Roads are a quality of life issue
Originally published in
Times Hudson Valley
What’s the first thing we notice when driving? The condition of the road. Our roads really matter in people’s day-to-day life, especially in a region that lacks many mass-transportation options.
Parents shouldn’t have to worry about getting their kids to school safely because there are potholes on hilly roads or crumbling bridges, and our first responders shouldn’t be held up attending to emergencies because the roadways are overly congested.
That’s why I’ve long focused on bringing our Hudson Valley region the funding, support, and advocacy it needs to become a place where our roads and bridges are smooth and safe for travel.
Residents are desperate for traffic relief and we must act rapidly in order to enhance our communities’ quality of life. Any new considerations of residential or commercial development must be smart-growth and well-planned, which includes improvements to infrastructure and diligent analyses of impacts on our environment.
We hit the ground running last year, securing approximately $23.6 million across the district in bridge repairs and replacements alone. Local residents and I are delighted to finally get the $150 million Exit 131 interchange upgraded, alleviating an area that is all-too-familiar with unmanageable traffic.
