As the calendar winds down toward the end of the year and the governor prepares for his budget message next month, state Sen. Joseph Griffo, R-Rome, want upstate not be left out of infrastructure funding.

Griffo is calling on the governor to ensure that upstate communities get an equal share of funding to address urgent transportation infrastructure needs.

Following Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s recent $8.3 billion agreement to improve the MTA (Metropolitan Transportation Authority) in New York City, Griffo says it is time that the crumbling roads and bridges of upstate communities receive funding for repairs and maintenance on equal terms as those downstate.

Griffo offered several proposals Thursday that he believes can help the state achieve funding parity around then state for infrastructure projects.

Griffo said that the governor hasn’t clearly defined how he plans to fund the NYC MTA investment, so the state should use this opportunity to develop a funding stream that applies to all corners of the state.

“It is no longer acceptable for the downstate region to receive millions of dollars in funding to enhance their transportation infrastructure, while the cities, towns and villages upstate are essentially left to fend for themselves in the face of crumbling roads and bridges. We are all one state, so we shouldn’t be committed to helping one region and not the other.”

Griffo proposes that the state:

• allocate a portion of existing surplus from whatever sources are available, so it can be used by municipalities to rehabilitate their bridges and reconstruct their roads

• convene a group of transportation and fiscal experts to consider the need for a Transportation Bond Act to be approved by the Legislature and by public vote, which would allow for greater leverage in financing various critical infrastructure needs

• ensure that the state’s Dedicated Bridge Fund of $750 million annually is used strictly for the highway, bridge and road projects that it was intended to address. Currently, about $563 million (or roughly two-thirds) of this fund is instead being redirected to help the Department of Motor Vehicles pay for operating expenses and the Department of Transportation pay for snow and ice removal. The Senate has already passed such a proposal this past session.

Griffo said he wants local municipalities and their highway officials more flexibility in deciding how state funding is spent on transportation infrastructure, since these governments control about 60 percent of the state’s roadways.