SCHUMER ANNOUNCES WHOPPING NEARLY $24 MILLION TO STRENGTHEN FLOODING MITIGATION IN WESTCHESTER COUNTY VIA THE BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE & JOBS LAW
Funding Will Help Raise Flood Prone Stretch Of Road In The Town of Cortlandt To Help Stop Flooding From Heavy Storms And Rising Sea Levels Along Route Between Roa Hook Road And Camp Smith For Passengers & Emergency Vehicles
Schumer: Fed $$$ Will Make Critical Upgrades, Driving The Hudson Valley Towards A Safer, More Resilient Future
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer today announced $23,960,000 in federal funding to strengthen flood mitigation along a critical stretch of Route 6 in Westchester County. Schumer explained the funding awarded to the New York State Department of Transportation will raise a small segment of US Route 6 from Roa Hook Road to Camp Smith in the Town of Cortlandt by approximately seven feet. The senator said the funding will ensure the roadway remains passable when sea levels rise and to reduce the risk of roadway closures due to flooding during severe weather. Schumer said these upgrades are vital, as the segment is a key route for emergency responders and is part of the National Highway System and within FEMA’s 100-year floodplain.
“This whopping nearly $24 million from our Bipartisan Infrastructure & Jobs Law to bolster flooding mitigation on Cortlandt’s Route 6 will drive our communities towards a safer and more resilient future. By raising this critical stretch of roadway, a vital corridor for Camp Smith where our NY Army National Guard train, we are helping keep our communities safe from flooding, ensuring emergency vehicles will still be able to service these areas, all while creating new, good-paying jobs laying the foundation for a more resilient Westchester,” said Senator Schumer. “I championed historic funding for transportation infrastructure in my bipartisan Infrastructure & Jobs Law because it’s vital our communities are protected against weather events – especially with the impacts of climate change hitting the Hudson Valley. I am proud to deliver these major federal dollars to help boost the residents of the Town of Cortlandt, and all those in the Hudson Valley who drive on Cortlandt’s Route 6, and will always fight to bring investments needed to lay the foundation for a stronger more flood resilient future.”
“With support from the Biden-Harris Administration and our congressional delegation, New York has made historic investments to build resilient infrastructure that can withstand increased intensity and frequency of storms," Governor Hochul said. “This funding will ensure that Route Six is a safer and more accessible roadway, while preserving access to local resources in a flood-prone region.”
Westchester County Executive George Latimer said, "I would like to thank Senator Schumer and our friends at the New York State Department of Transportation for allocating nearly $24 million in funding to address longstanding flooding issues along Route 6 in Cortlandt. We have all seen unprecedented weather hitting our communities and heavy rain and flooding makes this particular stretch of roadway inpassable during a significant weather event. This roadway is key route for our emergency service workers, and their safety remains our top priority."
“The Town of Cortlandt is thrilled to learn that Senator Schumer was able to secure a 24-million-dollar grant for the NYS DOT, to raise and reconfigure the stretch of Route 6 between Roa Hook Road and Camp Smith. This area is critical, as it is the gateway to Cortlandt, Peekskill, and all of Northern Westchester from Orange, Putnam, and Dutchess Counties. This area is subject to flooding and the narrow road is inadequate for today’s traffic. Raising this short stretch of Highway by 7 feet will eliminate flooding, and the redesign will make it safer and more efficient. This is the first step in redevelopment of this corridor and will make economic revitalization a reality for Cortlandt,” said Dr. Rich Becker, Supervisor in the Town of Cortlandt.
The funding comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-saving Transportation (PROTECT) Grant program, which was funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Law.
Schumer’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law established the Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-saving Transportation (PROTECT) Grant program to provide funding to ensure surface transportation resilience to natural hazards including climate change, sea level rise, flooding, extreme weather events, and other natural disasters through support of planning activities, resilience improvements, community resilience and evacuation routes, and at-risk coastal infrastructure. The PROTECT program provides $1.4 billion in funding over 5 years. The BIL includes around $550 billion in new federal investment to repair, rebuild, and modernize America’s bridges, transit systems, water infrastructure, and more.
Schumer has been a relentless advocate to bolster critical flood infrastructure in the Hudson Valley. In March, Schumer delivered $2,475,000 in the Fiscal Year 2024 appropriations package to strengthen flood mitigation efforts in the Town of Clarkstown. Specifically, the funding supports improved drainage and levee construction in the Jeffrey Court neighborhood that has been prone to frequent flooding from overflows from the Hackensack River during heavy rain storm. Schumer also delivered $1,500,000 in FY24 appropriations for the City of Kingston to raise the road on two portions of East Strand that experience flooding during spring tides, making travel difficult or impossible for residents of and visitors to the City's historic Waterfront District and surrounding neighborhoods.
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