Transportation, Department of

Agency Web Site: https://www.dot.ny.gov/index

Mission

It is the mission of the New York State Department of Transportation (DOT) to ensure its customers – those who live, work and travel in New York State – have a safe, efficient, balanced, and environmentally sound transportation system.

The DOT directly maintains and improves the State’s approximately 44,500 State highway lane miles and nearly 7,900 bridges. In addition, the Department partially funds locally-operated transit systems, local government highway and bridge construction, and rail, airport, and canal programs.

Organization and Staffing

The Department is headed by a Commissioner appointed by the Governor, subject to Senate confirmation. The Department’s main office is in Albany, with 11 regional offices in Schenectady, Utica, Syracuse, Rochester, Buffalo, Hornell, Watertown, Poughkeepsie, Binghamton, Hauppauge, and New York City. The Department also maintains highway maintenance and equipment repair facilities across the State.

Employees of the Department perform such activities as highway maintenance, snow and ice removal, highway and bridge design, and construction inspection. In addition, the Department’s staff inspects school and charter buses, regulates commercial transportation, oversees public transportation systems and State-owned airports, and provides administrative support for the Department.

Budget Highlights

The FY 2021 Executive Budget recommends $11.8 billion for the Department, an increase of $2.2 billion from the FY 2020 budget. This year-to-year change primarily reflects the increase of funding for the DOT Capital Plan and operating support to statewide transit systems from existing revenue sources.

The FY 2021 Executive Budget includes a workforce of 8,520 FTEs for the Department, unchanged from the amount funded in FY 2020.

Major budget actions include:

• DOT Capital Plan: The Executive Budget provides funding for a new, 2-Year $11.9 billion DOT Capital Plan beginning in FY 2021. Compared to the final two years of the last DOT Capital Plan, this is an increase of $3.0 billion, or 33 percent. This historic, record level of funding is proposed over a shorter, two year period due to Federal funding uncertainty. These investments will support needed improvements to New York State’s highways, bridges, rail, aviation, and non-MTA transit infrastructure.
• Transit Operating Support: The Executive Budget provides operating support totaling $6.8 billion to statewide transit systems. The MTA will receive $6.2 billion (through a combination of appropriated and non-appropriated resources), an increase of $725 million from FY 2020, and other transit systems both Upstate and Downstate will receive a record-high $630 million of annual operating assistance. The Budget once again includes an $11 million appropriation for transit service over the Mario M. Cuomo Bridge. The Budget also includes the first year ($20 million) of a $100 million, five year program to electrify buses throughout the State, with a goal of 25% electric buses used by five major transit systems by 2025.
• Highway and Bridges: Capital Aid to Local Governments for highway and bridge projects is preserved at FY 2020 levels, with $438.1 million provided for the Consolidated Highway Improvement Program (CHIPS) and $39.7 million for the Marchiselli program. The Executive Budget also continues the State’s commitment to providing $100 million for local bridge projects through the BRIDGE NY program, and $100 million for local highway improvements through the PAVE NY program.
• Airports: The Executive Budget provides up to $100 million for a second round of funding for the Upstate Airport Economic Development and Revitalization. This funding supports enhancements to safety and economic development, improves airport operations and access, reduces environmental impact, and creates better passenger experiences.

For more information on this agency's budget recommendations located in the Executive Budget Briefing Book, click on the following link:

Briefing Book – Transportation (PDF)

Program Highlights

Highway Construction and Maintenance: Improving the State’s vital transportation infrastructure remains the agency’s highest priority. During FY 2019, DOT replaced or rehabilitated more than 200 State bridges and completed almost 6,000 corrective and preventive bridge treatments to slow deterioration. In addition, approximately 2,100 lane miles of State highway were resurfaced or reconstructed.

Engineering: State staff and private-sector consultants perform the planning, property acquisition, design engineering, environmental reviews, surveying, materials and soils testing, and construction inspection necessary to deliver the Department’s capital program.

Local Highway Aid: The State makes a significant investment in helping localities maintain safe roads and bridges through the CHIPS, Marchiselli, BRIDGE NY and PAVE NY programs. The CHIPS program provides aid to cities, counties, towns and villages on a formula basis, while the Marchiselli program helps local governments meet required matching requirements on Federally funded projects. The BRIDGE NY and PAVE NY programs provide additional State aid for local bridge and highway projects.

Transportation Safety and Environmental Compliance: Department staff perform safety inspections of school buses throughout New York State. In addition, the Department administers safety and emissions inspections of commercial trucking on State highways, as well as a comprehensive program to ensure public safety along the State’s commercial rail corridors.

Note: Most recent estimates as of 01/29/2020