Senator Gallivan Calls for More Funding for Roads and Bridges

Senator Patrick M. Gallivan joined a bipartisan group of 142 state legislators and a statewide coalition of county and town highway superintendents to call for increased state support for local roads, bridges and culverts.  Approximately 700 local high superintendents and highway department employees representing nearly every region of the state have been in Albany as part of the annual "Local Roads Matter" advocacy campaign.

“We all rely on local roads and bridges and we expect them to be safe and reliable,” Gallivan said.  “By investing in in our infrastructure, we are supporting all sectors of New York’s economy, improving public safety and enhancing the quality of life for our residents.”

Gallivan and other state legislators are joining local leaders to call for increasing state base aid for the Consolidated Highway Improvement Program (CHIPS) by $85 million to a total of $523 million. They are also seeking the restoration of a $65-million “Extreme Winter Recovery” allocation enacted last year but not included in Governor Andrew Cuomo’s proposed 2018-2019 state budget. Combined, this $150-million increase would bring total CHIPS aid in 2018-19 to $588.1 million.

In a letter to the governor and legislative leaders, the legislators wrote, “We believe it is critically important to build on our past successes and renew our commitment to addressing the tremendous, unmet needs and challenges to maintain local roads, bridges, and culverts effectively in every region of New York State. This level of state assistance, at a minimum, has become central to providing the critical flexibility and funding that localities need to help meet their growing and challenging infrastructure demands.”

This year’s “Local Roads Matter” campaign is making the case for an even stronger state commitment to local roads, bridges and culverts. Supporters argue that CHIPS funding has become especially critical in an era for local governments defined by the local property tax cap, stagnant aid to municipalities (AIM) and shrinking local revenues. They note that municipalities own and maintain 87% of the roads in the state, own and maintain 52% of New York’s 18,000 bridges, and that 48% of the vehicle miles driven in the state are on local roads.

In an October 2017 report, State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli estimated that bridges owned by local governments currently need an estimated $27.4 billion in repairs. An earlier report from the comptroller called 32% of New York’s local bridges deficient and 40% of local roads fair or poor, and getting worse. In a 2013 study, the state Association of Town Superintendents of Highways (NYSAOTSOH) estimated that New York would need to invest an additional $1.3 billion per year on local roads and bridges to prevent them from becoming deficient. A national transportation advocacy group, TRIP, has estimated that deteriorating roads cost New York motorists nearly an additional $25 billion annually — approximately $2,300 for the average driver in some areas -- in lost time, fuel costs, vehicle repairs and other expenses.

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