New York Can’t Afford to Fall Behind on Roads and Bridges
When New York adopted its largest-ever five-year NYSDOT Capital Plan in 2022, no one anticipated the scale of inflation, supply-chain disruption, and material cost spikes that would follow. As Governor Hochul herself noted last fall, those pressures dramatically reduced how much work the State could deliver with the dollars already committed.
That reality hasn’t changed. In fact, it’s gotten worse.
That’s why the upcoming State Budget must include an additional $950 million increase in core capital funding for the New York State Department of Transportation and a $250 million increase local highway funding—not to expand these programs, but to restore their purchasing power and protect New Yorkers from far higher costs down the road.
Deferred Maintenance Is the Most Expensive Option
There is nothing fiscally conservative about letting roads and bridges deteriorate.
Every transportation professional knows the math: fix infrastructure early, or pay exponentially more later. Yet New York continues to underinvest in the core work that keeps the system functioning—pavement rehabilitation and bridge preservation—even as conditions decline statewide.
Today, roughly three-quarters of state-maintained pavements need treatment, and nearly half of New York’s bridges are rated fair or poor. The longer repairs are deferred, the more routine fixes turn into full-scale reconstructions—multiplying costs by four or five times. That is the opposite of responsible budgeting.
New Yorkers are already paying for this underinvestment—just not in a line item called “transportation.”
They’re paying at the mechanic when potholes destroy suspensions. They’re paying at the pump while sitting in congestion. They’re paying with lost time and missed opportunities.
Independent analysis shows deteriorating roads and congestion cost New York drivers billions of dollars every year. For the average family or small business, that’s hundreds of dollars annually—a hidden tax that hits especially hard in a high-cost state.
Fixing roads and bridges isn’t just infrastructure policy. It’s cost-of-living relief.
The Governor and Legislature deserve credit for adding $800 million to the NYSDOT capital program last year to blunt inflation’s impact. That investment prevented project cancellations and protected jobs—and, thanks to the Governor’s leadership, will allow for the paving of thousands of additional lane miles. That’s great news for New York’s economy and drivers.
But inflation didn’t stop. Construction costs—labor, materials, equipment—remain elevated. As a result, New York’s core highway and bridge program is now operating at one of its weakest effective funding levels in a generation. And, as New York drivers see every day as potholes continue to appear across the state, conditions continue to worsen.
Economic Growth Depends on Reliable Infrastructure
New York’s economy depends on a transportation network that reliably moves goods, workers, and visitors. When roads deteriorate and bridges are weight-restricted, delivery costs rise, productivity falls, and businesses take notice.
That’s why a broad coalition of organizations representing the breadth of New York’s economy, labor and local governments are supporting this call for this critical, additional investment in this year’s state budget.
States that maintain strong infrastructure attract investment. States that defer maintenance fall behind.
A $950 million increase in core NYSDOT capital funding is about preserving assets, controlling long-term costs, and delivering on the Governor’s stated commitment to affordability, safety, and economic competitiveness.
The choice is straightforward: Invest now and improve the system now or delay again and pay far more later.
The Governor has already identified the problem.
The data confirms it.
Now the Budget must reflect it.
New York cannot afford to fall further behind—especially on the roads and bridges that keep the State moving.
Mike Elmendorf is President & CEO of the Associated General Contractors of New York State (AGC NYS), New York’s leading statewide construction industry organization.
