The road to economic prosperity is a bumpy one

The road to economic prosperity is a bumpy one.

Across New York state, our roads and bridges are in desperate need of substantial repairs, regular maintenance and new upgrades, and this is costing New Yorkers billions of dollars annually in lost time, wasted fuel and extra vehicle operating costs. More than 40% of locally and state-maintained roads are in poor or mediocre condition, according to an industry study last year, and this further hinders our residents’ ability to get to and from work.

At least one bridge in nearly every county in New York state is in poor condition, and Ulster County has the most with 63 bridges in poor condition, followed by New York City with 60 troubled spans, according to a 2024 report by the New York State Comptroller. Many of our bridges were constructed prior to 1970, and therefore, by structural design, major renovations and repairs of critical components will be necessary in the coming years.

Without any significant, long-term investment, New York’s above-ground transportation network will soon reach a crisis level, impacting local economies, job creation and the quality of life in communities statewide. That’s why the American Council of Engineering Companies of New York (ACEC New York) and our member firms have called for an increase to the state Department of Transportation’s budget this year in order to allow critical infrastructure projects to move forward and improve the safety and efficiency of our daily travel.

With an additional $800 million now included in Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Executive Budget, our organization – which represents the leading consulting engineers in New York state – will work with the Legislature to ensure these funds are included in the final enacted budget. This capital increase will help to counteract rising construction costs and inflation while addressing the conditions of our roads and bridges that have gradually deteriorated in recent years.

Improving our transportation network means improving our economic future, and that’s why our group was one of the first proponents of the congestion pricing program in New York City. 

Ten years before the outbreak of World War I, the first underground subway line opened here, and today the century-old system is the busiest transportation system in the United States, fueling our economic engines by moving millions of New Yorkers each and every day.

However, so many of the system’s aging elements require modernization and repairs in order to function properly, and any delay to these improvements will only jeopardize its safety and reliability, leading to transportation delays in the years to come. Our member firms engage in every discipline of engineering, and we recognize what it takes to maintain and uphold the safety of these complex systems. Our members believe in congestion pricing because we know it was developed and researched with input from leading traffic engineering experts. The impetus for the current program was the Move NY plan proposed by our member Sam Schwartz which called for a fresh look at the congestion pricing concept.

Since the implementation of congestion pricing, New Yorkers have reported less traffic in Manhattan’s busiest neighborhoods, and therefore, people are getting to and from work much faster – something every New Yorker can celebrate and appreciate. The billions of dollars generated through the program will enable us to upgrade our underground infrastructure and protect the economic future of our city, our state – and our country.

As leaders in design and engineering, our members focus on the key components of the built environment that most people take for granted in their daily lives – such as water, energy and transportation systems. While these systems are built to last for decades, long-term plans for repairs and maintenance are necessary. For example, New York state must adopt a new five-year capital plan for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, along with corresponding funding, to ensure the massive network is updated regularly. Enabling New Yorkers to move from Point A to Point B in a safe, effective and efficient manner is essential to a productive society, but the tremendous strain on our transportation systems demand serious attention and investment before they ultimately fail in some way – regardless of any political rhetoric.

We strongly encourage our elected leaders – at home and across the nation – to work together and ensure our infrastructure is properly funded so we can make the necessary repairs and keep New Yorkers moving forward safely.

Riding on our roads, bridges and subways doesn’t have to be so bumpy.