Rochester receives nearly $24 million federal grant for bike and pedestrian projects

Just three weeks ago, U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer stood in the parking lot of St. Michael's Church and called on the federal government to award the city a $23 million grant to put its active transportation plan into place.

On Tuesday, he was there again, this time to announce that the grant came through.

The federal government awarded the city $23.7 million for it to carry out the objectives laid out in its first active transportation plan . The plan is meant to guide officials in their efforts to make streets and sidewalks safer for pedestrians, cyclists, people who use mobility aids, and others.

"People need to safely use our streets to get to work, to go to doctor's appointments, to take the kids to school and more," Schumer said. "Rochester streets, unfortunately, have seen more pedestrian and cyclist injury deaths due to crashes than any other midsize city in New York."

The senator held both news conferences at St. Michael's because the intersection it sits at — North Clinton and Clifford avenues — is a "notoriously dangerous roadway for cyclists," he said.

City officials previously said they want to use the grant money to build eight miles of protected bike lanes. They also want to improve conditions for pedestrians and cyclists through sections of East Main Street, North Clinton, Chili Avenue, and Lexington Avenue.

But there are many other projects that will also be part of the effort, including bike lanes with barriers separating them from traffic, raised crosswalks, and new signals.

"This is going to activate corridors which are our vital lifelines," said Mayor Malik Evans. "This is going to connect neighborhoods. It's going to help people get to their employers, get to small grocery stores."

The grant funds are available to the city immediately, and Evans said work on the projects will begin as soon as possible.