N.Y. senator calls on Congress to OK long-term infrastructure funding

U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said on Monday that the partial collapse and closure of Tonawanda Creek Road in Clarence, New York, over a year ago is an example of why Congress should approve a long-term transportation-infrastructure bill.

Federal funding authorization for bridge and road projects expires at the end of the month.

“Right now, this situation is a lose-lose,” Schumer said. “Local governments should not have to pick and choose between projects, or try to foot the bill themselves without any guarantee they will be reimbursed.”

“Tonawanda Creek Road in the Town of Clarence is not only a problem for businesses and an inconvenience for residents, but it is also a safety hazard for emergency crews that need to travel out of the way when it could mean the difference between life and death,” Schumer said. “That is why I am pushing my colleagues in Congress to pass a long-term infrastructure bill that increases federal funding for roads and bridges -- which is too important to New York’s economy, and to our safety, to become insolvent. Congress should step up and reach a bipartisan agreement to continue to provide the funding New York needs to carry out local road-improvement projects like in the Town of Clarence on Tonawanda Creek Road.”