Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan, and Representatives Annie Kuster and Carol Shea-Porter today announced more than $2.5 million in federal grants to strengthen transportation infrastructure in Nashua and Southeastern New Hampshire.

The U.S. Department of Transportation awarded the City of Nashua a $1.08 million grant to replace older transit vehicles and to rehabilitate the transit center, including repairing the roof and surrounding pavement. The New Hampshire Department of Transportation also received a $1.52 million grant to support the Cooperative Alliance for Seacoast Transportation (COAST) in purchasing new buses to replace older buses throughout Southeastern New Hampshire.

“A robust public transportation system is a critical component of strengthening economic competitiveness in Nashua and communities throughout New Hampshire,” said Congresswoman Kuster. “This grant will support improvements to the Nashua transit system that will address public safety concerns and increase efficiency. I advocated for this funding because investing in our infrastructure is critical to the future of communities across the Granite State. We know that cities and towns throughout New Hampshire have serious infrastructure needs and I’ll continue to fight for resources to repair our roads, bridges, telecommunication systems, and infrastructure statewide.”

“Investing in New Hampshire’s public transportation and infrastructure network is essential to maintaining a thriving economy, which makes this infusion of new federal dollars so important,” said Senator Shaheen. “These grants will alleviate safety concerns that affected both Nashua and Southeastern New Hampshire, and provide thousands of Granite Staters safe transportation to their jobs, their families, and across these regions. I am pleased to see the Department of Transportation prioritize these projects for Nashua and the Cooperative Alliance for Seacoast Transportation. I will keep fighting to bring more federal funds back to New Hampshire to ensure our communities have the resources they need.”  

“A strong, modern, and safe transportation infrastructure system is vital to the success of our people, businesses, and economy, and these federal grants are important to helping make that vision a reality,” Senator Hassan said. “By investing in new transit vehicles, repairing the transit center in Nashua, and replacing old buses with new ones, these federal funds will play a vital role in improving the safety and modernity of our public transit system and transportation infrastructure in Nashua and Southeastern New Hampshire. I will continue working to ensure that our communities have the support they need to strengthen transportation infrastructure across the state to help ensure that our people and our economy can continue to thrive.”

“This is a timely investment in New Hampshire’s infrastructure,” said Congresswoman Shea-Porter. “This welcome boost to the COAST system will increase access to Seacoast businesses and communities and also help provide additional transportation options to Granite Staters working and living in Strafford and Rockingham Counties.”

In July, Kuster wrote to the Federal Transit Administration to highlight the importance of the grant to the city and urge the Administration’s support. Senator Shaheen sent a letter of support for the City of Nashua’s application to replace its vehicles and rehabilitate its transit center in August, noting that it would be a major construction project and key to the continued success of Nashua Transit System. 

Congresswoman Kuster has long advocated for increased federal investment in New Hampshire’s transportation network. Kuster helped secure a $200 million low-interest loan through the federal Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) program to help complete the I-93 project. 

Senator Hassan has long fought to strengthen New Hampshire’s transportation infrastructure, including signing a bipartisan Ten-Year Transportation Improvement Plan as Governor to advance critical transportation projects across the state. As a member of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, Senator Hassan has built on those efforts, including pressing Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao on the importance of TIGER grants and TIFIA loans, which have supported important projects throughout New Hampshire.

Congresswoman Shea-Porter supports creating a national infrastructure bank that would leverage federal seed funding to spur private investments in infrastructure projects, which would remain public upon their completion.

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