Highway Superintendents Make the Case for Local Roads

ALBANY, NY (02/15/2008)(readMedia)-- James Brady, President of the New York State County Highway Superintendents Association (NYSCHSA) and David Bell, Vice President of the New York State Association of Town Superintendents of Highways (NYSAOTSOH), testified on February 13 before the Joint Legislative Fiscal Committees on the condition of local transportation infrastructure and to urge more state funding for local highway and bridge maintenance, repair and construction.

"The Governor's Executive Budget reflects a funding level for CHIPs at $303 million, which is $9.4 million less than last year's appropriation," Brady told the committee "and [this amount] is substantially discounted by the spiking costs associated with highway and bridge work." CHIPs, the Consolidated Highway Improvement Program, is the life blood of local highway departments, distributing hundreds of millions of dollars to counties, towns, villages and cities to help finance local transportation needs.

Brady and Bell commended State legislators for increasing CHIPs last year by $16 million. "This enhancement allowed us to do our jobs better, protecting the safety of the driving public and promoting infrastructure improvements to help the economy and create jobs in all areas of the state," Mr. Brady explained.

NYSAOTSOH released a "20-Year Needs Assessment of Local Jurisdiction Highways and Bridges in New York State." The report provides an estimate of what will be required over the next 20 years for local roads and bridge infrastructure. The study found that local transportation infrastructure is deteriorating and funding for repair is woefully inadequate. The Associations are calling for approximately $1.2 billion annually in additional state funding to meet this challenge.

"Those of us charged with the awesome responsibility for local roads and bridges are here again begging for help," Brady and Bell said. The highway chiefs argued that CHIPs money is money well spent and goes directly into roads and bridges, to the construction industry and its employees, suppliers, equipment manufactures and the local economies. “It will help get the critical jobs done!" Brady said.

At the hearing, some legislators expressed support for increasing CHIPs and other resources for local transportation and insuring the integrity of the Dedicated Highway and Bridge Trust Fund (DHBTF). Senator Thomas Libous and Assemblyman Richard Brodsky discussed their desire to see non-capital expenditures like Department of Motor Vehicle operations and snow and ice removal shifted out of the DHBTF to the state’s general fund. Their legislative proposal is designed to free up about $750 million for transportation capital, much of which can then be directed to local roads and bridges. Senator Libous said “we need to put the TRUST back in the TRUST fund!”

The Superintendents said they support this proposal “to restore the fiscal integrity” of the Dedicated Fund.

With the hearing process winding down, the Legislative Fiscal Committees will now prepare reports and recommendation to the full legislature with respect to amending the Governor’s budget proposal. The state budget is required to be adopted by March 31st.

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