlined in the City of Rochester's feasibility plan released last month. The study determined that the full conversion of both Clinton Avenue and St. Paul Street from Main Street south to the inner loop could be accomplished for $1.6 million and will require reconfiguration of the South Avenue garage entrance and 490 interchange.

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