In the initial settlement and development of Western New York, as well as most every area of the country, public safety and road services were fundamental priorities of new communities. Even with the many alternative forms of transportation in the 20th century, providing the capability to move people and goods from one place to another on roadways has been and continues to be a principal function of government at all levels. Even with the many alternative forms of transportation in the 20th century, providing the capability to move people and goods from one place to another on roadways has been and continues to be a principal function of government at all levels. There are also several modes of private sector participation in road services in the region. Private contractors, for example, provide a large proportion of construction and maintenance functions as contracted by area governments.
Road services have a direct relation to other governmental functions.
Roads, for example, usually serve as the physical route for water, sewer, and utility services. Governance Structure Road services are the responsibility of a decentralized network of government agencies at several levels. Administrative departments to carry out road services, such as a Department of Public Works, Department of Transportation, or Department of Highways, are common to every general purpose government within Erie County. The federal government, by contrast, plays primarily a financing and regulatory role with respect to roads. The cooperative arrangements that have evolved for road maintenance, lighting, and plowing, and the controversies that have resulted, are at the heart of road governance issues in the region.