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Report: Community Grid Won't Work as "Stand Alone" Replacement for I-81

Leo Tully
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WAER News

A pair of Syracuse-area state lawmakers presented a report Friday that they say shows a community grid can’t be a stand-alone replacement for I-81 through the city.  The report by a former Chief Engineer of New York State Department of Transportation found the need to maintain traffic flow in and out of Syracuse.  State Senator John DeFrancisco and Assemblymember Bill Magnarelli say a hybrid solution might be best.

"Nobody is saying that the grid is bad.  We're OK with the grid.  We want the grid," Magnarelli said.  "But we'd like to have a tunnel or something that would get 81 through the city as well.  Why is it that we can't have both?  That's the question."  

Magnarelli says removing that direct route will cumulatively add hours of travel time for commuters.  But the validity of the study was called into question by a number of concerned citizens.  Evan Weissman is a staunch supporter of the community grid option who criticized the credentials of the engineer who conducted it.

"It was written by a highway engineer whose expertise is in highway construction, not in urban planning, not in economic development, not in social vitality."

Credit Leo Tully / WAER News
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WAER News
Some protesters showed up at Friday's presentation.

Weissman and other citizens in attendance also expressed concern about  the brief duration of the study and its lack of information fairly weighing the needs of people living in the city versus those in the suburbs. One concerned attendee feared that new construction on such a large scale would further segregate the city.

"We're the fourth most segregated county in the country.  We have the highest concentration of poverty among African Americans and Latinos in the country.  That highway, that viaduct...all the research...academic, scientific, engineering, architectural, tells us that's what happens when you build cities."

The planning for the I-81 project is still ongoing as the Department of Transportation continues to weigh various studies and public comments.  

Credit Leo Tully / WAER News
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WAER News
Dozens gathered to hear the results of the report. Sen. DeFrancisco addresses the crowd.

Scott Willis covers politics, local government, transportation, and arts and culture for WAER. He came to Syracuse from Detroit in 2001, where he began his career in radio as an intern and freelance reporter. Scott is honored and privileged to bring the day’s news and in-depth feature reporting to WAER’s dedicated and generous listeners. You can find him on twitter @swillisWAER and email him at srwillis@syr.edu.