Labor and construction leaders from the Hudson Valley gathered in Elmsford today to voice their support for Gov. Kathy Hochul's inclusion of $800 million for roadway improvements in her current budget proposal.

However, they argue that this amount is insufficient given the dire state of local roads.

For the past decade, roads in the Hudson Valley have been ranked in the worst condition across New York. Despite this, the region only receives the third-highest percentage of state funding for road repairs.

John Cooney Jr., the executive director of the Westchester Construction Industry, highlighted the urgency of the situation, stating, "If all regions of state DOT were all lined up to get into the hospital emergency room and someone had to come out to do triage ... Region 8 would be the first one in the door. How do you fix that? With additional funding."

The leaders are also advocating for an additional $250 million in federal Consolidated Highway Improvement Program funding to offset the increased costs due to inflation on road construction materials.