I attended the second public hearing hosted on September 27, 2023 by the New York State Department of Transportation and experienced something very different from what The News described after attending in the morning. There were more people at the second session, and they voiced an overwhelming sentiment that the proposed tunnel project is a bad idea.
Many speakers questioned whether three feet of soil would support 50-foot trees and why there would be an almost non-existent reduction in pollution of .04% given the $921.8 million price tag. People were very concerned that concentrated, unfiltered car exhaust will be blown out the tunnel ends towards many schools and homes.
One citizen reported he recently visited Jim Ellis Freeway Park in Seattle, built over a highway, and was astounded at the loud noise levels in the adjacent neighborhood.
Many speakers assumed this project would fully restore the parkway but were dismayed to learn that because Scajaquada Creek is in the way, Humboldt Parkway will not reconnect MLKMLK Park Martin Luther King Park, formerly Humboldt Park. with Delaware Park.
It was pointed out that because the DOTNYSDOT New York State Department of Transportation only manages vehicular transportation, they are not the best entity to oversee this project. Their primary criteria for the tunnel, “maintaining vehicular capacity,” contradicts New York’s climate goals, as mandated by the Climate Leadership and Community Protection ActClimate Leadership and Community Protection Act, also known as CLCPA. The Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) is a plan signed into law on July 18, 2019[1] to address climate change and reach net zero emissions in New York State..
Of the 35 people, no one really said the tunnel was a good idea. Most people were in favor of simply filling in the highway, and instead, augmenting recent state investments in Broadway and Fillmore by upgrading existing radialsRadials The main streets of Buffalo that radiate from the downtown core. South Park, Seneca, Clinton, William, Broadway, Genesee, Sycamore, Kensington. to Complete Streets.
Beth Elkins Wales
Buffalo