NYSDOT Region 8, which includes the Hudson Valley, has the worst rated roads in the state
Montrose, NY – A bipartisan group of elected officials and representatives from over a dozen labor unions from the lower Hudson Valley called for increased road safety investments in the next State Budget at a press conference today held here at the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 137 Training Center. Additionally, there was a call for more equitable funding earmarked for New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) Region 8, which encompasses the Hudson Valley.
The attendees at the press conference noted that last year they were able to work with Governor Hochul and deliver an increase to the NYSDOT Capital Plan of $800 million and in the Consolidated Local and Street and Highway Improvement Program (CHIPS) by $50 million for a total of $648.1 million. The NYSDOT’s five-year Capital Plan now stands at $34.1 billion.
To see a video of the press conference, click here.
New York State Senators Pete Harckham and Shelley Mayer were joined at the press conference by several members of the New York State Assembly, including Dana Levenberg, Steve Otis, MaryJane Shimsky and Matt Slater.
Jeff Loughlin, president of the Westchester Putnam Building and Construction Trades Council and business manager of IUOE Local 137, hosted the event with John T. Cooney, executive director of the Construction Industry Council of Westchester and Hudson Valley, Inc. Among the union leaders joining them were representatives from Laborers (LiUNA) Local 17, Laborers (LiUNA) Local 60, Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers Local 1, Ironworkers Local 40, UA Local 21 Plumbers & Steamfitters, Sheet Metal Workers Local 38, Laborers (LiUNA) Local 754, Carpenters Local 279 and Teamsters Local 456.
“While there has been an appreciable commitment to funding road and transportation infrastructure repairs by Governor Hochul these past few years, now is the time to continue this momentum,” said Sen. Harckham. “This is especially true for the Hudson Valley region, which has more state roads in greater need of repair than anywhere else in New York. If we are serious about wanting to preserve our quality of life, foster economic growth and create good paying jobs, then we need to make the critical investments necessary to ensure the safety and viability of our roadways.”
“I stand with my colleagues and union leaders to urge Governor Kathy Hochul to make a long-overdue investment in the Hudson Valley and DOT Region 8 and to revisit the current 5-year capital plan to reflect critical infrastructure needs,” said Sen. Mayer. “For far too long, this region has been shortchanged, resulting in some of the poorest road conditions in the entire state. I will continue to be outspoken in my effort to get projects approved that have been delayed for too long, particularly those in my Senate district. I thank Senator Pete Harckham for his leadership, IUOE Local 137 for hosting, and my colleagues and union friends for their continued partnership.”
State Senator Nathalia Fernandez said, “Our highways and bridges are essential to the economy of Westchester County. Continued investment in NYSDOT Region 8, which has some of the most deteriorated road and bridge conditions in the state, is an investment in our communities. Westchester drivers and families deserve confidence that the State will maintain and improve the infrastructure they rely on every day.”
Assemblymember Dana Levenberg said, “Hudson Valley residents cannot keep paying for preventable car repairs on top of everything else they have to shell out for—for us, this is an affordability issue same as any other. We are finally starting to make some progress fixing the roads in this district, thanks to previous investments and the hard work of our brothers and sisters in labor. We can’t stop now. We must ensure that the funding we commit to programs like CHIPS and NYSDOT’s core road and bridge program keeps pace with the rate of inflation and the need, especially in Hudson Valley communities.”
Assemblyman Steve Otis said, “I join with my legislative colleagues, union officials, and construction industry leaders in advocating for increased state funding for our region to address our roadway infrastructure needs. The most cost-effective way to manage local projects, county roads, and state highways is to keep roads in good condition, properly maintain them throughout their life, and avoid allowing roads to deteriorate. Increased state funding will save taxpayer dollars by avoiding more expensive repairs when roads are not properly maintained. For all of us, this is a priority for the 2026 state budget.”
