Report cites insufficient funding for area’s road infrastructure

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Despite recent funding from the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), a report from transportation trade groups cites insufficient investment in the area’s roadways. 

According to the report released Thursday by the Long Island Contractors’ Association (LICA) and the American Road and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA), though the IIJA will deliver at least $4.5 billion in highway-related funding for the state over five years, the New York State Department of Transportation Capital Plan is scheduled to grow by less than half that amount. 

The report shows that NYSDOT Region 10, which includes Nassau and Suffolk counties, will see less than a 1 percent increase in average annual programming, comparing Fiscal Years 2023-2027 funding to Fiscal Year 2022 levels, resulting in declining average real programming levels for Long Island, after an adjustment for inflation. 

Meanwhile, the report says the condition of New York roadways has been declining for some time. Between 2002 and 2021, the share of NYSDOT-maintained lane miles rated in “fair to poor” condition increased from 32 percent to 43 percent. On Long Island, 14 percent of NYSDOT-maintained lane miles were rated “fair to poor” in 2002, jumping to 41 percent in 2021. 

“This report is a wake-up call for citizens of Long Island. Our roadways are falling apart, damaging people’s vehicles and causing commuting delays,” LICA Executive Director Marc Herbst said in a written statement. “New York cannot continue to fall behind our peer states when it comes to investing in our vital infrastructure. Through this report, we have identified a path to make changes and move Long Island forward.” 

The report shows that long-term trends in New York disbursements for highway facilities reflect little growth, and awards for highway construction projects indicate “chronic underinvestment relative to peer states,” according to the LICA statement. Between 2000 and 2021, the average annual value of state and local government contract awards for highway construction in New York was 1.15 times the median level from 1997-1999 versus 1.60 times for northeastern peer states. 

The report also cites published recommendations for changes to the Dedicated Highway and Bridge Trust Fund (DHBTF). Between 1994 and 2021, the share of DHBTF receipts allocated to capital projects declined from 61 percent to 17 percent, according to the report. The state comptroller has recommended that the DHBTF reduce expenditures for state operations and debt service, increase the ratio of pay-as-you-go funding to ongoing debt issuance, and limit reliance on general fund transfers. 

“The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is a once in a generation opportunity that must not be missed, and an ongoing dialogue about the best possible solutions to realize its full potential are key to a healthy future for Long Island,” Ryan Stanton, executive director of the Long Island Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, said in the statement. “We look forward to partnering with LICA to elevate Long Island’s infrastructure needs, and deliver sound investments that create good union jobs, a key ingredient to a prosperous economy.”