Long Beach, NY will receive $1.2M funding through the CARES Act for the city’s transit system

LONG BEACH, NY — Long Beach’s federal representatives announced today that they secured $1.2 million in funding through the CARES Act for the city’s transit system.

Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, and Representative Kathleen Rice, said the money will be used to cover the operating expenses the Long Beach bus system faced during the coronavirus pandemic.

“The City of Long Beach is tremendously grateful to our elected leaders in Washington for truly understanding how our budget has been negatively impacted by COVID-19. While our residents stayed home, our buses continued to serve our city, transporting essential workers to help make Long Beach a safer and healthier city,” said Long Beach City Manager Donna Gayden. “This transportation funding will help close the gap created by a drastic decline in ridership and revenue.”

Throughout the lockdown, Long Beach has been running its buses on a lighter schedule but has been running them with severely reduced ridership. The federal money will make up the costs the city incurred running the buses. The grant does not require any local matching funds.

“We fought hard to deliver critical federal funds to public transit systems across New York, including Long Beach’s bus system, to provide essential workers and local residents with reliable public transit options as they answered the call of duty during this unprecedented health and economic crisis,” said Schumer. “We must continue to invest in sustaining our public transit systems because a vibrant bus system is fundamental to recovering from this crisis and rebuilding our communities and economy.”

“The COVID-19 crisis has had major implications on New York’s transportation systems. Now more than ever, we must secure reliable transit for first responders, health care workers, and citizens who depend on it,” Gillibrand said. “This funding will be used to offset major revenue losses to Long Beach’s bus system and ensure services continue for the many Long Islanders who depend on it every day.”

“Safe and reliable public transportation is a vital service for our communities, especially in times of crisis,” said Rice. “The coronavirus outbreak has hurt municipal revenue streams and this funding will ensure the City of Long Beach has the funding it needs to cover transit costs and keep public transportation running.”