GLENS FALLS, N.Y. (NEWS10) – The city of Glens Falls was named this month on a list of 64 communities in the United States to gain access to some special opportunities for future funding. The community was announced as a Thriving Communities grant recipient by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

The city will use funding from the competitive program to tackle four transportation projects. Glens Falls is eyeing putting work into a city transportation hub; changing out Greater Glens Falls Transit buses for electric buses; implementing city improvements in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act; all while moving forward the GGFT’s planned merger into the Capital District Transit Authority.

“Our selection fell under the ‘Complete Neighborhoods’ aspect of the Thriving Communities program,” said Glens Falls Economic Development Director Jeff Flagg. “That means the City of Glens Falls is working to better advance complete streets policies and coordinate
transportation with land use, housing, and economic development.”

The Thriving Communities grant program was a creation of the office of President Joe Biden, designed to fund communities in need of financial aid in areas like transportation, urban development, energy and agriculture. The program targets communities that are considered to be under-invested.

“Communities that have long faced historic underinvestment and disadvantage are finally going to get the technical assistance they need to explore innovative concepts and build better transportation solutions through the Thriving Communities Program,” said Build America Bureau Executive Director Morteza Farajian.

The city of Glens Falls adds the funding to a portfolio of avenues for growth. Recently, the city got a crucial approval needed to begin work on the planned South Street Market space planned thanks to Downtown Revitalization Initiative funding the city won in 2017.