Free Electric Shuttle Program at Risk of Ending March 30

Circuit and community partners are urging the public to contact local and state leaders to act immediately to preserve Rockaway Rides and BrentwoodGO, two community-based electric shuttle programs currently set to end service on March 30 unless future funding is secured.

Both programs were implemented through the NYSERDA Clean Transportation Prize, which invested in innovative, zero-emission transportation solutions for underserved communities. Since launching in December 2023 and October 2024, Rockaway Rides and BrentwoodGO have provided hundreds of thousands of rides and become a critical part of everyday mobility for residents traveling to work, school, transit, shopping, medical appointments, and other essential destinations.

If these programs are allowed to end, the communities they serve will lose far more than a convenient transportation option. Riders will lose reliable, affordable access to daily needs, and New York will lose proven examples of how clean transportation investment can directly improve quality of life in communities that need them most.

Circuit is calling on elected officials, public agencies, and private-sector partners to step forward with emergency funding or public-private partnership support to prevent these services from abruptly shutting down.

“Local leaders who understand the transit gaps Rockaway residents deal with everyday should be at the frontline demanding continuity of service,” said Renae Reynolds, Executive Director of Tri-State Transportation Campaign. “As a former resident of the peninsula I know what losing this service would mean: missing a connection to the A train, being late to work or missing important appointments. We have seen this before and it’s high time we end the trend of leaving the Rockaways stranded.”

Circuit is also urging riders, advocates, and community stakeholders to make their voices heard by contacting local and state representatives and asking them to support immediate action to sustain both programs.

To support, check out: https://tstc.app.sparkinfluence.net/clean-microtransit-circuit/