Today, Assemblyman Joseph Angelino (R,C-Norwich) joined his Minority colleagues at a press conference calling for an increase in funding for the Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program (CHIPs) and the Extreme Winter Recovery (EWR) fund.

“Local roads are essential to state infrastructure, and they must be prioritized in the budget. The vast majority of roads and bridges in our state are maintained by local authorities, yet they are underfunded. I have met with the highway superintendents of many of the counties I represent. They have told me that if CHIPs funding does not increase, their intended roadwork could decrease by 40% due to the increased prices of materials, supplies and labor. New York must do the right thing and invest in local roads and bridges,” said Angelino

Angelino also specified why increasing funding is good for the people of New York.

“If we increase funding to these programs, we will be able to improve the lives of many in our state. Jobs will be created by increasing the maintenance projects on our roads and bridges and making improvements to infrastructure will ultimately cost less than if we wait until the roads are in complete disrepair. Most important, however, is safety, by making sure our roads and bridges are up to standard, we can ensure that no one has to worry about the condition of the road causing an accident,” concluded Angelino.

Specifically, Angelino and his Republican colleagues are asking for the following:

• Increase funding for CHIPs by $200 million
• Increase EWR by $70 million