Legislation will ensure funding goes directly to road and bridge repair
BINGHAMTON – The New York State Senate yesterday passed the Bridge and Road Investment and Dedicated Fund Guaranteed Enforcement Reform Act, also known as the BRIDGE Reform Act. The bill, sponsored by New York Senator Tom Libous, R-Binghamton, will ensure that the dedicated fund, originally enacted in 1991, will go towards rebuilding, replacing and reconditioning highways and bridges to improve the safety of drivers who travel them.
“The dedicated fund exists specifically for bridge and road repair to make taxpayers safer,” said Senator Libous. “This fund has been raided for unrelated state projects for years. My BRIDGE Act would end the raids and create a transparent funding stream to keep our roads and bridges safer.”
Chenango County has 19 bridges that are functionally obsolete and 20 bridges that are structurally deficient. New York State overall has 17,454 state and locally owned bridges, of which 4,364 are functionally obsolete and 2,095 are structurally deficient. Functionally obsolete refers to a bridge's inability to meet current standards; a structurally deficient bridge does not imply it is not safe but rather, when left open to traffic, it would typically require significant maintenance and repair.
The dedicated fund now spends nearly three-quarters of its money on functions having nothing to do with improving bridges and highways, including operations at the Department of Motor Vehicles and routine snow and ice removal. By putting that funding back into repairs, more than $463 million would be added to road and bridge repair funds. The funds would be used to leverage additional monies for road and bridge projects.
Nearly 30 percent of New York’s bridges are rated fair or poor, making their repair a priority as a matter of public safety. It is important to note that if a bridge is open to traffic, it is safe. DOT would not allow an unsafe bridge to remain open to the public. Bridges are inspected every two years, unless it is determined by bridge inspectors that it should be watched more closely. In that case, a bridge is inspected more frequently.
The bill phases out over five years the use of the Dedicated Fund for non-bridge and road expenses, and prohibits it from being used that way in the future.
The bill will be sent to the Assembly.
“The dedicated fund exists specifically for bridge and road repair to make taxpayers safer,” said Senator Libous. “This fund has been raided for unrelated state projects for years. My BRIDGE Act would end the raids and create a transparent funding stream to keep our roads and bridges safer.”
Chenango County has 19 bridges that are functionally obsolete and 20 bridges that are structurally deficient. New York State overall has 17,454 state and locally owned bridges, of which 4,364 are functionally obsolete and 2,095 are structurally deficient. Functionally obsolete refers to a bridge's inability to meet current standards; a structurally deficient bridge does not imply it is not safe but rather, when left open to traffic, it would typically require significant maintenance and repair.
The dedicated fund now spends nearly three-quarters of its money on functions having nothing to do with improving bridges and highways, including operations at the Department of Motor Vehicles and routine snow and ice removal. By putting that funding back into repairs, more than $463 million would be added to road and bridge repair funds. The funds would be used to leverage additional monies for road and bridge projects.
Nearly 30 percent of New York’s bridges are rated fair or poor, making their repair a priority as a matter of public safety. It is important to note that if a bridge is open to traffic, it is safe. DOT would not allow an unsafe bridge to remain open to the public. Bridges are inspected every two years, unless it is determined by bridge inspectors that it should be watched more closely. In that case, a bridge is inspected more frequently.
The bill phases out over five years the use of the Dedicated Fund for non-bridge and road expenses, and prohibits it from being used that way in the future.
The bill will be sent to the Assembly.
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