After years of flat budgetary allocations and across-the-board reductions due to COVID-19, Assemblyman Ed Ra (R-Franklin Square) and a bipartisan group of his colleagues wrote a letter to legislative leaders and the governor seeking an increased investment in local roads and bridges.

They held a press conference in the Capitol today to advocate for a more robust investment in the Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program (CHIPS), BRIDGE-NY and PAVE-NY.

“Making sure our local roads and bridges are safe for motorists is an investment in public safety, it’s an investment in our economic vitality and it improves our quality of life. After a year of unprecedented funding cuts, municipalities need state help to resurface and repair our roads. We have to come through for them. The governor’s budget increases the state’s commitment to infrastructure modernization. It can’t just be about New York City. We have to invest in local governments and bolster these programs,” said Ra.

Ra believes that the CHIPS program enjoys bipartisan support because it’s based on a formula that’s fair to every district.

“It’s simple- more miles of locally-owned roads, more funding. It’s not political. Every New Yorker deserves a safe commute,” said Ra.

A copy of the letter is attached.