BCW Joins With Organizations Urging Need for Increased Investment in Transportation Infrastructure

In a letter sent to Gov. Kathy Hochul this week, the Business Council of Westchester joined with more than 40 other organizations representing the full spectrum of New York’s economy, business, labor, industry and municipalities in support of a long-term, adequately funded NYSDOT capital program that ensures the safety and efficiency of roads, bridges, and public transportation systems across the State.

“Based upon NYSDOT data available since the enactment of the current program, our system is in a state of substantial—indeed, historic—decline, and it is imperative that two immediate steps are taken to rectify the situation,” read the letter.

To prevent further deterioration, the group urged Gov. Hochul to incorporate the following recommendations into the 2025-26 Executive Budget submission and subsequent negotiations:

• Acknowledge the Ongoing Inflationary Pressures on the Upcoming Year of the NYSDOT Capital Plan: To counter the unprecedented inflation impacting construction costs, allocate an additional $800 million for ‘core’ projects in the SFY 2025-26 Executive Budget.

• Adopt a formal Twenty-Year Needs Multi-Modal Assessment Process for NYSDOT/Based off the structure that best identifies the continuing capital needs of the MTA system, NYSDOT should adopt a similar approach to capturing and addressing future multi-modal system needs and make this information publicly available.

The letter also outlines key findings from the most recent Annual Highway Pavement and Bridge Conditions Report. They include:

• All 11 NYSDOT regions reported declines in bridge conditions, which is unprecedented.  An additional 138 bridges have transitioned from good to fair or poor condition, bringing the total number of structures in fair or poor condition – based on federal criteria – to nearly 11,400 or 65 percent. Overall investments in bridge safety assurance declined nearly 20 percent year-over-year,

• NYSDOT pavement conditions are declining. Seven of 11 NYSDOT regions experienced declines in pavement conditions. An additional 630 lane miles maintained by NYSDOT have shifted from good to fair and poor condition, raising the statewide total in fair or poor condition to nearly 17,000 lane miles (more than 40 percent). Overall investments in pavement renewal have decreased by more than 31 percent year-over-year.

The letter concludes that these findings underscore the urgent need for increased investment in transportation infrastructure. “The decline of New York’s transportation infrastructure poses a serious risk to public safety and the state’s economic competitiveness. Without adequate funding in the upcoming budget proposal, these challenges will only escalate, leading to more costly repairs and diminished quality of life for New Yorkers. We urge you to prioritize the necessary investments to reverse these trends and ensure a sustainable, safe transportation network for the future.”

BCW Executive Vice President and COO John Ravitz noted that the BCW has long advocated that the state needs to prioritize where critical and limited transportation funds go. “A modern and well-maintained transportation network is vital to the state’s economy. It is especially important that Westchester County has a strong, fiscally sound transportation network to serve as an important economic development tool for recruiting and retaining businesses in the county,” he said.