Long Beach to spend nearly $2M to improve bus system, station

Long Beach City officials plan to use nearly $2 million in grants for transportation improvements and repairs to the city’s bus system and bus station.

The city is receiving $1.3 million in federal grants and $588,896 in state funds from the New York State Department of Transportation. Long Beach is matching $167,891 in city funds as part of a five-year contract with the state.

Under the agreement, the federal and state funds represent a 90 percent reimbursement of total work costs.

The funding will go to pay for rehabilitation of the bus station next to City Hall on Park Avenue, bus shelter replacements, fare collection boxes, real time bus tracking vehicle locaters, bus repairs, security cameras at the city’s garage, LED lighting at bus stops, replacement of a paratransit bus and a minivan that is compliant with the Americans With Disabilities Act.

City officials said the application was approved after years of review. Long Beach and the Town of Huntington are the only communities on Long Island that operate their own bus service. City officials said lights and cameras are proactive measures to provide increased security for residents.

City Council members voted to approve the funding at its March 6 meeting.

“We try to service our commuters and folks who need the bus to get around town,” City Council President Anthony Eramo said. “These improvements are long overdue.”

The city will open the improvements to bids next month and plan to complete work in the next 18 months, officials said.

By John Asbury

john.asbury@newsday.comJohnAsbury

John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.