Assemblyman Brian Miller (R,C-New Hartford) is calling for funding increases to the Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program (CHIPS) and the Extreme Winter Recovery Program (EWR), which Gov. Hochul is holding flat despite inflation increasing costs significantly. He joined other legislators and local highway superintendents to ask for an increase in CHIPS funding of $200 million for a total of $738 million and EWR by $70 million to $170 million.

“Investing in our local roads is one of our chief responsibilities as a state. We are calling on the governor to increase funding proposed in the budget for CHIPS and EWR so it better reflects the inflation realities local municipalities face in the construction and maintenance of local roads and bridges,” said Miller, who sits on the Assembly Committee on Transportation. “Failure to increase funds for local roads is essentially a cut. Governor, don’t turn your back on local highway departments and residents of the state.”

Miller argues the governor’s proposed flat funding for CHIPS and other programs is essentially a cut in funding. Local governments maintain nearly 87 percent of the roads throughout the state and roughly half of the 18,000 bridges. Inflation has impacted the costs associated with road and bridge construction. Overall, construction has faced a 22 percent inflation rate. Meanwhile, according to the New York State Department of Transportation (DOT), between July 2020 and July 2022, fuel costs rose by 260 percent, asphalt by 80 percent and steel by 115 percent.The federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) increased aid to New York by 52 percent; however, a large majority of local roads do not qualify for the program.

Editor’s Note:Video of Miller’s comments on funding for local roads is available for download:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/15eOIU8eX3qW8qVrMaKJFKwoYpmV5w1i_/view?usp=share_link