With little fanfare the New York Works Task Force reached a major milestone in June, releasing the first-ever New York State 10-year statewide capital plan. The plan is an excellent first step toward consolidating the capital planning of 47 state agencies and public authorities, committing $174 billion for the fiscal year 2013-14 to 2022-23 period for projects that will improve the condition of New York’s infrastructure and help grow the economy.

The next version of the plan, due in 2014, should include three key features to continue to improve the State’s capital planning process: 1) better information about asset condition and the match-up between planned levels of state of good repair spending and need; 2) an improved financing plan that addresses the issue of affordability; and 3) better project-level data to facilitate project tracking.