Assemblyman Ken Blankenbush (R,C,I-Black River) held a rally today at the Town of Watertown Highway Department with highway superintendents, workers, local officials and county Chamber of Commerce representatives to call on the governor to provide upstate New York with its fair share of funding for local roads and bridges. Over the last few years, multiple New York City infrastructure projects were announced – the rebuilds of the Tappan Zee Bridge, which remains without a financial plan, and LaGuardia Airport, and the overhaul of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) – which could cost upward of $16 billion in total.

“Fixing our roads and bridges is a matter of life and death, a matter of economic recovery and a matter of fairness,” said Blankenbush. “The condition of our roadways and bridges impacts the well-being of communities, our economy and our people. It is completely unacceptable to me that so many of our local roads and bridges are closed while New York City is getting more than $16 billion for luxury infrastructure wants over our basic needs. Upstate can no longer be ignored. Governor, we need you to step up to the plate for the people of upstate.”

“In towns like Denmark, we are doing our best to keep our roads and bridges open and safe for our local residents, but it has become increasingly difficult over the years. The costs of maintenance and materials have risen, our winters are becoming harsher and state aid is failing to keep up with these demands,” said Pat Mahar, Town of Denmark Highway Superintendent and Vice President of the New York State Association of Town Superintendents of Highways (NYSAOTSOH). “We need the governor to fairly fund and invest in our communities, too.”

"It is certainly encouraging that the governor and legislative leaders all have signaled their support for a significant increase in funding for the needs of the statewide transportation system similar to the expressed commitment to the MTA's capital plan deficit," said Dennis S. Davis, Oneida County Commissioner of Public Works and Executive Board member of the New York State County Highway Superintendents Association (NYSCHSA). "Money allocated to State DOT doesn't always make its way down to the local systems where it is desperately needed. Local governments own 87 percent of the road mileage and 50 percent of the bridges. There must be a guarantee that a substantial amount of any increase goes directly to programs that fund local roads, bridges and culverts.”

Jeffrey Griswold, President of NYSAOTSOH, added, “Based on the New York State Department of Transportation’s (DOT) own projections, the state needed to spend about $6.25 billion a year to bring the state and local transportation systems to a ‘State of Good Repair.’ Unfortunately, over the past six years, the state has averaged only $3.8 billion annually, or $2.45 billion less annually than needed. Over 75 percent of our state’s roads and bridges are outside the MTA region; if the MTA and DOT had parity in their five-year capital programs, as they had for almost two decades, this would be a huge stimulus for upstate’s weak economy.”

Blankenbush has been a vocal advocate for local road issues in Albany. He helped to secure increased funding for the Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program (CHIPs), which helps pay for local infrastructure needs. Since the 2013-14 Enacted Budget, CHIPs and winter recovery funding has increased by $125 million; however, the assemblyman says it is not enough. The comptroller’s office estimated that there will be an estimated $89 billion worth of unmet infrastructure needs over the next 20 years.

Local highway departments own and maintain roughly 87 percent of all state roads, and about 50 percent of the state’s more than 17,000 bridges. According to the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), New York would need to spend about $40 million by 2030 on roadways in order to keep up with current road conditions. Additionally, ASCE reports that 12 percent of bridges in New York State are structurally deficient. Approximately 100 bridges are closed statewide. Earlier this year, more than 30 bridges and spans were closed within Blankenbush’s Assembly District alone.

Blankenbush is committed to bringing these concerns to the forefront during the coming 2016 Legislative Session. The Assembly will reconvene on January 6.

Editor’s note: A video comment from Assemblyman Blankenbush can be downloaded here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4GLDDph34cWSThIQ3RXc1JwdGs/view?usp=sharing.