Call for more money to repair roads in Hudson Valley

A coalition led by the Construction Industry Council of Westchester and Hudson Valley (CIC) and local construction trade unions met in Elmsford Feb. 19 to demand that state lawmakers allocate more funds for the repair and maintenance of roads in the Hudson Valley.

The coalition held a Hudson Valley Road Funding Rally at the Teamsters Local 456 Union Hall in Elmsford. It thanked Gov. Hochul for her executive budget proposal to increase the State Department of Transportation (DOT) capital spending plan by $800 million. The increased funding is supposed to help the DOT pay for construction materials that have gone up in cost and also help improve road and bridge conditions across New York state.

The coalition also is asking the State Assembly and State Senate representatives from the Hudson Valley to include an increase of $250 million in funding for the state DOT’s local roads program called CHIPS in their own budget proposals. The coalition says that increased funding also is needed for CHIPS because of higher construction materials costs.

“While we have work to do to ensure the Hudson Valley receives its fair share of this proposal, increasing the overall investment is a great first step,” said CIC Executive Director John Cooney, Jr. “This funding will help ensure we can complete critical projects already in the pipeline by offsetting the impact of rising material costs caused by inflation. This increased investment will save New York State taxpayers money because the cost of deferred maintenance will only grow over time.”

Cooney also urged the New York State Senate and Assembly to “follow the governor’s lead by including this funding in their one-house budget proposals. He said, “The CIC stands ready to work with state leaders to ensure this funding becomes a reality and delivers meaningful improvements for all New Yorkers.”

According to TRIP, a national transportation research nonprofit based in Washington, D.C., roads and bridges that are deteriorated, congested and lack some desirable safety features cost New York motorists a total of $38 billion statewide annually due to higher vehicle operating costs, traffic crashes and congestion-related delays.

Attending the Elmsford rally were representatives from local construction trade unions Teamsters Local 456, Laborers Local 60, Laborers Local 235, Operating Engineers Local 137, Operating Engineers Local 825, Laborers Local 754, Laborers Local 17, Carpenters Local 279. Also attending the rally were State Assembly Members MaryJane Shimsky and Chris Burdick.