Statement on State Infrastructure Funding and CHIPS

Pamela Helming

March 3, 2021

Transportation infrastructure funding is among the budget priorities Senator Helming is fighting for. On ‘CHIPS Advocacy Day’ today in Albany, Senator Helming released the following statement:

“It is critically important that we provide funding to our municipalities so they have the necessary resources to maintain, repair and improve local roads, bridges and other infrastructure. Our highway workers and superintendents do an incredible job with the tools they have. However, they need the state to step up and support them in their efforts to keep our roads safe. We must send a loud and clear message that this funding needs to be a top priority in the budget. Thank you to all the local highway departments that have aggressively advocated for this, and thank you to our highway superintendents and crews for keeping our roads safe and our communities strong. Although this year’s ‘CHIPS Advocacy Day’ was different, their voices were heard loud and clear,” said Senator Helming.

According to TRIP, a national transportation research nonprofit, aging roads and bridges cost New York motorists $26 billion annually - in the Rochester and Syracuse areas, about $1,500 per driver.

Link to TRIP report: https://tripnet.org/reports/trip-new-york-btn-rochester-news-release-12-08-2020/