State awards ‘Harsh Weather’ recovery funding to assist repairs to area roads: O’Mara and Palmesano say funding complements ‘Extreme Winter Weather Recovery’ funding in this year’s state budget

Albany, N.Y., April 30— State Senator Tom O’Mara (R,C,I- Big Flats) and Assemblyman Phil Palmesano (R,C,I-Corning) said today that road projects across the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes regions have been awarded nearly $8 million in state funding.

In the 2018-2019 state budget, O’Mara and Palmesano fought to secure a $65-million “Extreme Winter Recovery” allocation for area counties, cities, towns and villages.  Beginning with the 2013-14 state budget, their efforts have helped increase funding through the Consolidated Highway Improvement Program (CHIPS)/Formula by more than $200 million, or upwards of 40%.  Together with the PAVE-NY and BRIDGE-NY programs established two years ago, the programs are providing significant funding increases for counties, cities, towns and villages throughout New York State.  In their own legislative districts, for example, O’Mara and Palmesano said that aid percentage increases since 2012-13 have ranged from 50% to 55%.

The additional $100 million announced in Albany earlier today, which is being awarded through the state’s “Harsh Winter Paving Initiative,” will support 84 projects statewide and repair 1,000 lane miles of state-owned roadways damaged by harsh weather this past winter.

In a joint statement, O’Mara and Palmesano said, “Beginning in 2013, the state’s recognition of the importance of statewide transportation funding continues to make a significant difference for our local governments, local economies, local property taxpayers and motorist safety locally and statewide.  We will continue to work with Governor Cuomo, our legislative colleagues and local highway superintendents and leaders across this region and state on this vitally important challenge and priority, but this year’s budget continues a stronger state commitment. The improvement and upkeep of roads and bridges is a wise use of taxpayer dollars.” 

In the legislative districts represented by O’Mara and Palmesano, five projects will receive approximately $8 million.  The following projects in Chemung, Schuyler, Steuben, Tompkins and Yates counties will receive harsh weather funding:

> $652,000 to resurface on Routes 414, 79 and 54 in Schuyler and Yates Counties;

> $1.8 million to address pavement cracking on Route 327 from Routes 13, 34 and 96 to Route 79 in Tompkins County;

> $1.4 million to perform preventive maintenance paving on Route 54 from County Route 113 to Route 54A in Steuben County;

> $1.5 million to resurface Routes 414, 79, 54 in the Town of Hector in Schuyler County and the Town of Barrington in Yates County; and

> $2.6 million to perform maintenance paving on Route 427 from Cedar St to Chemung and Route 224 from Alpine Junction to the Chemung County line in Chemung County.

Palmesano, whose legislative district also includes Seneca County, said that $1.1 million to resurface Route 89 from Canoga to Routes 5 and 20 in Seneca County has also been awarded funding.