FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
April 9, 2009

GOVERNOR PATERSON AND SENATOR SCHUMER ANNOUNCE $74 MILLION IN ECONOMIC RECOVERY FUNDING FOR ROCHESTER AREA INFRASTRUCTURE

First Approved Projects Include Highway Resurfacing, Drainage Improvements and Bridge Maintenance

Funding will Create an Estimated 1,776 Jobs in the Rochester Area

Governor David A. Paterson today announced that the Rochester area is expected to receive at least $74 million in transportation and infrastructure funding through the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). This critical funding will go toward much-needed highway and road repair, bridge span work and other long-term improvements to the region’s infrastructure and will create an estimated 1,776 jobs. The Governor was joined by Senator Charles E. Schumer at a New York State Department of Transportation (DOT) Maintenance Facility in Canandaigua.

“I want to thank President Obama and New York’s Congressional Delegation for their work to secure these funds, which will provide Rochester-area projects with the financing they need to move forward,” Governor Paterson said. “These investments update aging infrastructure, making our roads, highways and bridges safer, while also creating jobs, bolstering economic development and ensuring a brighter future for our State.”

In addition to these funds, the DOT will also award $82 million in traditional highway and bridge contracts next year to the Rochester area. This region will also receive approximately $29 million in Consolidated Highway Improvement Program funding, which the recovery funds enabled us to restore to the State budget. In total, the Rochester area will receive more than $185 million in highway and bridge funding in State Fiscal Year 2009-10.

The economic recovery funds coming to New York for transportation projects must follow the same process required for distributing all federal transportation funds. The funds are allocated to projects that are selected by the 13 regional Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) across the State, which are comprised of local elected officials, local transit operators and members of the Department of Transportation. MPOs vote unanimously on projects for their Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), and economic recovery funds will be directed to projects on those lists. Similarly, regions of New York without MPOs are served by the State Department of Transportation, which consults with local elected officials and selects projects for the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program. The Department is working with local officials and the Governor’s Economic Recovery Cabinet to identify priority shovel-ready projects eligible for recovery funds.

New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Astrid C. Glynn said: “These projects will preserve the integrity of transportation infrastructure and improve the safety of motorists in the Rochester area.  Governor Paterson has worked hard to secure these valuable federal funds to bolster our transportation infrastructure and invest in critical job creation.”

Governor Paterson has recently certified $23 million in projects in Genesee, Livingston, Wyoming, Ontario, Wayne, Orleans, and Monroe counties, which includes $22.0 million in ARRA funding.  Specifically, the projects include:

• $1.3 million of ARRA funding for a project to resurface a portion of State Route 104 from Route 259 to Route 261 in the towns of Greece and Parma, Monroe County.  The top layer of worn, deteriorated pavement will be removed and replaced with new asphalt and fresh pavement markings.  Needed drainage cleaning and repairs to improve the quality of storm-water runoff also will be provided.  The project is scheduled for completion this fall;

• $1.4 million of ARRA funding for a project to resurface a portion of State Route 259 from Colby Street to Big Ridge Road in town of Ogden and village of Spencerport, Monroe County.  The top layer of worn, deteriorated pavement will be removed and replaced with new asphalt and fresh pavement markings.  Needed drainage cleaning and repairs to improve the quality of storm-water runoff also will be provided.  The project is scheduled to be completed this fall;

• $700,000 of ARRA funding for a project to resurface a portion of State Route 36 from the Steuben County line to Route 63 and from Route 63 to Route 436 in town of Dansville, Livingston County. The top layer of worn, deteriorated pavement will be removed and replaced with new asphalt and fresh pavement markings.  Needed drainage cleaning and repairs to improve the quality of storm-water runoff also will be provided.  The project is scheduled to be completed this fall;

• $800,000 of ARRA funding for a project to install edge drains on State Route 39 from Route 98 to Eagle Road in towns of Arcade and Eagle, Wyoming County. Edge drain will improve the proper draining of storm-water runoff and aid in prevention of flooding conditions.  The project is scheduled to be complete this fall;

