County Highway Chiefs Urge New Commitment to Bridge & Road Safety

ALBANY, NY (08/10/2007)(readMedia)-- The New York State County Highway Superintendents Association (NYSCHSA) recently teamed up with State lawmakers, the Association of General Contractors of New York State, the New York State Laborers, the New York State Roadway Improvement Coalition and AAA New York in an effort to reform the way the state funds bridge and highway maintenance to insure the safety and integrity of New York’s transportation system.

Senator Thomas W. Libous (Binghamton), Chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee, in the wake of the I-35W bridge collapse in Minnesota, held a press conference in Albany to focus attention on the needs of the State’s bridges and highways and to announce legislation to address deficiencies in the way that the State Dedicated Highway and Bridge Trust Fund operates. NYSCHSA representatives were on hand to support the Senator’s initiative.

"The New York State County Highway Superintendents Association has consistently urged state officials to provide more resources to address the serious deteriorating conditions of our highways and bridges," said Frederick Buck, President of NYSCHSA and Commissioner of the Department of Public Works for Essex County. "Senator Libous is to be commended for his steadfast commitment to increasing funding in the state budget each year for county bridges and highways.”

The NYSCHSA backed legislation, called the Bridge and Road Investment and Dedicated Fund Guaranteed Enforcement (BRIDGE) Reform Act, would initiate a five-year phase-out of non-bridge and road expenditures that are currently the responsibility of the DHBTF, freeing-up an additional $750 million to be directed exclusively for bridge and highway construction and repair.

“The Senator understands the importance of insuring the integrity of the State Dedicated Highway and Bridge Trust Fund and his legislation will help to provide a more viable source of capital and maintenance funding and restore safety and reliability to our transportation infrastructure. Mr. Buck said. “Maintaining our infrastructure is key not only for securing a safe and reliable transportation system but also for enhancing economic growth in our communities." Buck concluded.

Local governments face a daunting challenge in the face of spiking petroleum and material costs associated with highway and bridge construction and maintenance. Local roads and bridges account for 96,000 miles of New York State’s roads - 87% of the total. Half of the bridges in the state are owned by local governments. The goal of maintaining our investment in this entire infrastructure by keeping it in a state of good repair is not being met, despite the dedication and hard work of thousands of local highway workers.

The NYSCHSA is urging State lawmakers and the Governor to enact the BRIDGE bill into law as soon as possible.

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