Bedford NY – New York State Senator Pete Harckham joined Bedford Town Supervisor Ellen Calves and members of Bedford’s senior community at the Bedford Community House recently to celebrate the inaugural trip of the Town’s new recreation bus, made possible through a $100,000 state grant secured by Harckham.

The Town of Bedford offers a robust range of programs and activities for seniors through its Senior Recreation Program at the Bedford Community House. The new bus will provide daily transportation for seniors who wish to participate in these programs, helping ensure that a lack of transportation does not prevent them from staying active and connected to the community.

“Without reliable transportation, many seniors could miss out on the valuable programs and activities the Town of Bedford offers,” said Sen. Harckham. “I was proud to secure this funding to provide the Town with a new, accessible bus so seniors can continue to stay active and engaged while enjoying all that the community has to offer.”

The new bus can accommodate 14 passengers and includes wheelchair accessibility for one additional passenger. It is expected to be used at least five days a week. The Town’s previous bus had a maximum capacity of 12 passengers and did not offer wheelchair accommodation.

In addition to regular programming, the Senior Recreation Program organizes special trips and excursions to destinations such as Bear Mountain State Park, shopping centers and local museums. During Harckham’s visit, seniors were preparing to board the new bus for a trip to the local grocery store.

“We are incredibly grateful to Senator Pete Harckham for providing the grant funding that made the purchase of our new community activity bus possible,” said Supv. Calves. “This bus represents so much more than transportation—it is about connection, independence and ensuring that all our residents have the opportunity to participate fully in our community. The addition of a wheelchair lift will allow us to provide more accessible and inclusive transportation for residents of all abilities. We deeply appreciate Senator Harckham’s generous support and his continued commitment to Bedford and our residents.”

The bus will also be made available on certain occasions to the nonprofit North East Westchester Special Recreation, which provides therapeutic recreation programming to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities I/DD individuals.

The project was funded through the Community Resiliency, Economic Sustainability, and Technology (CREST) program. Harckham has secured over $40 million in capital grants for the towns, cities and villages across Senate District 40 through CREST, the Local Community Assistance Program (LOCAP) and State Aid to Municipalities (SAM) grants since taking office in 2019.