State awards 'extreme weather’ funding to repair area roads

Albany, N.Y., January 23— State Senator Tom O’Mara (R,C,I- Big Flats), Assemblyman Phil Palmesano (R,C,I-Corning), and Assemblyman Chris Friend (R,C,I-Big Flats) said today that road projects across the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes regions have been awarded nearly $8 million in “extreme weather” funding.

Over the past several years, O’Mara, Palmesano and Friend have fought annually to secure a $65-million “Extreme Winter Recovery” allocation for area counties, cities, towns and villages through the state’s Consolidated Highway Improvement Program (CHIPS).  Together with the PAVE-NY and BRIDGE-NY programs established in 2016, the programs are providing significant funding increases for counties, cities, towns and villages throughout New York State. 

In their own legislative districts, for example, they said said that CHIPS aid percentage increases since 2012-13 have ranged from 50% to 55%.

The new $151 million announced in Albany earlier today, which is being awarded through PAVE-NY,  will support 95 paving projects statewide and repair more than 1,000 lane miles of pavement across the state impacted by extreme weather.

In a joint statement, O’Mara, Palmesano and Friend 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. The improvement and upkeep of local roads and bridges is a wise use of taxpayer dollars.” 

In the legislative districts represented by O’Mara (Senate District 58), Palmesano (Assembly District 132) and Friend (Assembly District 124), seven projects will receive more than $10 million.  The following projects in Chemung, Schuyler, Steuben, Tioga, Tompkins and Yates counties will receive funding:

> $1.2 million to renew Route 34 from the Tioga County line to the Town of Van Etten in Chemung County;

> $813,000 to renew Route 329 from Meads Hill Road to County Route 17 in Schuyler County;

> $3.1 million to renew Route 53 south from the Hamlet of Kanona to the Village of Prattsburgh in Steuben County;

> $2.2 million to renew Route 53 north from the Village of Prattsburgh to the Livingston County line in Steuben County;

> $1.4 million to renew Route 79 from Route 38 to the Tompkins County Line in Tioga County;

> $1.2 million to renew Route 227 from the Schuyler County Line to Route 96 in Tompkins County; and

> $625,000 to renew Route 245/364 in Town of Middlesex in Yates County.

Palmesano, whose legislative district also includes Seneca County, said that the following projects have also been funded:

> $2.9 million to renew Route 96A from north of Kennedy Road to Woodworth Road in Seneca County; and

> $850,000 to renew Route 89 south of Ernsberger Road to south of Canoga Road in Seneca County.