ALBANY, N.Y. (WENY) – Wednesday, New York State Senator Tom O'Mara and Assemblyman Phil Palmesano were joined more than 60 other state lawmakers to call for increased state support for local roads, bridges and culverts.

Every year, the lawmakers typically gather with hundreds of highway superintendents and highway department employees from around the state to call for more funding; however, due to COVID-19, those highway officials couldn't come, but they are still pushing their annual advocacy campaign, renamed “Local Roads Are Essential.”

This year, the lawmakers pushed for Governor Andrew Cuomo to reinstate infrastructure funding that was cut in the 2020-2021 state budget. For this year's budget, the Governor proposed “expanding our infrastructure plan to invest $306 billion in the future of New York. That's not just the largest infrastructure plan in New York history. It's the largest, most ambitious plan put forward by any state in the nation."

The lawmakers support that proposal but are also calling for further funding. Currently, in the proposed budget, Cuomo holds “base level funding for the Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program (CHIPS) funding formula at $438 million...but eliminates funding for Extreme Winter Recovery, a $65-million cut”.

In a joint statement, O’Mara and Palmesano said, “We have always stood together with New York’s county and town highway superintendents, and local leaders, and we will continue to do everything we can to raise awareness and call for legislative support.  Local roads are essential.  State investment in our local transportation infrastructure is critical to the future of local communities, economies, environments, governments and taxpayers.”

The coalition put forth two funding requests, depending on how much money New York State receives in federal aid in the next COVID-19 relief bill.

If New York State receives up to $6 billion in federal aid, the group requests the following as part of the final 2021-22 state budget:

> Full restoration of the $120.6 million cut in local transportation aid in 2020-2021; 

> Fully funding the CHIPS base level at $438 million; 

> Increasing Extreme Winter Recovery funding to $100 million;

> Fully funding the BRIDGE-NY program at $100 million; and  

> Fully funding the PAVE-NY program at $100 million. 

If New York State receives federal aid above $6 billion, the group is seeking:

> Full restoration of the $120.6 million cut in local transportation aid in 2020-2021; 

> Increasing the CHIPS base funding level by $150 million to a total of $588 million; 

> Increasing Extreme Winter Recovery funding to $100 million;

> Doubling PAVE-NY local funding from $100 million to $200 million; and 

> Doubling BRIDGE-NY local funding from $100 million to $200 million, with additional funding for culverts.