Assemblywoman Annie Rabbitt (R,I,C-Greenwood Lake) joined a bipartisan coalition of state lawmakers, local officials and organizations at a press conference today calling for an increase in funding for the Consolidated Highway Improvement Program (CHIPs). CHIPs is a funding source for local highway and infrastructure improvements.
“CHIPs funding has not been increased since 2008. Meanwhile, our roadways and bridges are falling into disrepair. If Albany is serious about economic development, we must make infrastructure improvements a priority,” said Rabbitt, who has long advocated for increased infrastructure funding for Orange and Rockland counties.
In the Executive Budget, the governor proposed $363.1 million in CHIPs funding – the same funding level as in previous years. The coalition is calling for an increase of $100 million, noting that local roads and bridges account for 82 percent of the roads and 52 percent of the bridges in the state. A report from state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli recently concluded 32 percent of local bridges are deficient, and 40 percent of local roads are in fair to poor or worse condition.
More than four dozen state lawmakers have joined the call for increased CHIPs funding, as well as local officials and organizations including NYS County Highway Superintendents Association, NYS Association of Town Superintendents of Highways, NYS Association of Counties, New York Conference of Mayors, and the Association of Towns of the State of New York.