Schumer Announces Funding For Utica: It’s The Chicken Riggie Sauce

The city of Utica is receiving over $18 million in transportation funding from the federal government that U.S. Senator Charles Schumer says will serve as the 'chicken riggie sauce' for the Utica-area economy.

The hyperbole came as the New York Democrat announced funding for major replacement and renovations along and around the North Genesee Street corridor - a place where you can find a few restaurants known for serving up some serious chicken riggies.

The $18.2 million grant will pay for several enhancements to create a more 'modern portal' to downtown Utica, according to Schumer's Office:

...(NYSDOT) will replace two deteriorating bridges that cross the Mohawk River and the National Historic Erie Canal that connect North Utica and rural areas to Utica’s downtown center. The new bridges will be widened to accommodate four travel lanes; one center left turn lane, add aesthetic improvement like greenery, and two 10-foot-wide multi-use paths on both sides of the corridor to ensure bicyclists and pedestrians are safe and have greater access to the economic and entertainment hubs of the city. The project will also improve access to the Empire State Trail,

The widening of the roads and other improvements will reduce the number of crashes in the area by 34%, according to estimates from NYSDOT, Schumer's office said.

The funding is being allocated through a highly competitive grant program through the U.S. Department of Transportation, Schumer's office said. The Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity or RAISE Grant Program was previously known as BUILD or TIGER, his office noted.