Call For More State Spending On Roads

A group of union leaders and elected officials from the lower Hudson Valley are calling for increased road safety investments in the next state budget.

The lower Hudson Valley is in the New York State Department of Transportation’s (NYSDOT) Region 8. In an August report on statewide conditions, Region 8’s roads had the lowest percentage of “good” and “excellent” roads and bridges.

Region 8 also has the worst repaving cycle in the state. It takes 16 years on average for state roadways to be repaved here, while the repaving cycle is only 12 years in the rest of the state.  

The attendees at a January 9 press conference noted that last year they were able to work with Governor Kathy Hochul and deliver an increase to the NYSDOT Capital Plan of $800 million and in the Consolidated Local and Street and Highway Improvement Program (CHIPS) by $50 million for a total of $648.1 million.

The NYSDOT’s five-year Capital Plan now stands at $34.1 billion.