CHIPS FUNDING APPROVED!

CHIPS FUNDING APPROVED!

Monday night just before 9PM the State Senate and Assembly both approved the Governor's Emergency Article VII bill (S.8090/A.11372) which included our full annual $402.8 million appropriation for the 2010-2011 fiscal year for the Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program (CHIPS) and Marchiselli Program. This is the same record funding level we have been able to achieve the past two years. It is time to get to work - we now have full authorization to be reimbursed for our capital expenditures.

Shortly after State Leaders failed to pass a Budget on April 1st the NYSAOTSOH and NYSCHSA Board members took the lead in letting our elected officials know the huge negative impact this was having on our local roads and bridges. With the State DOT's budget cut by over $200 million and no authorization to move this year's capital projects, we decided to get our CHIPs funding, we must call on our local program to be treated like the MTA's Capital Program. The letters below are just some of the examples of the message we delivered to state leaders. The MTA got their Capital Plan approved on June 1 and we got our CHIPS program approved on June 7.

Our CHIPS funding for this fiscal year is $363.1 million and Marchiselli is $39.7 million. Again, your individual locality's allocation should be very close to last year's funding. Click here to see the updated statewide CHIPS runs now. Please thank your state legislators for supporting our CHIPS funding. While we all know it's never enough to do what needs to be done, please keep in mind when you are talking to them:

* The State is facing a $9.2 billion budget gap
* The State Budget is more than two months late with no agreement in sight
* The DOT still doesn't have funding for their capital plan

Please contact us if you have any questions.

Examples of letters delivered to State leaders:

Letter to Governor Paterson 05/18/10

Letter to Governor Paterson 05/28/10