BINGHAMTON - Congressman Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) Monday joined with local officials to break ground on the Binghamton Intermodal Transit Terminal -- a transportation hub that will facilitate the transfer of passengers from local bus and other transit systems to regional and intercity bus and rail systems.  The groundbreaking is the culmination of years of work by Hinchey to obtain $4.1 million in funds from Congress, secure the appropriate environmental approvals for the project, and ensure that the availability of the federal funds remained available throughout the longer than expected planning process.

The Binghamton Intermodal Transit Terminal will provide riders with safe and efficient transfers between different types of transportation as well as shelter from wind, rain and snow. The total cost of the project is estimated to be roughly $12 million.  Using his seat on the House Appropriations Committee, Hinchey secured $4.1 million from Congress over the past six years for the project, which helped leverage an additional $4 million from the Federal Highway Administration beyond the agency's original $1 million commitment.  Last year, Hinchey directly appealed to the regional head of the Federal Transit Administration  for a quick approval of the Environmental Assessment for the project.  The FTA moved quickly, which helped pave the way for the release of the money.

An additional $2 million for the project is coming in matching funds from New York State.  Broome County's match is just over $1 million.