Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) spoke at a press conference Thursday in Canandaigua calling on Gov. Cuomo to more equitably fund the Western New York infrastructure, specifically the Lake Ontario Parkway and the plethora of Erie Canal lift bridges in his district. The governor has recently pledged more than $8.3 billion in taxpayer money to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and $4 billion to fund the Tappan Zee Bridge rebuild.

“The Lake Ontario Parkway should be a heavily trafficked route in my district and is paramount to the tourism industry and local economy,” Hawley said. “Local Senators and I have written Gov. Cuomo multiple times and met with a multitude of local groups concerned about this roadway to no avail. Furthermore, my Assembly District contains over half of the lift bridges on the entire Erie Canal system, and they are in dire need of repair. We need to protect the safety of the families and businesses that use these routes every day. It is about time for Western New York to be treated fairly. We are part of New York, too.”