Legislators, highway superintendents want infrastructure funding restored in state budget

A group of state legislators and highway superintendents gathered at Yorkville's Club Monarch for a press conference Thursday to decry Gov. Kathy Hochul’s proposed cuts to the state’s Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program (CHIPS).

New York State Sen. Joseph Griffo, R-C-Rome, Assemblywoman Marianne Buttenschon, D-Marcy, Assemblyman Brian Miller, R-New Hartford and Assemblyman Robert Smullen, R-Meco, stood with local highway superintendents to demand CHIPS funding be restored in order to maintain and improve infrastructure.

“We're here today because we know the importance of investment in our bridges and our roads, and we want to make sure that there's parity here in New York state,” Griffo said. “One of the things that has always been done is to ensure that whatever money is invested downstate, particularly in the MTA – and we have no problem with investments in the MTA, because that's an important form of transportation in the metropolitan area – but we want equal resources upstate. And that's always been a tradition, that we invest properly in the roads and bridges here.”

Highway superintendents speak out

Hochul’s proposed budget, unveiled in mid-January, would cut $60 million from CHIPS and $40 million from the State Touring Routes Program (STR), both of which help municipalities maintain, construct and repair transportation infrastructure.

Griffo cited a 2022 report from the American Society of Civil Engineers that found that half of New York state roads are in fair or poor condition, and 10% of the state’s bridges are in poor condition, underscoring the need for the infrastructure funding.

Madison County Highway Superintendent Joe Wisinski said the proposed cuts are especially painful in the current economic climate, where the cost of materials, labor and equipment has increased. He said that the superintendents and legislators present are advocating for an additional $150 million in funding to offset these costs, thanking the legislators for their backing.

“They support our common sense needs for local road and bridge funding, and we need that to keep pace with our current economic conditions,” Wisinski said.

Marcy Highway Superintendent Jim Cheyne said that he and his deputies start planning their construction projects months in advance, but that not knowing how much funding they will receive hinders their efforts.

“We try to get on top of everything and plan for everything, but with the cuts, you just don't know what you're going to get,” Cheyne said. “Even with us just planning out now, what they're saying cut-wise, it could be $50,000. Which doesn't sound like a lot, but to small towns, it really hurts.”

Griffo said he is advocating for a multi-year approach to this funding so that highway superintendents know what to expect year to year. Buttenschon said that the superintendents deserve that certainty.

“It’s not fair to you,” Buttenschon said to the superintendents. “We know it’s not fair to you. And we stand here as a bipartisan team to fight for your money for upstate New York. Because you deserve it just as much as everyone else, if not more, because with bare bones, you continue to keep us all safe.”

Parity and priorities

Smullen, who represents dozens of towns and villages and three small cities in the Mohawk Valley, echoed Griffo’s emphasis on parity.

“I want to mention that it's a matter of rural equity,” Smullen said. “Our citizens in the rural areas of upstate New York deserve to have the resources returned to them just as much as those in the majority do in New York City.”

Miller added as economic development continues in the Mohawk Valley, quality transportation becomes more important than ever.

“It comes down to priorities,” Miller said. “Right now we're seeing a rebirth across the Mohawk Valley of economic development. The governor was here in Herkimer earlier this week, handing out the [Downtown Revitalization Initiative] checks and New York Forward monies – along with that should have been infrastructure upgrades. Those are the biggest things that we need right now. We have Wolfspeed coming in, we have Tractor Supply, and we’ve got a lot of transportation needs, not only for the businesses, but for the employees and for the residents we’re trying to bring back to Central New York. So this has to be a top priority.”

Miguel Arreola, a spokesperson from, Hochul's office said via email that Hochul has made historic investments in roads and bridges during her tenure as governor.

“Since taking office, Governor Kathy Hochul has invested more in roads and bridges than any governor in State history, and as a result, New York has one of the most aggressive road and bridge renewal programs in the nation," Arreola said. "These investments are propelled by her historic, five-year, $32.9 billion capital plan to improve New York’s infrastructure. As part of that plan, the FY 2025 Executive Budget includes $7.6 billion for the second year – including nearly $1.3 billion for local program funding. In the coming months, Governor Hochul looks forward to working with the Legislature to pass much-needed infrastructure funding, so the State can continue the work necessary to keep New Yorkers safe on our roads and bridges.”

Griffo said that the highway superintendents who oversee the state’s infrastructure play a key role in multiple aspects of society.

“First and foremost, what they're doing is keeping people safe,” Griffo said. “Transportation is an important network relative to economic opportunity, but safety is a priority for everybody that's assembled here today too. That’s the essence. So when you consider the request not only to restore, but to add, because of inflationary costs that are confronting each of these departments, $250 million out of a $233 billion budget is not an unreasonable request when we're looking at the safety of New Yorkers, and the ability of New Yorkers to travel and to conduct business across the state.”

This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: NY budget: Legislators want infrastructure funding restored