State needs to improve roads

Searching for a smooth ride?

It may be tough to find nowadays. For Long Island drivers who traverse the Northern and Southern state parkways, or other atrocious state and local roads, the ride recently has been a frustrating labyrinth of potholes, uneven surfaces and other poor road conditions.

And it's not even the peak of pothole season — which usually comes after a winter of snow and ice has wreaked havoc.

But despite the clear need for new investment, Long Island advocates say funding for the region's roads and bridges has remained virtually unchanged. This year, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has recommended a two-year, $11.9 billion capital plan for the state Department of Transportation, but there's no breakdown of how much the Island will get.

The two-year plan comes instead of the typical five-year plan, in part because of uncertainties in federal funding. That gives local and state officials less of an ability to plan ahead. Even the two-year plan lacks information. There's no project list, priorities or details about how the money will be spent. That means that some of Long Island's biggest concerns, like tackling the infamous Oakdale merge, remain in limbo.

What's more, according to a memo in the DOT's 2015-2019 capital plan, the state is supposed to issue a "highway pavement and bridge condition" report every year.

But no report has been issued since 2016.

The best way for state officials to know how bad our roadways are, and to show that the needs are being addressed, is to produce that annual analysis — and share the findings. When asked about it during a legislative hearing last month, state DOT Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez didn't have a meaningful explanation for the lack of reporting. There's no excuse. But to force the DOT to respond, the State Legislature could codify the requirement into state law.

In the meantime, the Long Island Contractors Association put together its own report, analyzing hundreds of miles of roads regionwide and finding that 82 percent of them were in poor or fair condition. 

Such results are unacceptable, even as they wouldn't come as a surprise to Long Island drivers. 

Nassau and Suffolk counties, and some towns, are doing what they can to tackle the roads they are responsible for maintaining. Nassau County Executive Laura Curran reported that the county paved 200 miles of roadways last year. And last year, Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone created a program to try to fix serious potholes within 48 hours of a complaint being received. Imagine what they and others could do with more state funds. 

Meanwhile, it's the state roads that need some of the most substantial help. LICA found that the Northern State Parkway, Southern State Parkway and Meadowbrook Parkway were among the worst offenders.

Without an official analysis of the problem, a detailed to-do list, and more money from the federal and state governments, the state won't be able to fix what needs fixing and upgrade what needs upgrading.

And so, as the potholes widen, Long Island drivers are left to grit their teeth, repair their tires, and prepare for the rough road ahead.

— The editorial board