Assemblymember MaryJane Shimsky said, “The need to repair New York’s roadways is felt keenly in the Lower Hudson Valley, where we have more lane miles and older facilities than elsewhere in the State. But despite this, our region has been historically underfunded. We were able to secure increased investments in Region 8 and local roads statewide over the last couple of budget cycles, and I will work to build on that progress in this challenging budget year. I thank my colleagues in the Legislature and our counterparts in labor for their partnership in seeking to make our roads safe and functional for all.”
Assemblyman Matt Slater said, “We will not stop digging our heels in on this issue until we see that our roads get the funding and attention they need, especially when we were promised assistance that never came. The facts don’t lie: our region needs more investment, and you could argue this is a life-or-death situation when roads are so bad that accidents are happening because of their poor condition. Thank you to my colleagues, Sen. Harckham and all the union leaders who are showing up together to fight for what our region deserves.”
Assemblywoman Amy Paulin said, “Our roads and bridges are fundamental to public safety and residents’ quality of life. I stand with my colleagues and our labor partners to call for meaningful road safety investments in the upcoming State Budget.”
John T. Cooney said, “We thank Governor Hochul and the members of the New York State Legislature for the $800 million in increased funding for NYSDOT’s core program in last year’s budget. The Construction Industry Council of Westchester and Hudson Valley, along with our partners in organized labor, need to highlight the need for continued increased investment in New York State’s roads and bridges brought on by the over 30% inflation in construction materials post pandemic. But we are adamant that an increase of $950 million in NYSDOT’s core program is necessary to restore the buying power of the original NYSDOT Five Year Capital Plan. In addition, an increase of $250 million to CHIPS is needed to restore the buying power necessary to maintain our local roads and bridges.
Cooney added, “The Hudson Valley represented by NYSDOT Region 8 continues to have the worst road and bridge conditions in New York State while maintaining the largest amount of lane miles and largest number of bridges in New York State. Continuing the increased investment in New York’s roads and bridges in this year’s budget is a must for the Hudson Valley. This increased funding is sorely needed to improve the safety and conditions of the motoring public in the Hudson Valley.”
Jeff Loughlin said, “Our roadway infrastructure, which serves as the state’s lifeblood of the transportation network, is severely outdated and in dire need of major capital investments in New York State Region 8. I’m confident that the Governor will recognize we must continue to address these deficiencies, as they limit the region’s economic potential and put residents’ safety at risk. By maintaining important capital investments this year in our roadways and transportation infrastructure, we can provide good paying jobs and strengthen our communities for the future.”
Todd Diorio, President of the Hudson Valley Building & Construction Trades Council and the Business Manager of the Eastern New York Laborers’ District Council, said, “Robust investment in New York’s transportation infrastructure is critical for motorist safety, job creation and maintaining the structural integrity of the state’s roads and bridges. We call on Governor Hochul and the New York State Legislature to continue to prioritize transportation funding in the state budget process.”
The woefulness of NYSDOT Region 8 roads is made clear in a report the agency issued in August 2025. Region 8 roads had the lowest percentage of “Good + Excellent” roads in the state—46.5%. The same is true with state and local bridge conditions: Region 8 is the worst in New York.
Also, the number of its repaved lane miles dropped by almost half in two years, from 430 miles in 2022 to 245 miles in 2024. Region 8 also has the worst repaving cycle in the state. It takes 16 years on average for state roadways to be repaved here, while the repaving cycle is only 12 years in the rest of the state.
A 2025 report from TRIP, a national transportation research organization, concluded that poor road and bridge conditions cost motorists $38 billion annually due to vehicle damage, crashes and traffic: a veritable “pothole tax” that few families can afford. The report also notes that delaying repairs ends up increasing costs for state and local governments exponentially more: every $1 of deferred maintenance costs an additional $4-5 in needed future repairs.
Pete Harckham represents the 40th Senate District, which includes the towns of Carmel, Kent, Patterson and Southeast, and the village of Brewster in Putnam County; the town of Stony Point in Rockland County; and the city of Peekskill, the towns of Bedford, Cortlandt, Lewisboro, New Castle, North Salem, Ossining, Somers and Yorktown, the town/village of Mount Kisco, and the villages of Briarcliff Manor, Buchanan, Croton-on-Hudson and Ossining in Westchester County.