Assemblyman Brian Miller (R,I,C,Ref-New Hartford) joined colleagues from the Assembly Minority Conference’s Task Force on Critical Infrastructure and Transportation to announce a comprehensive list of recommendations to improve upstate New York’s infrastructure and transportation. The lawmakers hope the recommendations will be included as part of this year’s state budget.

“Right now our state aid for roads, bridges and sewers is barely enough to manage the decline. It is impossible to make the substantial capital improvements we need upstate without a long-term vision and a real financial investment,” said Miller. “We have seen the governor make this investment downstate on new bridges, airports and train stations. We need a matching investment upstate and we need it now.”

Miller said the plan’s highlights include an annual increase of $100 million for at least the next five years to the state’s Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program (CHIPS), strengthening PAVE-NY, Extreme Winter Recovery and BRIDGE NY, expanding the Clean Water Investment Act, and creating a new program to offer funding to support local governments’ efforts to improve infrastructure for drinking, storm and sewer water. Funding for these programs would largely come from the revenue raised by the state’s existing gasoline taxes and transportation-related fees, which are currently primarily used to pay off state debt. The task force’s report also includes calls for the state Department of Transportation to create a 10-year capital improvement plan and to provide reports on the condition of infrastructure throughout the state.