Ashby, Jordan, demand funding for local roads
ALBANY, N.Y. » State Assemblyman Jake Ashby (R,C,I-Castleton) and State Sen. Daphne Jordan, R-Halfmoon, joined colleagues in issuing a letter to Gov. Andrew Cuomo and legislative leaders to demand the full funding of critical programs utilized to maintain local roads and bridges.
“Local roads are essential,” Ashby said.
“Upstate New York deserves its fair share of funding so we can properly maintain safe roads and bridges for our communities. For too long, our governor and his fellow downstate leaders have emphasized spending on large downstate pet projects, such as the $1.3 billion rebuilding of Penn Station and NYC’s subway system,
at the expense of our Upstate roads and bridges. Our local highway departments deal with yearly funding cuts while our aged infrastructure continues to crumble. This is unacceptable and can go on no longer,” Ashby explained.
Jordan echoed those sentiments as well.
“Local roads matter. It’s that simple,” Jordan said.
‘In this year’s budget, the Governor and downstate Democrats shortchange funding for our local roads, bridges and infrastructure in favor of funneling money to the failing MTA and New York City transportation,” Jordan noted.
“There must be equity in transportation and infrastructure funding. Our dedicated men and women who work on maintaining our roads deserve the funding they need to fix potholes, install sidewalks and make the improvements we need to live in vibrant communities,” Jordan added.
Local governments maintain 87 percent of the roads and about half of the 18,000 bridges in the state – despite this, Upstate receives less than half of the funding than that of the NYC-based MTA. Furthermore, the State has withheld $120 million of promised funding from last year’s budget
that was earmarked to rebuild and maintain local roads and bridges.
Should the state receive more than $6 billion in federal aid, the legislators are advocating for the full restoration of the withheld 2020-21 funds, an increase to CHIPS to $588 million, an increase to the Emergency Winter Recovery funds to $100 million, and the doubling of the PAVE-NY and BRIDGE-NY to $200 million each. If the state receives only $6 billion, they are pushing for the restoration of 202021 funds and ensuring current levels of funding are protected.
“The Senate Republican Conference has consistently fought for and delivered equal funding statewide for local roads and bridges. As we move toward passing a state budget, we will continue this fight,” Jordan added.