Albany Update
NY Awards Over $101M in Grants To Support 25 Freight Line, Port Projects Statewide
ALBANY—New York State officials announced on Jan. 9 that more than $101 million in state funding has been awarded to support 25 projects across New York that will modernize key freight lines and port facilities under the state’s Passenger and Freight Rail Assistance Program (PFRAP).
The investment will enhance the reliability and resiliency of major trade corridors while also supporting the governor’s nation-leading agenda to combat climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector. The projects focus on track and bridge rehabilitation, capacity expansion, procurement of cleaner rail equipment, and the modernization and expansion of rail infrastructure in freight yards and at seaport facilities.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said, “New York is a national leader in freight rail, which is a fuel-efficient method to transport goods throughout the state and across the country. Investing in key freight infrastructure is a step forward in reducing New York’s emissions while modernizing our rail system.”
The winning projects include $1.7 million to connect a grain facility to the Finger Lakes Railway in Waterloo; $3.2 million to establish direct rail access to the South Buffalo Railroad at the UFP facility in Lackawanna; $4.6 million for bridge and track rehabilitation on the Buffalo and Pittsburgh Railroad; and $1.6 million to enhance rail infrastructure in Sangerfield for improved access to local and international markets.
The New York City Department of Small Business Services (NYCSBS) and the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) have each received two $10-million awards. The NYCSBS will use its funding for two projects: building a fully electrified maritime hub in Hunts Point and rehabilitating Pier 10 to support the Red Hook Container Terminal. The LIRR’s two awards will fund upgrades to the Fresh Pond Yard and English Kills bridges to meet modern loading and clearance standards.
The Passenger and Freight Rail Assistance Program is administered by the New York State Department of Transportation and funds projects that support the safe movement of freight goods, improve service reliability to retain and grow manufacturing jobs, and support economic development. Winning projects were selected through a competitive solicitation process and rated based on established criteria including a benefit cost analysis, adherence to regional economic development plans, safety enhancements, compatibility with other private and public investments, and actions that enhance resilience and reduce climate risk.
Eligible project activities included track and bridge rehabilitation; yard, terminal and siding construction; elimination of clearance obstructions; wharf, dock and bulkhead construction and reconstruction; dredging; at-grade crossing railroad crossing resurfacing; material handling equipment storage facilities; wayside detectors and other projects that enhance the safe movement of goods, economic competitiveness and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The $40-million in grant funding to New York City includes:
$10,000,000 to New York City Department of Small Business Services for the Hunts Point Marine Terminal Development Project, which will support a new fully electrified maritime hub while also reducing GHG emissions, creating jobs, and mitigating congestion. This grant will fund electric infrastructure (to support electric cargo handling equipment charging and shore power), new operational facilities, and enhanced site security.
$10,000,000 to New York City Department of Small Business Services to rehabilitate and extend the functional life of Pier 10, which is key to the critical operational needs of the Red Hook Container Terminal and hundreds of waterfront jobs.
$10,000,000 to Long Island Rail Road to replace the LIRR Fresh Pond Yard Bridge with a new structure that meets all modern loading and clearance standards. The project will ensure continued movement of nearly all freight rail on and off Long Island and accommodate future growth.
$10,000,000 to Long Island Rail Road to rehabilitate the LIRR English Kills Bridge to meet modern loading and clearance standards. The project will ensure continued movement of freight rail to a key yard in Brooklyn and accommodate future growth.
New York State Invested $3.6 Billion in Paving And Bridge Improvement Projects in 2025
ALBANY—New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on Dec. 30 that New York State’s investments have upgraded or rehabilitated more than 4,120 lane miles of state and local highways, filled more than 1.3 million potholes, and replaced, rehabilitated or improved more than 3,700 bridges.
The New York State Department of Transportation and Thruway Authority completed a historic amount of work in 2025, with a 47% increase to the lane mileage of roadways upgraded or rehabilitated and a 19% increase in the number of bridges repaired or replaced compared to 2024. Together, 2025 saw $3.6 billion invested in critical improvements to New York’s transportation infrastructure.
