A group of bipartisan lawmakers from all levels of government gathered along with an assortment of community leaders to call on the State of New York to hasten construction and repairs of Long Islands highways. The eclectic group, which spanned all walks of life, urged governor Cuomo to direct more funds towards the projects and move up the timetable. Currently, construction is slated to be completed on some projects by 2023-2024.
The event was initiated by Suffolk County Legislator Nick Caracappa (R-Selden), who decried the current condition of Suffolk County roads.
“These roadways are currently in deplorable condition and require immediate attention and proper, long-term repair,” Caracappa stated.
He then added that “The current state of these roadways present very hazardous and dangerous driving conditions to the millions of commuters who depend upon these roadways on a daily basis. Whether it be for work or leisure, commuters place themselves in harm’s way when entering these roadways throughout Suffolk County and beyond.”
The entirety of the Suffolk County Legislature, all 17 members, recently sent a letter to Governor Cuomo and the NYS Department of Transportation asking for increased attention to LI roads. The press conference then represents the next step in getting Cuomo’s attention.
The press conference seemed to work for, not more than one hour prior to the press conference, Cuomo announced 30.6 million dollars for roads for LI state roads.
The coincidental timing prompted State Senator Mario Mattera (R-Smithtown) to say, “It’s amazing…that the Governor heard about this press conference, and now the money is being released.”
Regardless of the timing, any amount of news is good news for Long Island’s car-owning community.
Legislator Leslie Kennedy (R-Smithtown) stated that “We spend millions of dollars on tourism on the east end, and I don’t know if they are going to be able to get there without blowing a tire.” Kennedy emphasizing the economic and safety component of the issue, also mentioned that “this is a safety issue. This is a financial problem. The state has to get more money from federal highway funds.”
The presenters stressed that this rally was happening in the background of a time when New York State has received unprecedented levels of federal aid. Therefore, Caracappa “felt the time for immediate and decisive action must be now.” Several other County Legislators, members of the State Assembly and Senate, Brookhaven Town Supervisor Ed Romaine, and concerned citizens of the community echoed his plea for immediate repairs to keep our commuters safe.
During the height of the pandemic, Cuomo paused state road maintenance at a time when drivers were sparse. Now that the economy is recovering, and driving with it, the Department of Transportation is only now getting to the many backlogged projects. However, during the same period, other states maintained and expanded road maintenance since it would not inconvenience drivers.
