Cooperation Between Erie County, Town of Clarence Supports Critical Rural Transit Services in the Town
ECE Poloncarz, Clarence Supervisor Casilio, RTS Coordinator Weston Detail Collaboration
ERIE COUNTY, NY— Residents in the Towns of Clarence and Newstead are enjoying improved access to Rural Transit Service (“RTS”) following the completion of Community Development Block Grant (“CDBG”)-funded improvements at the Town of Clarence’s Senior Center. A $236,000 project involved the reconstruction of the Center’s existing parking lot and associated drive aisles, including the demolition of existing surfacing, the installation of effective drainage and repaving of the entire area. In addition, the investment included the construction of a 20’ by 24’ addition to the Center’s existing detached garage to accommodate the Town’s Senior Center Bus and the Rural Transit Service Van.
$150,000 of the project was funded through Erie County CD Consortium CDBG funds and $86,000 was provided in a local match by the Town of Clarence.
“This project is a great example of how CDBG funds impact communities directly,” said Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz. “Just by improving the parking lot and garage here we can improve critical RTS services for seniors in the nearby towns. Also, this new garage is a big deal because all the RTS drivers are seniors and volunteers, so it does make a big difference for them in the winter to not have to clear the snow and ice from the van. I thank Supervisor Casilio and the Town for their cooperation in allowing the RTS van to be stationed here.”
Poloncarz was joined by Town of Clarence Supervisor Pat Casilio and Linda Weston, Rural Transit Service Program Coordinator for the Northtowns, to talk about the improvements. Seniors in the Town of Clarence utilize the RTS transportation service more than any of the other 17 towns that RTS serves.
In total there are 1780 RTS clients (mostly senior citizens) registered in Erie County with 364 being residents of Clarence and Newstead. RTS has provided those 364 residents with 1335 rides in the past year.
For more information:
On CDBG funds, visit https://www3.erie.gov/environment/community-development
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