Thursday, January 14th , UNICON- Unions and Businesses United in Construction- held a press conference in conjunction with the Association of General Contractors, and TRIP, a non-profit research group from Washington DC, regarding the effects of New York’s failing infrastructure on motorists.

TRIP was able to determine the financial impact that poor and congested roads and bridges cause to New Yorkers in a recently released report titled “Future Mobility in New York: Meeting the State’s Need for Safe and Efficient Mobility”. According to the report, drivers in the Rochester area pay over $800 over year in car insurance, repairs, and wasted time in traffic due to inadequate infrastructure.

Due to New York State’s fiscal challenges, millions of dollars designated to road and bridge repair in 2009 never made it to the construction phase. A report released by the State Comptroller’s Office Last October states that some of the funds dedicated to the Highway and Bridge Trust Fund have been diverted to other programs, and that some major transportation repair projects in New York State were underfunded by up to $80 billion.

UNICON hosted the press conference in support of the thousands of jobs that could be created by moving forward with these transportation infrastructure needs.

“Imagine the impact that these projects would have on the employment rate across the community and the state,” said Ken Warner, Executive Director of UNICON. “It is a vital economic driver.”

To read the TRIP report in its entirety, follow this link.