The horrendous state of our roads cost New York drivers an average of $638 more to operate their vehicles in 2007.

New York’s Governor and legislative leaders recently agreed to an MTA bailout that increases registration and driver license fees within the Metropolitan Transit Authority’s operating region by $175 million annually. This short-sighted plan does little to remedy the MTA’s fundamental budget woes and saddles millions of New York drivers with the MTA’s never-ending operating deficit.

Meanwhile, the state’s highway and bridge maintenance program is going broke, and drivers are forced to contend with road conditions that steadily deteriorate.

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials and The Road Information Program, a national transportation research group, recently released a report focused on the nation’s infrastructure needs. According to the report, only 35 percent of New York State’s roads are in good condition and nearly half are rated either “poor” or “mediocre.” In fact, the horrendous state of our roads cost New York drivers an average of $638 more to operate their vehicles in 2007.

Now, to add insult to injury, the Governor and legislative leaders have taken the traditional source of funding for road repair—motor vehicle registration and license fees—and used it to cover MTA operating shortfalls. Worse yet, the bailout fails to address the MTA’s long-term fiscal challenges or prune its wasteful spending practices.

The MTA bailout plan backed by state leaders and largely funded by drivers is wrong and extremely short-sighted. The condition of the state’s roads and bridges won’t wait, and because the state just tapped out the likely funding source, we can’t help wondering: What is the plan and when will the state leaders treat our roads and bridges with the same sense of urgency?