Higgins marks 1-year anniversary of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

Says millions in investments planned for WNY

Marking the one-year anniversary of the signing into law the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Congressman Brian Higgins highlighted some of the awards to date – and what he called “the lasting impact the law’s investments will have on Western New York.”

Higgins said, “The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is laying the foundation for cleaner, safer and stronger communities. The projects planned in Western New York will create jobs, economic opportunity, and have a transformational effect on the Buffalo-Niagara Region.”

New York state has already received $5.5 billion of the $13.6 billion in federal funding allocated for road and bridge projects over the next five years. Just a few of the Western New York projects benefiting include:

√ $95 million for investments in east Buffalo neighborhoods

√ $47 million toward the reconstruction of the Tifft and Louisiana Street gateways linking residents to Buffalo’s waterfront

√ $9 million for repairs along Union Road in the Town of Cheektowaga

√ Progress to reconnect the Humboldt Parkway neighborhood torn apart by the Kensington Expressway

In addition, the Buffalo Niagara International Airport and the Niagara Falls Airport already received a combined $8.7 million for airport infrastructure modernization and upgrades.

The national list of waterway and port infrastructure projects includes $10 million for Times Beach restoration, led by the U.S. Army Corps, along Buffalo’s Outer Harbor.

√ In 2022 alone, the Niagara Frontier Transit Authority (NFTA) received over $30.9 million for investments in bus and transit fleet upgrades, facilities and programs.  

√ Nearly $290 million is available for New York homeowners to make weatherization improvements, which can reduce energy costs for residents.

√ Over 1 million New Yorkers are receiving a discount on high-speed internet thanks to the Affordable Connectivity Program. Residents can see if they are eligible by visiting GetInternet.gov.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will also support the cleanup of Western New York land and waterways, such as:

√ Niagara County was awarded $3.9 million in brownfield funding to transition old, industrial sites into new economic opportunities.

√ The law’s billion-dollar investment in the Great Lakes, along with additional congressional appropriations, will continue the transformation of Western New York’s waterfront and allow for the Buffalo River, Niagara River and Eighteen Mile Creek to be de-listed as “Areas of Concern.”

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, supported by Higgins, was approved by the House of Representatives on July 1, 2021, and signed by President Joe Biden on Nov. 15, 2021.