Jacobs appointed to Senate transportation committee

Says appointment positions to him fight for WNY’s 'fair share of funding'

New York State Sen. Chris Jacobs has been appointed to the Senate’s transportation committee. He replaces Sen. Cathy Young, who recently resigned her Senate seat for a position at Cornell University.

“Anyone who has driven our ‘pothole-riddled’ roads in Erie County knows that we need state government to be a better partner in providing funding for our region’s critical infrastructure needs. This will certainly be my focus as a new member of the transportation committee,” Jacobs said.

The Senate transportation committee is known as one of the more powerful and influential standing committees in the Legislature, because of its impact on policy and safety issues throughout the state, as well as its influence over millions of dollars in road, highway, bridge, rail and airport-related projects. Jacobs said he believed adding another upstate voice to the committee’s roster could be beneficial to this region.

“The allocation of transportation dollars is one of the most competitive aspects of the state budget process, and that’s just one of many reasons why I am so happy to receive this appointment,” he said. “Working closely with committee Chair Tim Kennedy from Buffalo and ranking minority member Joseph Robach from Rochester, I believe we can make a very strong case for the needs of Western New York’s cities, towns and villages as we approach the final days of budget negotiations.”