Sen. Akshar Secures $750K In Infrastructure Funding For City of Binghamton and $2 Million for Broome County

Mayor Richard C. David joined Senator Fred Akshar to announce $750,000 in state funding to support a range of infrastructure projects in the City of Binghamton. Mayor David and Senator Akshar visited road construction crews on Highland Ave. on Binghamton’s West Side to make the announcement.

“Senator Akshar delivered critical funding that will impact residents on their streets and in their neighborhoods,” said Mayor David. “Taxpayers deserve new streets. Binghamton has become an Upstate New York leader in infrastructure improvements — rebuilding the foundations of our City and paving the way for new growth and development.”

"Reliable, well-maintained infrastructure is essential to a thriving community for residents and businesses alike,” said Senator Akshar. “Mayor David has done an amazing job bringing Binghamton's streets out of neglect and disrepair. I'm proud to partner with him and secure $750,000 in infrastructure funding for the City of Binghamton so he can continue to pave more roads, fix more bridges and make more smart investments for the future. Safe, reliable infrastructure is needed throughout the Southern Tier, that's why I'm also proud to have secured $2 million in infrastructure funding for Broome County, so that residents and businesses throughout the community will have roads and bridges they can depend on."

The $750,000  and $2 million boosts in infrastructure funding come from the State and Municipal Facilities Program of the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY). The additional funding will support more projects in several areas for Binghamton:

• One additional mile of neighborhood street paving
• Water/sewer underground utility upgrades
• Curb/sidewalk upgrades, consistent with Americans with Disabilities Act requirements

The additional funding will bring the City’s 2017 paving total to an estimated 16 miles, which is the most centerline miles paved in more than a decade.

Binghamton is trying to buck the statewide trend of local governments falling behind in meeting transportation infrastructure maintenance needs. Local municipalities are spending only a third of what’s required to maintain their capital infrastructure assets, according to a 2014 report by the New York State Comptroller’s Office.

Also, deterioration of roads and bridges accelerates as maintenance is deferred. For every dollar spent maintaining infrastructure in “fair” condition, four to five dollars is saved in future repairs, according to the Cornell Local Roads Program.