Schumer Urges NYS Dot Not To Slam Erie And Cattaraugus Counties With Back-Breaking Maintenance Costs For Newly-Aligned Route 219 Bridge

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Schumer Urges NYS Dot Not To Slam Erie And Cattaraugus Counties With Back-Breaking Maintenance Costs For Newly-Aligned Route 219 Bridge

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today urged the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) not to stick Erie and Cattaraugus counties with the financial cost for maintaining the Route 219 Bridge, which stretches over Cattaraugus Creek and connects the two counties. The state, which has historically paid for the bridge's maintenance fees, is now seeking to transfer the costs over to Erie and Cattaraugus counties. Schumer today warned that the financially-strapped county governments would be unable to shoulder the fiscal burden. Instead, Schumer urged DOT, which has the resources and engineering expertise to better maintain the bridge, to remain responsible for its upkeep.

In a letter to NYDOT Commissioner Astrid C. Glynn, Schumer called on DOT to continue its longstanding responsibility of funding the maintenance of the bridge. He noted the importance of ensuring that bridges across New York State have access to adequate funding and urged the Commissioner to avoid such an inequitable transfer.

"Sticking these cash-strapped counties with the sky-high costs of upkeep and repair is not the best way to maintain the highest possible level of safety for travelers," said Senator Schumer. "Bottom line—these counties cannot foot the bill here, nor should they. The state DOT, which has the resources and expertise, is in the best position to maintain this bridge over the long term. The Minneapolis bridge collapse showed us in a stark way that maintenance and upkeep of our transportation infrastructure must be a top priority."

Route 219 is currently being extended and realigned, and the new alignment allows for a technical transfer of maintenance fees for the Cattaraugus Creek bridge to the local level. Despite this, Erie and Cattaraugus Counties lack the logistic and financial means to support the bridge, as it has been a longstanding state responsibility. Unloading the burden onto the individual counties, Schumer noted, will threaten the safety of the bridge and all those who cross it, as the counties cannot possibly provide access to adequate funding and the best available engineering expertise.

Schumer pointed to Highway Law Section 62, which provides the State Commissioner of Transportation clear consent of the State Director of the Budget to continue to cover maintenance costs of a section of highway as part of the state system even though the section, including the bridge, would otherwise be abandoned to the counties as a result of a new alignment of the state highway.

In a personal letter to NYDOT Commissioner Glynn, Schumer wrote: "If the burden were to be transferred to the counties, the Cattaraugus Creek Bridge would be come, easily, the single largest bridge expense shouldered by either cash-strapped county."

Community leaders in Cattaraugus County reached out to Senator Schumer when he attended the Cattaraugus Town Meeting this August, asking him to help support their requests. Schumer today sent out a personal letter to NYS DOT Commissioner Astrid C. Glynn.

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