Assemblyman Ken Blankenbush (R,C,I-Black River) is calling for passage of the Low-Volume Roads Bill, a measure that is especially important to the North Country and rural New York communities for managing the high costs of road maintenance. The bill already has passed the Senate but is being held in the Assembly Committee on Transportation, which is chaired by Assemblyman David Gantt.

“Rural upstate New York is made up of a vast network of small highways, which can be costly and difficult to maintain according to state mandates. I sponsor a bill that would allow flexibility in maintaining low-volume roads, allowing highway superintendents to manage them in a way that is more cost effective and sensible according to the needs of communities,” said Blankenbush. “This bill already has passed the Senate; it’s time for the Assembly to follow suit and act on this to help struggling upstate communities.”

This bill would be especially helpful in areas like the Tug Hill Plateau. Roughly 70 to 90 percent of municipal budgets in the region are used up by highway departments that maintain these low-volume roads. Low-volume roads are used by fewer than 400 vehicles a day. The bill Blankenbush sponsors would allow for sensible, commonly-used maintenance standards. The New York State Local Roads Research Coordination Council and the Mandate Relief Redesign Team have made the same recommendations as those in the bill.

“The Assembly needs to allow important bills like this to the floor for an up-or-down vote. It is our job to act on measures that will help the entire state, not just special interests,” concluded Blankenbush.