News Release - Inner Loop East Project Receives $4.2 Million State Award

City of Rochester

News Release

 (Tuesday, September 16, 2014) – The Inner Loop East Reconstruction Project can officially move forward with $4.2 million in new capital support from New York State, Mayor Lovely A. Warren announced today. This funding fulfills the local match obligation required to get federal grant money. 

The funds were awarded in equal parts from Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office, the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly.  

“I would like to thank Governor Cuomo and our State representatives—especially Assembly Transportation Chair David Gantt, Senate Transportation Chair Joe Robach, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos,” said Mayor Warren. “The Inner Loop East Construction Project will restore cut off connections between our neighborhoods and downtown, adding vitality to both. We are on the cutting edge of sustainable growth, taking bold actions to make our city more livable and walkable by increasing the opportunities to walk and bike between city neighborhoods and downtown.”   

The eastern segment of downtown’s Inner Loop expressway runs from Monroe Avenue to Charlotte Street and is surrounded by vibrant and densely-populated neighborhoods, businesses, recreational and entertainment attractions. The sunken Inner Loop cuts this area in half and sends people through the area instead of encouraging them to stop and spend time in the neighborhood. This project reconstructs this 2/3-mile stretch into a high-quality, complete street with over six acres of available development opportunities.  

“The allocation of this funding by the Assembly is a significant development,” said Assemblyman David Gantt, D-Rochester and chairman of the Assembly Transportation Committee. “It will not only go a long way toward reviving our economy by creating greater accessibility and opportunity, but most significantly, it will help reconnect the people of Rochester.” 

“As a State Senator, my highest priority is working with all levels of government to secure resources for job creation, economic development and other important projects for our region,” said state Sen. Joe Robach, R-Rochester and chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee. “In the spirit of cooperation, I was pleased to work with the Mayor to secure these transportation resources for Rochester.” 

The Rochester City Council unanimously voted to accept the funding Tuesday night. 

“We are very grateful to Governor Andrew Cuomo, Sen. Joe Robach and Assemblyman David Gantt for their generous support of this transformative project. With the help of our partners in government, we can now move the Inner Loop project forward toward the fulfillment of a vision that has long languished,” said Rochester City Council President Loretta Scott, speaking on behalf of the full council.  

The $4.2 million fully funds the $21 million project. With the Assembly’s and Senate’s funding the City now has 80 percent of the project funded by the federal TIGER grants and the remaining 20 percent funded by State of New York, which fulfills the city’s local match obligation.

Full project details can be found at www.cityofrochester.gov/innerloopeast or by calling City Engineer Jim McIntosh, P.E. at 428-6828.