By GEORGE DRAPEAU III

TARRYTOWN, NY—For all the amount of money New York drivers shell out each year to pay for lousy roads and bridges, the state could build a few more spans like the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge. According to studies, motorists in the state pay dearly for driving on deteriorated, congested and, in some cases, potentially unsafe thoroughfares. How much? According to research, up to $38 billion if you measure in hard costs and real loss to congestion and inefficiencies. 

A leading group of executives in the transportation construction industry reminded lawmakers in Albany that 45% of major state- and locally-owned roads and highways in New York are in poor or mediocre condition, based on New York State Department of Transportation studies and reviews. 

Roads and bridges that are deteriorated, congested or lack some desirable safety features cost New York State motorists a total of $38 billion statewide annually–as much as $3,492 per driver in some urban areas–due to higher vehicle operating costs, traffic crashes and congestion-related delays, according to TRIP, the Washington (DC)-based national transportation research nonprofit.

A lack of adequate investment in transportation and increasing inflation in construction costs could hamper New York’s ability to make needed improvements to its transportation network, TRIP, a Washington, DC-based national transportation research nonprofit, noted earlier this year.

The TRIP report, “New York Transportation by the Numbers: Providing a Modern, Sustainable Transportation System in the Empire State,” found that throughout New York, nearly half of major locally and state-maintained roads are in poor or mediocre condition, nine percent of locally and state-maintained bridges (20 feet or more in length) are rated poor/structurally deficient, traffic congestion is choking commuting and commerce, and the state’s traffic fatality rate has increased significantly since 2019.

Parallel to the TRIP study, the New York Roadway and Improvement Coalition last month urged Gov. Kathy Hocul to take steps to move the state’s transportation system from further decline by laying a solid foundation for transportation improvements and economic development across the state.

In a letter sent last month to the governor thanking her for securing an additional $800 million in the current state budget to reinforce the State Department of Transportation’s Capital Plan, the coalition of leading transportation construction and labor organizations seeks to move “our system from a state of substantial decline. To prevent further deterioration and to lay a solid foundation for economic development across the state, NYRIC urges you to incorporate the following recommendations into the 2026-2027 Executive Budget submission and subsequent negotiations:

• Acknowledge the ongoing inflationary pressure on the upcoming years of the NYSDOT Capital Plan.  To counter inflation impacting construction costs, allocate and additional $950 million for “core” projects and an additional $250 million for CHIPS in the SFY2027 Executive Budget. This funding will sustain programmed projects outlined in the Capital Plan’s Memorandum of Understanding, aimed to slow the reverse the decline in condition of the NYSDOT road and bridge assets and restore the purchasing power assumed when the plan was developed.

• Adopt a formal 20-year Needs Assessment Process for NYSDOT. Based on the structure that best identifies the continuing capital needs of the MTA system, NYSDOT should adopt a similar approach to capturing and addressing future system needs.
• Advance Article VII legislation: In addition to these fiscal recommendations, NYRIC urges you to advance Article VII legislation that enhances transportation worker safety and transportation worker assault. 

Construction Industry Council Executive Director John Cooney, Jr., said, “The needs for safety and system improvements far exceeds the allocation for the region over the final years of the DOT’s five-year capital plan. More is clearly needed. The new budget will not address the backlog of needs, and it falls far short to move the needle in the right direction this season. These advancing needs must be reassessed in the coming years.” 

NYRIC noted that “9% (1,664 of 17,642) of New York’s bridges are rated in poor/structurally deficient condition, the tenth highest share in the nation.” The group added that bridges rated in poor/structurally deficient condition have a significant deterioration of the bridge deck supports or other major components.” Also, some 55% of the state’s bridges are rated in fair condition and the remaining 35% are in good condition.

The group concluded in its communique to Gov. Hochul, “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 coming 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.”

The NYRIC organization is comprised of the CIC, the Long Island Contractors’ Association, the American Council of Engineering Companies of New York, LECET-NYS Laborers, the Associated General Contractors of NYS, the Independent Union of Operating Engineers, and the General Contractors Association of New York.