“Due to the inflation that we have encountered, the $32.8-billion original capital plan has been eroded by a 30% construction materials cost inflation—that’s $10 billion. We just need to understand that,” Mr. Cooney stated. Some estimates have put the price tag higher at an unprecedented 45% increase in post-pandemic construction cost inflation or $14.76 billion, it was noted.

He added that in the past 10 years New York State roads and bridges have ranked anywhere between 45th and 47th among the 50 states. “So  we are not here asking you to pile more money on so our members and everyone can do more work. The need is clear,” Mr. Cooney stressed.

He concluded his testimony by advocating that a 20-year Needs Study of the New York State DOT roads and bridges be undertaken. “Something like this was undertaken for the MTA and I think it ended up being a very productive exercise,” he said, noting that the study identified the true level of investment the MTA needed going forward.

A bill sponsored by Senate Transportation Committee Chairman Jeremy Cooney (D-WF, 56-SD) would require the NYSDOT Commissioner to submit a biennial 20-year capital needs assessment report to the governor and the legislature. 

Mr. Cooney of the CIC testified in favor of the governor’s Executive Budget Article 7 that provides legislation for “Enhanced Transportation Worker Protection” Part F and “Expanded Automated Work Zone Speed Enforcement” Part G. “The Construction Industry Council and all our partners in organized labor support these enhanced worker and work-zone safety efforts, and we urge you to include them in your one-house budgets. Our front-line workforce needs and deserves these improvements,” Mr. Cooney stated in his written testimony to the panel.

Among the transportation and transit stakeholder organizations who testified or submitted testimony to the joint legislative panel—in addition to the CIC—were the Associated General Contractors of New York State,  the New York State County Highway Superintendents Association, the New York State Association of Town Superintendents of Highways, the New York State Laborers, ReBuild NY Now and the New York Roadway and Infrastructure Coalition (NYRIC).

In its submitted testimony to the legislative panel, NYRIC spelled out the deteriorating conditions of the state’s roads and bridges. The testimony, signed by Ross Pepe, president-emeritus of NYRIC, and the other members of the coalition, stated that recently mandated transparency annual reports on the NYSDOT capital program “underscore, despite generational transportation funding authorized under the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and the state’s five-year Capital Plan for NYSDOT, both pavement and bridge conditions are deteriorating at an alarming rate. By the end of the current historic NYSDOT Capital Plan, New York is projected to have the worst pavement and bridge conditions in decades,” NYRIC stated.

NYRIC continued to call for Gov. Kathy Hochul and state Legislature to add the $950 million to the core program, plus the $250 million in CHIPs program and is also pressing the state to mandate a 20-year assessment of NYSDOT’s capital needs. NYRIC also expressed support for the governor’s worker safety proposals.

NYRIC noted that 45% of major state and locally owned roads and highways in New York are in poor or mediocre condition. A total of 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. Bridges that are rated poor/structurally deficient have significant deterioration of the bridge deck, supports or other major components. NYRIC added that 55% of the state’s bridges are rated in fair condition and the remaining 35% are in good condition. 

“In conclusion, 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,” NYRIC testified.

A coalition member also addressed the NYSDOT capital assessment legislation, calling for a structured, data-driven approach to infrastructure planning by requiring the DOT to conduct a thorough, forward-looking assessment. “The inclusion of performance benchmarks, funding forecasts and resilience evaluations will enable policymakers to make informed decisions regarding infrastructure investments,” it was noted.