There are many competing infrastructure needs in our state, and we must carefully examine and plan how public dollars will be invested. The most pressing needs are often overlooked because they aren’t the flashy attention-getting projects. Let’s face it, our little bridges over the Erie Canal or local creeks aren’t as glitzy as the rebuild of the Tappan Zee bridge or the many other infrastructure projects the governor has prioritized in New York City.

New York’s roads, state and local, are in tough shape. It is a never-ending cycle of trying to maintain roadways, bridges and culverts that are constantly being compromised by the wear and tear of use and the northeast weather. It’s not an easy job that both the Department of Transportation (DOT) and our local highway departments undertake.

Chronically underfunded, upstate DOT and our local highway crews do the best they can under the circumstances. Our local highway crews, alone, maintain roughly 87 percent of all roads in the state and nearly 50 percent of all bridges.

The comptroller’s office projected that over the next 20 years there will be about $89 billion worth of unmet infrastructure needs. The American Society of Civil Engineers estimates that it would take at least $40 million to maintain current road conditions. Current conditions, however, include pothole-ridden and C-graded roads. I am sure many of us can attest to how bumpy the roads get after a North Country or Mohawk Valley winter. In my Assembly District, there are about 30 closed bridges, with many more under new weight restrictions because the structure has deteriorated to a point where it cannot handle the intended weight.

The governor, as part of his 2016 agenda, proposed the Bridge NY and Pave NY programs, and intends to set aside $1 billion for each. Right now, there is little known about this plan, as it has yet to be formally included in the governor’s budget. We don’t know how the programs will be funded or where the funds will be allocated.

I will be urging the Legislature to increase funding for the Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program (CHIPs), which is a valuable program for our local highway departments, paying for repairs to crumbling roads and bridges. I will continue to push for a fairer distribution of windfall money from the legal settlements the state has collected to ensure upstate residents benefit from the funds to which they are entitled. The Legislature needs to treat upstate New York with fairness in investment and resources, especially in its most rural areas.

I always welcome your input on this or any other legislative topic. Please contact me by emailing blankenbushk@assembly.state.ny.us or calling my office at 493-3909.