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roadsHighway Superintendent Jack French reported Wednesday that he has been notified that Lansing's Street and Highway Improvement Program (CHIPS) allotment will hold steady for the sixth year in a row.  But French said the State is thinking about discontinuing the funding altogether.

"It probably will be decreased, if not eliminated," he said Wednesday.  That's $156,000 for the Town of Lansing.  The County was getting $350,000 -- it might be more than that.  It could possibly be eliminated."

Money to resurface town roads comes partly from state and federal CHIPS money, and partly from town taxes.  CHIPS funding was established by the state legislature in 1981.  Apportionments are calculated each year according to a formula in state highway law that considers each municipalitiy's road inventory and motor vehicle registrations that are reported to the New York State Department Of Transportation (NYSDOT).  The roads are counted by center line miles and lane miles.  Lansing has 93.65 center line miles and 187.30 lane miles.

French says that $156,000 can be stretched to pay for two miles of roads with two inches of hot-mix blacktop, assuming they don't require too much work.

Until four years ago Lansing's 96 miles of roadways were on a ten year resurfacing cycle with about ten miles per year being resurfaced.  Since then the budget has allowed for only three or four miles.  That may be reduced by another two miles if CHIPS funding is eliminated by New York State. 

"We'd be down to two roads per year, so roads wouldn't be repaved for 30 to 40 years," French says.

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