State Senator Tim Kennedy held a roundtable discussion Monday to determine if infrastructure funding that Western New York lost can be recovered.
Kennedy said the State DOT's math was wrong in 2008. That mistake resulted in the area missing out on $167-million that could have been used to repair aging roads and bridges.
Kennedy told reporters he has been in communication with the state Department of Transportation.
"We've been back and forth with the DOT. The Department of Transportation has been slow to respond and we were going to continue to beat the drum until we get this issue rectified," said Kennedy.
In addition to exploring options, Kennedy will detail area projects that have been delayed by the mistake. The roundtable forum was held at D'Youville College in Buffalo.
Kennedy said this problem has been lingering for three to four years.
As a result of the error, DOT Region 5 – which covers the counties of Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie and Niagara – missed out on a significant level of economic activity and job creation.
"The fact of the matter is the Department of Transportation just recently, due to our efforts, admitted this was a human error in their department, in Albany, several years ago, under a different administration. We are going to continue to fight to get that money here in Western New York," said Kennedy.