“New Yorkers deserve a dependable transportation network that gets them where they need to safely and efficiently, and we are working in high gear to ensure they get it,” Gov. Hochul said. “Thanks to the hard work and dedication of our highway crews and contractors, we made remarkable progress during the past year to modernize our roads and bridges, giving New Yorkers smoother rides and fewer hassles in their daily travels, and we have no intention of slowing down in 2026.”
During 2025, the New York State Department of Transportation improved 3,960 lane miles along state and local highways, representing a more than $1.6 billion investment in New York’s roadways. NYSDOT also replaced, rehabilitated or improved 3,678 bridges statewide, totaling nearly $1.8 billion. NYSDOT’s work accounted for a nearly $3.5 billion investment that enhanced safety, improved sustainability and boosted resiliency against severe weather impacts.
New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez said, “Thanks to Governor Hochul’s vision and leadership, New York State is making unprecedented progress investing in the safety and resiliency of our roads and bridges, giving travelers smoother rides and safer journeys across the state. Much has been accomplished in 2025 and we look forward to investing and achieving even more improvements in our transportation network across New York State for the betterment of all New Yorkers in 2026.”
In the Mid-Hudson region, a total of 356 lane miles were upgraded or rehabilitated and 229 bridges were rehabilitated or replaced in 2025.
NYSDOT crews filled more than 1.3 million pot holes during the year. Crews also performed maintenance on an additional 1,948 bridges.
Additionally, in 2025, the New York State Thruway Authority reinvested toll dollars in improvements across the system, including: $158 million to reconstruct or rehabilitate more than 168 total lane miles; $89 million to rebuild or rehabilitate 26 bridges; $2 million in infrastructure improvements; and, $18 million in Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) upgrades. In addition to roadway resurfacing, the Thruway Authority also invested over $14 million in safety enhancements, including guiderail repairs, line striping, signage and drainage improvements.
New York State Thruway Authority Executive Director Frank G. Hoare said, “The Thruway Authority is committed to investing toll revenue into critical infrastructure projects across the 570-mile system, modernizing our transportation system and maintaining some of the lowest and most affordable toll rates in the nation. These investments in infrastructure are enhancing safety and reliability, and improving the travel experience for millions of motorists who travel on the Thruway every year.”
The road and bridge improvements completed by NYSDOT and the Thruway Authority during 2025 built on the significant progress made in 2024, which totaled more than 2,800 lane miles of state and local highways improved and more than 3,100 bridges replaced, rehabilitated or improved. The 2024 projects represented a more than $2.9 billion investment in New York’s roads and bridges.
NYSDOT’s $34.3 billion, five-year State Capital Plan adopted in 2022 was the largest ever adopted by the State and will help fulfill the Governor’s vision for a modern transportation system that serves all New Yorkers. The Governor has made improving road conditions a priority with programs like the Department of Transportation’s “Pave Our Potholes”, which supplements other State programs, such as CHIPS, PAVE NY, State Touring Routes, and other programmed capital projects across the State.
Gov. Hochul also recently announced that NYSDOT is planning to resurface more than 4,000 lane miles of state highways in 2026, totaling a nearly $1.2 billion investment. 2026 will be the most ambitious paving agenda ever put forward by the agency.
The Thruway Authority’s approved 2026 budget also invests a total of more than $600 million in capital contracts scheduled to be awarded in 2026, an increase of more than $133.5 million from the 2025 budget projected totals, and one of the largest single-year investments in Thruway history. The 2026 budget includes a historic $2.8 billion Capital Plan for 2026-2030. The five-year plan will fund the replacement or preservation of 150 of the Thruway’s 819 bridges—about 18 percent—and the resurfacing of more than 1,500 of its 2,800 lane miles of highway, or roughly 60%.
