The snow has melted, and now the potholes need fixing. Gov. Kathy Hochul has rolled out a repair and repaving campaign to eliminate 175,000 potholes statewide by the end of April, and hundreds of thousands more by year’s end.
“Potholes, your days are numbered,” Hochul said Monday at a news conference in Albany.
She said New Yorkers can’t afford costly car repairs caused by road damage when they’re already facing an affordability crisis amplified by expensive car insurance rates and climbing gas prices.
“Our economy requires our delivery trucks, our commercial vehicles, our large tractor-trailers to be able to go smoothly, without disruption, and at the speeds that are allowed by the speed limit, not having to go under speed because of potholes,” Hochul said.
State Transportation Department Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez urged drivers to be cautious when they see crews out fixing the roads.
“Please, please, please: we've got a lot of people out there, state DOT workers and public servants,” Dominguez said. “They're out there to protect you, to maintain a safe, efficient, reliable and equitable transportation system across the state. In order to do that, the public please recognize they're out there. Slow down. Put your phones down, move over and pay attention to the task at hand, which is driving.”
Dominguez said this winter was particularly harsh, with a repeated freeze/thaw cycle and snow totals that set records around the state, including on Long Island.
The state is investing $800 million this year for almost 200 road projects, including almost $60 million for Long Island pothole repairs and repaving.
