Assemblyman Brian Manktelow (R,C,I-Lyons) attended a press conference alongside his colleagues in the Senate and Assembly Minority to ensure that funding is allocated for local roads and bridges. They were joined by representatives of the New York State Association of County Highway Superintendents and the New York State Association of Town Superintendents of Highways, Inc.

Chief among their concerns is the ongoing deterioration of local roads, bridges, and culverts. Numerous studies over the past decade have highlighted the decline of New York’s locally maintained transportation infrastructure and its impact on economic development, local property taxes and motorist safety. The group called for an increase in funding for programs that support local infrastructure, including the Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program (CHIPS), Extreme Winter Recovery, PAVE-NY, and Bridge-NY, in this year’s state budget.

“It is critical that we protect and fund our local highways, roads and bridges,” Manktelow said. “We owe it to our children and future New Yorkers to hand them a functional and modernized infrastructure. It is a basic duty of legislators to protect New York’s infrastructure and I am proud to join my voice to theirs as we move forward with budget negotiations.”