It could be a long and bumpy road when it comes to funding current and future transportation projects in our area.

A committee from the Binghamton Metropolitan Transportation Study looks at ways to stay on schedule.

Action News Reporter Julianne Sweeney tells us how the group plans to prioritize projects.

Construction like repaving roads is funded with the help of revenue from gasoline taxes.

But, as people buy less gas, that revenue is going down.

And, construction costs are going up, at about 10 to 12 percent a year.

"There's tough times that we've been going through, whether regards to inflation and the cost if our construction materials." says Jack William, the Regional Director for New York State Department of Transportation.

The Binghamton Metropolitan Transportation Study is alerting local elected leaders.

They're getting together to examine priorities and find ways to complete
transportation projects.

"It's really more an issue of seeing schedules stretched out probably, that what we hopes to be able to do in five years, may take seven." says Steven Gayle, the Executive Director: BMTS.

A top priority is the conversion of Route 17 to I-86, a 300-million dollar project

And, repairs on the Bevier Street Bridge.

But it's not only construction.

Town of Dickinson Supervisor Mike Marinaccio sees public transportation as a priority.

"You're going to see passenger increase in the buses. What my concern is, is the fact that can we get more hybrid buses?" says Marinaccio.

Each hybrid bus costs about 500-thousand dollars.

With a possible increase in passengers, the challenge is buying new buses.

BMTS says Broome County Transit expects to add 5 hybrids to its fleet by the end of the year.

In Binghamton, Julianne Sweeney, WBNG-TV, Action News.