Upstate Roads and Bridges Being Left Behind?

Elmira, N.Y., October 9–State Senator George Winner (R-C-I, Elmira) responded today to the state Department of Transportation’s proposed five-year, statewide capital program, a plan that New York Governor David Paterson says the state can't afford (read more).

Winner noted that the 2009-2010 state budget enacted in April by Paterson and the Democratic leaders of the state Legislature included a multi-billion-dollar bailout of the New York City transit system, but no funding for upstate roads and bridges.

"Governor Paterson and the Legislature’s Democratic leaders made sure to take care of downstate’s transportation needs in this year’s state budget, but left upstate out in the cold," Winner said.  "We’ve been reminded again that the only thing upstate can count on from New York’s downstate, Democratic leaders is another broken promise.  That’s exactly what we warned back in April.  If the going gets tough, downstate Democrats won’t hesitate to abandon upstate’s roads and bridges, or any serious commitment to the future of the upstate economy.”

See Paterson's full statement here.

Find more details on the DOT's proposed capital plan here.