State to. Provide Nearly $2 Billion in Financing To Create or Preserve Over 6,600 Homes
ALBANY—New York State will be providing approximately $2 billion in housing bonds and subsidies to 24 housing developments located in communities across New York State that will create or preserve more than 6,600 affordable, supportive, sustainable, and modern homes.
The awards are part of the governor’s $25 billion five-year Housing Plan which is on track to create or preserve 100,000 affordable homes statewide.
Gov. Kathy Hochul said that coupling state financing tools with private resources will generate more than $3 billion in overall investment “that will improve neighborhoods, reduce energy costs and provide thousands of affordable housing options across every region of the State.”
Financing is allocated through New York State Homes and Community Renewal’s recent bond issuances which provided $865 million in housing bonds and $990 million in subsidy. All awarded projects will achieve high levels of sustainability and carbon reduction, complementing New York’s mission to address climate change by decreasing emissions 85 percent by 2050 across all sectors. When coupled with additional private funding and resources, the projects receiving funding are expected to generate $3.5 billion in overall investment.
The awarded projects in New York City and the Hudson Valley region include:
New York City
$87 million for the Stewart Hotel in Manhattan – The transformation of the former Stewart Hotel in Midtown Manhattan into a 579-unit affordable and supportive housing development for households earning up to 60 percent of the Area Median Income. The project also includes ground floor retail space. Developed by Breaking Ground and Slate Property Group.
$95 million for Concern Inwood in the Bronx – Construction of a 210-unit affordable and supportive housing development in the Highbridge neighborhood of the Bronx for households earning up to 60 percent of the Area Median Income. The project includes a terrace with community gardening opportunities and additional green space. Developed by Concern for Independent Living.
$166 million for River II Apartments in the Bronx – Construction of a 292-unit mixed-use project in the Bronx’s West Concourse neighborhood for households earning up to 80 percent of the Area Median Income. The project also includes commercial space, an urban farm, and community facilities. There will be supportive units reserved for eligible tenants who experience chronic homelessness or veterans with disabilities. Developed by Community Access and Blue Sky Bronx.
$49 million for Bay Ridge Towers in Brooklyn – Preservation of an 811-unit affordable development in Brooklyn’s Bay Ridge neighborhood. The development is a Mitchell-Lama co-op located above a Long Island Rail Road rail line that includes playgrounds and other outdoor amenities for families. The complex is occupied by low- and moderate-income households whose monthly common charges equate to an average of approximately 40 percent of the Area Median Income. Developed by Bay Ridge Air Rights and MM Development Advisors.
$39 million for Jimerson Apartments in Brooklyn – Preservation of a 421-unit affordable development in Brooklyn’s Brownsville neighborhood. The development is a Mitchell-Lama co-op occupied by households earning an average of 40 percent of the Area Median Income. Developed by Earl W. Jimerson Housing Company and MM Development Advisors.
$186 million for Sparrow Square Phase 1 in Brooklyn – The construction of a 261-unit affordable supportive project on the site of the former Kingsboro Psychiatric Center in the East Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn for households earning up to 80 percent of the Area Median Income. The project is part of Vital Brooklyn, the State’s comprehensive community development initiative that addresses chronic social, economic, and health disparities in central Brooklyn. Breaking Ground and Douglaston Development.
$50 million for Park Hill on Staten Island – Preservation of a 1,103-unit affordable and supportive housing project located across six sites for households earning up to 80 percent of the Area Median Income. Developed by Arker Companies, LIHC Investment Fund, and L+M Development Partners.
$11 million for St. Elizabeth’s Manor on Staten Island – The preservation of an 80-unit affordable and supportive housing development for senior households earning up to 30 percent of the Area Median Income. Developed by Sisters of Charity Housing Development Corporation.
Mid-Hudson
$110 million for Wallace Campus in Poughkeepsie–An affordable and supportive housing development of 187 units that includes the transformation of a former department store as well as new construction. All units will be affordable to households earning up to 80 percent of the Area Median Income. Developed by Mega Development and Ametrine Group.
Published: January 20, 2026