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The Syracuse Metropolitan Transportation Council (SMTC) and the New York State Department of Transportation will host a public meeting for The I-81 Challenge on May 9th from 2 to 8 pm at the Oncenter.
At this meeting, you will be able to:
Review materials from the May 2011 workshop
See the feedback received in May 2011 and learn how this feedback was developed into initial strategies for I-81
Provide feedback on the initial strategies before NYSDOT begins further analysis
Learn how strategies will be evaluated
Learn about potential long-term improvements to our transit system and provide your thoughts
If you're planning to attend the meeting, you can informally RSVP through the Facebook event page. The event page also makes it easy for you to let friends, family or co-workers know about the meeting.
If you can’t make the meeting in person? Participate online in our virtual meeting at I-81 : Virtual Public Workshop starting May 9, 2012.
According to Gene Cilento, NYS DOT Region PIO noted that information collected, sorted and categorized from last year will be discussed. The second half of the meeting will discuss the five strategies in more detail and give the public a chance to comment on them.
The five options include 1) no-build, 2) rehabilitate the road and bridges, 3) reconstruct the road and replace bridges, 4) depress the road and build a tunnel, and 5) replace the elevated portion with an urban boulevard.
I went last night. It appeared to be decently attended. We're still a long ways from actual construction - essentially, they have to decide on a course of action before doing environmental reviews/planning/securing funding for the choice made.
But yes, those are the 5 options. Though I was entertained to see that they were keeping a western loop component that's almost completely not feasible to be built in conjunction with some of the options. The grade where 481 meets 81 at the south end is not exactly reasonable to drop a highway off of.
I went last night. It appeared to be decently attended. We're still a long ways from actual construction - essentially, they have to decide on a course of action before doing environmental reviews/planning/securing funding for the choice made.
But yes, those are the 5 options. Though I was entertained to see that they were keeping a western loop component that's almost completely not feasible to be built in conjunction with some of the options. The grade where 481 meets 81 at the south end is not exactly reasonable to drop a highway off of.
your right, that is a long road..securing funding alone could take years. Clarification: 1) were they discussing completing the "western loop" where it culminates at Genessee Street in Fairmont? If so, I don't think that is possible. 2) when they talk of depressing the road and building a tunnel, do they still want to maintain the grade level portion of I-81 through the City from downtown to 481/81 intersection? Or, still go with an urban boulevard to 481?
I will have to go on their web-site and check some of this stuff out if it is posted, thanks.
...western loop component that's almost completely not feasible to be built in conjunction with some of the options. The grade where 481 meets 81 at the south end is not exactly reasonable to drop a highway off of.
I didn't make it last night, but did see this.
I've been a bit skeptical of the I-81 planning all along (first, the traffic engineers who are running the show throw around "level of service" and "vehicle throughput" more than they should; second, when demolishing elevated freeways in urban areas has become standard progressive practice, it's disappointing to go through this community involvement exercise and entertain all sorts of impractical ideas).
That the DOT is seriously entertaining a proposal to build an expensive partial beltway through a bunch of neighborhoods seems to reinforce this view. This production is being run by a bunch of people who've spent their whole careers trying to move vehicles without regard for other modes of transit. They aren't urban planners. I don't see this ending well for Syracuse.
I've been a bit skeptical of the I-81 planning all along (first, the traffic engineers who are running the show throw around "level of service" and "vehicle throughput" more than they should; second, when demolishing elevated freeways in urban areas has become standard progressive practice, it's disappointing to go through this community involvement exercise and entertain all sorts of impractical ideas).
That the DOT is seriously entertaining a proposal to build an expensive partial beltway through a bunch of neighborhoods seems to reinforce this view. This production is being run by a bunch of people who've spent their whole careers trying to move vehicles without regard for other modes of transit. They aren't urban planners. I don't see this ending well for Syracuse.
I gathered that it was almost eliminated outright, but they've kept it in consideration for study mostly because of the popularity of the boulevard idea that they're hearing. I made a point of suggesting that the existing arterials (West coupled with Adams/Harrison) with some tweaks and minor improvements solves most of the bottlenecks they're trying to avoid, simply because the choke points on the network now are related to the highway on and off ramps.
I gathered that it was almost eliminated outright, but they've kept it in consideration for study mostly because of the popularity of the boulevard idea that they're hearing. I made a point of suggesting that the existing arterials (West coupled with Adams/Harrison) with some tweaks and minor improvements solves most of the bottlenecks they're trying to avoid, simply because the choke points on the network now are related to the highway on and off ramps.
With the increasingly-expansionist Upstate moving into Presidential Plaza, it'd be nice to see Syracuse get proactive and re-establish McBride between Adams and Genesee. It'd be an asset to Upstate, a boon to the tax rolls, and would alleviate some of the strain on Almond. It's a shame they've given away the possibility of doing the same with Montgomery by building a school in the middle of it.
As you've said many times, improving the grid will do a lot more good than targeted "enhancements" will. One doesn't get the sense that traffic engineers think in any sort of macro way, though. They're still of the thinking that one can build oneself out of congestion.
One doesn't get the sense that traffic engineers think in any sort of macro way, though. They're still of the thinking that one can build oneself out of congestion.
"In December 1925, at the height of the railroad removal debate, former State Sen. and Gov. Horace White (1865-1943), a Syracusan from his childhood, wrote an article for the Syracuse Herald stating his position. Let me offer a portion, He writes of railroads, not highways. But with very little imagination, his words could have been written today, relating to I-81"..."Like the earlier transportation decisions that had impacts for nearly 100 years, he asks us to be visionary and bold — to do what is best for the long term":
"In December 1925, at the height of the railroad removal debate, former State Sen. and Gov. Horace White (1865-1943), a Syracusan from his childhood, wrote an article for the Syracuse Herald stating his position. Let me offer a portion, He writes of railroads, not highways. But with very little imagination, his words could have been written today, relating to I-81"..."Like the earlier transportation decisions that had impacts for nearly 100 years, he asks us to be visionary and bold — to do what is best for the long term":
It is refreshing to read the words of a leader who was, you know, leading. None of the equivocating relativism we hear so regularly today.
And it would've been great for the New York Central to have buried its main line in the old canal bed through Syracuse.
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