• $2.9 million of ARRA funding for a $3.9 million project to resurface a portion of State Route 77 from Route 20 to Route 5 and on Route 5 from Route 33 to the Corfu village line in the towns of Darien and Pembroke and the village of Corfu, Genesee County.  The top layer of worn, deteriorated pavement will be removed and replaced with new asphalt and fresh pavement markings.  Needed drainage cleaning and repairs to improve the quality of storm-water runoff also will be provided. The project is scheduled to be completed this fall;

• $300,000 of ARRA funding for a project to apply a preventative maintenance treatment to seal cracks in the pavement along various State highways in Genesee and Monroe counties. This type of work keeps the highway system in a state of good repair. The project is scheduled to be completed this summer;

• $500,000 of ARRA funding for a project to wash bridges and seal bridge decks at various locations in the seven counties. This type of work keeps the system in a state of good repair. The project is scheduled to be completed this summer.

• $700,000 in ARRA funding to repave Rt. 98 between Rt. 5 (Main St.) and Noonan Drive in the City of Batavia, Genesee County. The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2009.

• $2 million in ARRA funding to repave Rt. 332 from Rt. 5 & 20 to Chapel Street in the City of Canandaigua, Ontario County. The project is expected to be completed by the summer of 2010.

• $11.4 million in ARRA funding to resurface various highways in Monroe, Wayne, Orleans, Genesee, Wyoming, Livingston, and Ontario Counties. The project is expected to be completed by the summer of 2010.

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer said: “The stimulus package was designed to allow us accomplish two critical tasks: Invest in our woefully under-funded infrastructure and create jobs.  These road and bridge projects will do both, creating 1,776 jobs in Western New York and  allowing people to move around in a safer, quicker and more pleasant fashion, all the while saving taxpayers money on future repairs.”  

U.S. Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand said: “I welcome today’s announcement by Governor Paterson that stimulus funds we passed in Congress have started making their way towards the Rochester area’s vital infrastructure needs. These critical federal dollars will not only create safer roads, and a stronger infrastructure, but will also start to revitalize the economy by putting almost 1800 men and women in the region back to work.”

Congressman Eric Massa said: “I'm delighted to announce this latest round of recovery funding to help improve our region. This bill was written to create jobs while strengthening Western New York and that's exactly what today's announcement is all about. I want to again thank Governor Paterson and look forward to making future announcements as we continue to receive our share of the recovery funds from Albany.”

Congressman Michael A. Arcuri said: “These are more examples of the Recovery Bill delivering results for Upstate New York that will improve our infrastructure and create jobs. Improving Upstate New York infrastructure is critical to achieving future economic development. I will continue to work with the Governor and municipalities to ensure that the Recovery Act addresses our local priorities.”

Congressman Daniel Maffei said: “Governor Paterson is using ARRA funds to do exactly what Congress and President Obama intended – get people back to work. These are good projects that will create jobs, make an injection into our local economy and rebuild our infrastructure.”

Congresswoman Louise M. Slaughter said: “The enactment of the economic recovery bill has enabled us to invest in transportation and infrastructure projects in Western New York. These critical recovery dollars will not only help us keep our roads and infrastructure strong but put Western New Yorkers back to work and boost economic activity in the region. We have to keep our infrastructure working so that we can keep our residents working.”

Senate Majority Leader Malcolm A. Smith said: “Investment in the Rochester area’s aging infrastructure is a sure way to create new jobs and breathe new life into the local economy. The more we can target federal stimulus funding to attract new business investment and tourism throughout Upstate New York the better off our entire economy will be. The Governor has worked tirelessly alongside our great federal delegation to direct these funds in a way that will help put more than one thousand New Yorkers back to work. That’s very good news as we work to turn our economy around.”

Assemblyman David Gantt said: “New York residents rely on roadways, railways, ports and aviation systems. Ensuring the safety and efficiency of these programs is a major priority in the Assembly Majority. The critical hard-fought economic stimulus funding was secured to help local governments in financing construction, reconstruction and improvements to highways and bridges.”