(Kiantone Road Bridge over Stillwater Creek, image by Justin Gould / Media Information Officer)
State Senator George Borrello and Assemblyman Andrew Molitor are calling for increased highway aid in the state budget to protect local roads and infrastructure.
The state representatives, local highway superintendents and municipal leaders are highlighting shortfalls in the state’s Consolidated Highway Improvement Program (CHIPS) funding and the strain it is placing on communities across Chautauqua County.
Their focus is on the widening gap between stagnant state CHIPS support and rapidly rising costs for materials, labor, fuel and heavy equipment. Local officials said inflation and supply chain pressures have significantly reduced their purchasing power, forcing difficult decisions about road repairs, bridge maintenance and long-term infrastructure planning.
Molitor said, “CHIPS funding has not kept pace with the real-world costs our towns and villages are facing. When asphalt, diesel and equipment costs surge but state support remains flat, it is our local taxpayers who are left to shoulder the burden. That is not sustainable.”
Highway superintendents have shared firsthand accounts of delayed resurfacing projects, scaled-back maintenance schedules and increased wear and tear on local roadways. Municipal leaders emphasized that rural communities like those throughout Chautauqua County rely heavily on CHIPS funding to maintain safe travel routes for school buses, emergency vehicles, farmers and small businesses.
Town of Westfield Highway Supervisor David Babcock said, “CHIPS funding hasn’t kept up with inflation, and local towns are falling behind on critical road maintenance. For many small municipalities, CHIPS makes up most or even all of their road budget. We need a $250 million increase and to make temporary programs permanent to give towns stable, reliable funding. Local roads are lifelines for school buses, farmers, and emergency services.”
Borrello said that Albany has continued to under-invest in the roads that support nearly 87 percent of New York’s transportation network, saying, “Every year, local highway departments are forced to do more with less, as rising material, labor and equipment costs steadily erode the real value of state funding. We are calling on the governor and legislative leaders to provide meaningful increases in funding for our local roads and bridges so communities have the resources they need to maintain safe infrastructure, protect taxpayers from higher long-term costs and keep our economy moving forward.”
The lawmakers call on state leadership to increase CHIPS funding in the upcoming budget and to provide predictable, inflation-adjusted support so municipalities can properly plan for long-term infrastructure needs.
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