New York opens $121M NOFO to modernize public transportation services

The state of New York has announced the next round of its Transit Ready NY Program, providing up to $121 million to update transportation services across the state. Applications are due by May 21. 

Selected projects will primarily target efforts to upgrade, enhance and modernize public transportation systems. These include those that increase operational efficiency, regionalize rural transit and expand transit service levels with a useful service life of a decade or more. 

Eligible entities include counties, municipalities and regional authorities. Project activities that may be supported by program awards include: 

• Building public transit facilities such as transit garages, vehicle storage, maintenance facilities, mobility hubs, intercity bus stations and operational/service centers. 
• Purchasing rolling stock or revenue vehicles. 
• Deploying new technologies to enhance the passenger experience or transit operations. 
• Installing transit priority infrastructure, including transit signal priority, queue jump lanes and other roadway projects. 
• Improving pedestrian and roadway accessibility to public transit. 
• Building transit stops, shelters and street amenities. 
• Installing solutions that improve bicycle and micromobility integration with transit. 

The state divided applications into three categories for determining award amounts: Large Urban, Small Urban or Rural. 

• Large Urban recipients may receive between $5 million to $16 million for projects. A total of $70 million is available for these providers. 
• Small Urban recipients may receive between $1.5 million and $6 million, with a total of $25 million available. 
• Rural recipients may receive between $500,000 and $2.5 million, with $10 million available for awards. 

There are no requirements for matching funds, although applicants that use non-State funding sources may be preferred. 

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