Clean Mobility

LISC NY & Partners Collaborate on $10M Investment Expanding Access to Clean Mobility in East Buffalo

LISC NY will lead a $10 million investment expanding access to clean mobility options together with local organizations and residents of East Buffalo, NY. The effort was awarded under the $85 million New York Clean Transportation Prizes’ Clean Neighborhoods Challenge in November 2022. LISC NY supported the collaboration of diverse organizational partnerships that will serve East Side residents and the team used inputs from community engagements over the last several years and resident priorities to inform their approach.

The community-based partnership strategy for LISC NY’s initiative within the East Side of Buffalo ‘Centering People, Place and Policy for Buffalo's Clean Mobility Future' uses qualitative and quantitative data to address significant safety, transportation, and pollution-related needs in these historically disinvested neighborhoods in East Buffalo. This multi-faceted program collaborates with several local partners who brought forth projects and programs that seek to address needs, alongside strong community support. The program will have a large focus on community engagement and public participation over the next three years, ensuring that the outcomes reflect resident priorities. The work centers around increasing safety for pedestrians, bicyclists and public transportation riders, access to alternatives to car ownership, workforce development, cultural preservation, and reducing transportation-related carbon emissions that impact the health of residents living in the East Side.

The $85 million New York Clean Transportation Prizes program awarded grand prizes to projects throughout New York that support long-term, transformational and integrated solutions that expand the use of electric and active transportation modes, reduce vehicle traffic, and improve quality of life in underserved communities.

The $10 million Clean Neighborhoods Challenge grand prize award and collaboration with local partners in Buffalo are some of the unique ways that LISC NY is investing in efforts that seek to increase health equity and close the racial wealth gap in the region. This work correlates with other LISC NY investments across the social determinants of health, like housing, financial stability, and neighborhood environments. LISC NY will also coordinate with state and local strategies aimed to improve the quality of life for Black residents in Buffalo to maximize the impact and create measurable change.

“With increased community engagement and supporting our partners in Buffalo, we are pleased to support a localized approach in which residents play an important role in their own climate just future. This significant investment in greener transportation options and environments in the East Side of Buffalo demonstrates intention and priority for Black and brown communities to lead in New York's burgeoning green economy,” said Valerie White, Senior Executive Director of LISC NY.

The LISC NY and partner team together for the NYSERDA application pitch presentation.

LISC NY collaborated with many local Buffalo partners, including Heart of the City Neighborhoods, GOBike Buffalo, Coalition for Economic Justice, Shared Mobility, Inc, and the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus – who shared the following on the recent positive developments:

“Over the last 24 years Heart of the City has worked to stabilize traditionally disinvested communities, break generational poverty through our pre-apprenticeship program and advocate for environmental justice issues such as inadequate access to healthy food, inadequate transportation, air and water pollution, and unsafe homes. This award will make it possible for our team to actively engage residents in our community, ensuring there is an inclusive process that centers voices of those most impacted by transportation inequalities. More than that, it’s an opportunity to work from an asset-based community development approach – this allows the community to come from an area of strength rather than lack,” said Stephanie Simeon, Executive Director of Heart of the City Neighborhoods.

"At GObike, we believe happy, healthy, connected communities allow every person to safely and easily get where they want to go, no matter how they choose to get there. With this investment, a future where East Side residents enjoy access to world-class trails within their community is now possible. We look forward to serving the East Side community and developing the East Side Trails as a community asset in direct partnership with neighbors," said Justin Booth, Executive Director of GObike Buffalo.

“With every mission it takes a team to coming together serving in their capacity towards a collective goal. Each of the organizations here have shown dedication to serving the underserved. It is a privilege for the CEJ to do its role as a member focused supporting the community move forward post COVID,” said Jamal Davis, Transit Rider Organizer for Coalition for Economic Justice.

"This funding will be instrumental in bridging the financial gap that exists of expanding bikeshare and e-bikeshare services to neighborhoods in need of transportation solutions, specifically the East Side of Buffalo, which is a predominantly black and underserved community," said Marli Parish, Partnership Development Lead at Shared Mobility Inc.

“For 20 years, BNMC has been building partnerships and launching programs to help create a more healthy and equitable Buffalo. We are excited to continue this work with our community through this tremendous investment from New York State. This initiative’s comprehensive, community-driven approach will improve access to clean, affordable, convenient and safe transportation options. More than that, it’s focus on building a culture around the importance of having an equitable transportation system will be truly transformational, as it will help ensure these efforts continue to grow beyond this $10M investment. We are thankful for LISC NY and all the project partners coming together to collaborate on such a meaningful initiative,” said Jamie Hamann-Burney, Director of Planning & Implementation, BNMC.

Doreen M. Harris, President and CEO, NYSERDA said, “NYSERDA is proud to support this innovative project led by LISC NY that will help remove transportation barriers through a comprehensive range of clean mobility options. This collaborative public-private effort shows how thoughtful planning and local community engagement can bring forward solutions that improve access to essential services and jobs while reducing pollution and countering the impacts of climate change.”

About LISC NY

LISC NY is the New York office of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC). LISC NY supports local partners across New York State whose services and programs aim to create a more equitable, inclusive, and sustainable New York.  Since 1980, LISC NY has invested over $3.1 billion and leveraged an additional $7.6 billion in support of low-income communities. LISC NY’s investment strategy is guided by a belief that the time has come to forge a future for New York that eradicates the racial wealth gap for good, protects affordable housing, and builds pathways of meaningful economic opportunity for all New Yorkers.

Top photo credit: Patrick Cray, @yungpainkiller.