Assemblyman Matt Simpson (R,C-Adirondack) joined a bipartisan, statewide coalition of legislators urging the governor to give the Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program (CHIPS) and local transportation infrastructure priority consideration in this year’s state budget.

“Local roads are essential to keeping communities safe and supporting economic growth,” said Simpson. “With construction costs up nearly 70% nationally due to inflation, flat funding simply isn’t enough. Local governments face a growing $2.69 billion annual shortfall to maintain our 97,000 miles of roadways and thousands of bridges.”

“Moreover, CLCPA requirements of EV school buses impose far greater axle loads, leading to faster subgrade rutting and a 20% shorter road life, per preliminary data from highway superintendents. This shifts maintenance from affordable resurfacing ($20,000–$50,000 per mile) to full reconstruction (around $550,000 per mile), potentially increasing costs tenfold or more for municipalities.

“While we support cleaner transportation, Albany must account for these realities and provide adequate funding to prevent massive burdens on local taxpayers in the Adirondacks and across New York,” Simpson concluded.