City of Rochester
News Release
(Tuesday, July 24, 2012) – The City and the Rochester Genesee Regional Transportation Authority (RGRTA) announced today that $562,500 in Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Bus Livability funds have been awarded for the conversion of North Clinton Avenue and St. Paul Street from one-way to two-way traffic between East Main Street and the Inner Loop Downtown.
“This grant will help us move forward with our vision of making Downtown more vibrant for its residents, businesses, visitors, MCC Damon Center students, and transit riders alike,” said Mayor Thomas S. Richards. “I want to thank Senator Chuck Schumer and our entire federal delegation for their support of this crucial project. They recognized its importance, not only to transit operations, but to the overall quality of life for Rochester’s Center City. The project is a vital component to our city’s Midtown Rising efforts.”
“We are very grateful for all Senator Schumer and our federal delegation have done on behalf of RGRTA and the City of Rochester in support of this community partnership. The conversion to two-way traffic will allow bus route design to be more flexible and innovative, improving the experience for RTS customers,” said RGRTA CEO Bill Carpenter.
Converting N. Clinton Ave. and St. Paul Street to two-way will benefit transit operations and is widely supported by Downtown residents and businesses. The project will greatly improve access to the St. Paul Quarter and St. Joseph’s Park neighborhoods, including major institutions such as the MCC Damon City Campus and SUNY Brockport MetroCenter. The current one-way traffic pattern is confusing to visitors, encourages aggressive driving, decreases the accessibility of Downtown neighborhoods and is often inhospitable to bicyclists and pedestrians. The City is pursuing two-way conversion throughout Downtown to enhance visitor-friendliness, calm traffic, reduce unnecessary driving and facilitate continued revitalization.
City and RGRTA staff collaborated on the FTA funding application. RGRTA will receive the funding and the City will construct the project. The Planning phase is nearly complete and the Design phase is soon to get underway. Additional project elements include new pavement, striping, signage and traffic signals, as well as minor curb modifications. Construction on the $1.2 million project will begin in late 2013 or early 2014, in coordination with the construction of the RGRTA’s Downtown Transit Center.
To learn more about the project, visit www.cityofrochester.gov/twowayconversion.
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News media: For more information, contact Paul Holahan at 428- 6855.