Coalition Calls on State Legislature to Dig Up $650 Million to Patch Region’s Potholes

ELMSFORD—A coalition of construction contractors, union leaders and the entire lower Hudson Valley State Delegation held a rally on Wednesday (Feb. 21) advocating that the state add $650 million to the state budget to address a persistent problem that motorists are forced to deal with on a daily basis—the poor condition of the area’s state roadways that are pot-marked by damaging and in some instances cavernous-like potholes.

The group, led by the Construction Industry Council of Westchester & Hudson Valley, Inc. of Tarrytown, charged that the seven-county area covered by Region 8 of the New York State Department of Transportation has had the worst road and bridge conditions in New York State for more than a decade. It also noted that Region 8 has the most lane miles and the most bridges of any region, yet on average Region 8 ranks third in terms of funding. Region 8 includes 13 cities, 75 villages and 107 towns in Westchester, Ulster, Rockland, Putnam, Orange, Dutchess and Columbia counties.

The “Hudson Valley Road Funding Rally” held at the Teamsters Local 456 Union Hall in Elmsford, focused on the pressing need for the New York State budget for transportation to be increased by $400 million for core roads and bridges, and the aid to local highway departments raised by another $250 million to offset the effects of inflation.

“We are here today to send a message loud and clear to our lawmakers in Albany. This crisis must be addressed immediately, and it is not a political issue; the disgraceful conditions affect anyone who drives on our state roads. Enough is enough. It’s time for action, not talk,” said John Cooney Jr, Executive Director of the Construction Industry Council of Westchester & Hudson Valley. 

Cooney pointed to a host of data that show the poor condition of roads and bridges in New York State and the fact that Region 8 has the worst bridge and road conditions rating statewide, according to NYSDOT data. “How can this region if it has the worst road and bridge conditions and maintains more roads and bridges than any region in the state receive less funding than two other regions?” he queried. “I don’t know, but we need an answer.”

Participating in the rally and calling for increased transportation funding for Region 8 were officials with Teamsters Local 456, Laborers Local 60, Laborers Local 235, Operating Engineers Local 137, Operating Engineers Local 825, Laborers Local 754, Laborers Local 17, and Carpenters Local 279. Also attending the rally were State Senators Shelley Mayer, Peter Harckham, Rob Rolison, Bill Weber and James Skoufis and Assembly Members MaryJane Shimsky, Matt Slater, Kenneth Zebrowski and Jonathan Jacobson. A representative of New York State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart Cousins also attended the event.

A recently released report by TRIP, a Washington, DC-based national transportation research non-profit, found that 44% of major locally and state-maintained roads in the New York-Newark-Jersey City urban area are in poor condition and another 24% are in mediocre condition, costing the average motorist an additional $880 each year in extra vehicle operating costs, including accelerated vehicle depreciation, additional repair costs, and increased fuel consumption and tire wear. Statewide, 25% of New York’s major roads are in poor condition and 18% are in mediocre condition.

In the New York-Newark-Jersey City urban area, 6% of bridges are rated poor/structurally deficient, with significant deterioration to the bridge deck, supports or other major components. In that region, 68% of the area’s bridges were rated fair and only 26% of the metro area’s total number of bridges (6,660) were rated good. Statewide, 9% of New York’s bridges are rated poor/structurally deficient. In the Poughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown area, 14% of the region’s bridges were rated poor or structurally deficient, with 61% rated fair and only 24% of the total 806 bridges were rated good.

Cooney said the TRIP report calculated that crumbing roads and potholes cost New York State drivers $8.7 billion—an average of $715 per driver—last year in repairs, fuel and wear and tear. In addition to the wear and tear on cars, the crumbling roads also pose a serious safety risk for drivers who swerve to avoid hitting potholes.

To illustrate how roads in Region 8 have deteriorated over the years, data released by the American Road & Transportation Builders Association showed in 2002 that 78% of Region 8 roads were in good to excellent condition. By 2021, that number dropped to 44%. Roads in fair to poor condition rose from 22% in 2002 to 56% in 2021.

Assemblywoman Shimsky said simply, “Our roads are terrible,” noting that New York State was recently ranked 46^th in road conditions according to the Reason Foundation. She said the funding request is part of a long-term effort to have the state and Region 8 catch up and improve road conditions. “This is a safety issue even for people who do not drive,” she said. “Good roads and bridges are for everyone.”

State Senator Harckham echoed Assemblywoman Shimsky’s comments about how Region 8’s transportation needs have been underfunded by the state. “The disinvestment in New York’s infrastructure has got to stop.” He added that both the $400 million in increased funding to be earmarked for state roads and the additional $250 million for local governments to fund ongoing maintenance and upgrades to municipal roads are sorely needed.

State Senator Mayer said, “For years, I have been pressing for increased state funding for roads and bridges in our community. Sadly, this year is no different. The governor’s proposed budget simply fails to meet the needs of our district and puts us even further behind in keeping roads and bridges in a state of good repair. Regularly, I hear complaints from residents about roads in need of paving and potholes that are craters, complaints that reflect a growing sense that our region is being underserved compared to the need. As the Hudson Valley faces increasingly severe storms, our roads require even more attention.”

Louis Picani, President of Teamsters Local 456, said, “The state’s current (transportation funding) proposal does not match our region’s infrastructure needs. The restoration of our roads and bridges directly connects to a strong local and state economy. We need to attract businesses and residents to our area and not deter them because of inadequate infrastructure.

The plea from construction and union trade interests for more road and bridge funding in Region 8 is not a new one. Edward Cooke, Vice President of the Building and Construction Trades Council of Westchester and Putnam Counties, noted that that the underfunding of Region 8 by New York State has been a long-standing issue

“The reality is it’s time for the rubber to meet the road. This is common sense,” he said and called on state lawmakers to finally approve the funding to address the poor road and bridge conditions that exist in Region 8.

The coalition also released a video highlighting some of the poor road conditions in Westchester and Putnam counties that was shown during the program. The video is available at https://youtu.be/yX0HSsF2ipc