By the Assembly Minority Conference
New York’s local roads and bridges have been severely neglected for years. Investments in these critical arteries consistently fell short of what is needed to ensure safe, reliable travel for commuters, tourists and businesses living, visiting and operating in the state. The Assembly Minority Conference is once again calling on Governor Hochul and her legislative allies to finally commit to meeting our infrastructure needs and provide essential funding for the roads and bridges we rely on daily.
We’re facing a grim reality: the condition of New York’s infrastructure lags well behind nearly every other U.S. state. According to the Reason Foundation’s 28th Annual Highway Report, New York ranks 45th in the nation with respect to “pavement and bridge conditions, traffic fatalities, congestion delays, spending per mile, administrative costs, and more.”
Considering how badly the state has maintained its roadways, it is disappointing to see another executive budget proposal ignore the harsh realities of these conditions. Under Governor Hochul’s spending plan, funding remains flat for the Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program (CHIPS), which subsidizes a significant portion of the state’s local road infrastructure. Aside from the deteriorating condition of local roads and bridges, failing to increase CHIPS funding ignores the harsh fiscal realities of rising costs on construction, materials, and equipment.
Members of the Assembly and Senate minority conferences sent a letter to the governor outlining the needs of those tasked with maintaining local infrastructure. Based on feedback from municipal government representatives and transportation safety advocates, we are seeking an increase in base CHIPS funding of $250 million, for a total of $848 million. Further, we are calling for a consolidation of the state’s local road assistance programs to improve efficiency and a restructuring of the bidding process to give municipalities the flexibility they need to meet these demands.
Governor Hochul did propose adding $800 million for the state Department of Transportation’s CORE Road and Bridge Program, which is a good start. However, a much more substantial investment is needed if we are to return New York state to a world-class business and tourism destination on par with the rest of the nation and world. As we continue crafting a spending plan for the state, I urge the governor and the legislative majority conferences to think critically about New York’s future. Economic success is predicated on good planning and strategic investments; the governor’s proposed plan indicates neither is a priority.