SUFFOLK COUNTY — New York State Assemblyman Joe DeStefano is backing increased state investment in local roads, bridges and transportation infrastructure, arguing that communities across Long Island need more help keeping aging infrastructure safe and reliable.
DeStefano joined lawmakers from both the Assembly and Senate in supporting additional funding for the Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program, known as CHIPS, which provides state money directly to municipalities for road and highway projects.
For Suffolk County communities, CHIPS funding can help local governments repair deteriorating roads, address potholes, improve bridges and complete transportation projects without placing the entire financial burden on local taxpayers.
DeStefano has framed the issue as more than routine road maintenance.
“The CHIPS program is vital to maintaining our roads, bridges and transportation networks,” DeStefano said in announcing his support for increased funding. He also tied infrastructure investment to stronger communities, job creation and public safety.
Local Roads, Local Impact
Infrastructure funding can have an immediate effect on residents because many of the roads people use every day are maintained by towns, villages and other local governments rather than directly by the state.
Those municipalities face rising construction, labor and material costs while still being expected to maintain miles of roadway.
Additional CHIPS funding allows more of those costs to be supported through the state budget.
For DeStefano, who represents New York’s 3rd Assembly District in Suffolk County, that makes infrastructure funding an affordability issue as well as a transportation issue.
More state support can reduce pressure on local governments to fund major road projects entirely through local revenue.
Public Safety Connection
Road conditions also have a direct connection to public safety.
Deteriorated pavement, damaged shoulders and aging infrastructure can create hazards for motorists, pedestrians, emergency vehicles and school transportation.
DeStefano has argued that investment in roads and bridges should therefore be viewed as part of the state’s broader responsibility to keep communities safe.
His support for CHIPS also fits into a broader legislative agenda focused on public safety, affordability and local government needs. His official Assembly page shows that those themes have remained central to his work throughout the 2025–26 legislative session.
Bringing State Dollars Back to Local Communities
The importance of programs such as CHIPS is ultimately straightforward: state tax dollars return to local communities for projects residents can see and use every day.
For Suffolk residents, that means repaired roads, stronger bridges and infrastructure improvements that can otherwise be difficult for municipalities to finance on their own.
DeStefano’s position is that Albany should continue increasing those investments rather than forcing local governments to absorb more of the cost.
For a district where residents depend heavily on automobiles and local road networks, that is a tangible issue with an immediate impact on quality of life.