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Federal Highway Administration officials criticized an initial New York contract solicitation and analyses of Interstate 81 in Syracuse, saying the state's preliminary ideas about the viaduct were too vague. Instead of focusing on the existing I-81 corridor and putting a replacement boulevard-level pathway through the city, the federal highway officials asked the state to make sure it was including more than one option as it embarks on the first major phase of the project - an environmental study that will define, then select, the final solution for I-81.
IMHO anything other than a replacement modified only to improve traffic flow and capacity is a mistake. Most of these fools whining about it are too dumb to understand that it's relatively easy to cross under it because it's an overpass, and can't explain where this traffic will magically disappear to without the highway.
And it's further amusing they don't make the same arguments about 690, which actually does divide parts of the city because it's a former rail embankment and not a series of overpasses. Or the remaining elevated rail line from SU up past Armory Square. That I suspect is a combination of no one left who remembers what it was like before those things existed plus none of them went through what had been a black neighborhood.
But it's hardly worth arguing with them because facts and common sense are to be ignored; like children, they just want what they want and to heck with everyone else.
IMHO anything other than a replacement modified only to improve traffic flow and capacity is a mistake. Most of these fools whining about it are too dumb to understand that it's relatively easy to cross under it because it's an overpass, and can't explain where this traffic will magically disappear to without the highway.
And it's further amusing they don't make the same arguments about 690, which actually does divide parts of the city because it's a former rail embankment and not a series of overpasses. Or the remaining elevated rail line from SU up past Armory Square. That I suspect is a combination of no one left who remembers what it was like before those things existed plus none of them went through what had been a black neighborhood.
But it's hardly worth arguing with them because facts and common sense are to be ignored; like children, they just want what they want and to heck with everyone else.
I think in this case, it is a matter of development and that there are examples of where other cities have removed portions of highways for similar reasons.
You could say that elevated portions of 690 separate parts of the city, but I don't know if that area of the city has the same potential for development.
They can't even keep the existing business downtown - who in their right mind is going to build anything in the middle of what will be a massive traffic jam five hours a day? The cars that use the highway will not just vanish into thin air because the highway is not there. Fill some of the empty buildings first and then get back to me about inconveniencing everyone who uses I-81 to build something else.
Syracuse is not other cities, and the amount of vacant retail and other business in the general area is nearly staggering. I can point in nearly any direction from downtown and find vacant places you could just as easily develop. There are places that are easy to get to but have been vacant for over 10 years. The problem isn't getting to the places - it's paying the tax bills once you open up there.
Now they built that huge mall that's easy to get to and one of the few thriving things in town, because it has a tax deal, and now they want to cut off one of the main routes to get to it, to develop something else that either nobody will move into, or will only stay until their tax deal runs out?
Makes no sense to me.
But then the I-81 overpasses do not really separate anything, since multiple roads cross under, another road runs parallel underneath most of it.. I loved the picture in the paper of a jogger crossing under it one morning with nary a car in sight accompanying yet another editorial complaining what an obstacle it's supposed to be. You go over to the railroad line - now that's a wall, a long concrete sided barrier between downtown and the south side. But nobody is complaining about that.
I think the difference with the railroad bridge is that it was raised for safety reasons, as the tracks were on the street and would be a risk to pedestrians.
While there are some buildings in Downtown that could be put to good use, I believe that if the development occurs in the area of I-81 slated to be removed, it would bridge the gap between Downtown and University Hill. This could possibly add to the density in the center of the city and make it more desireable. If I'm not mistaken, in other cities where sections of a highway were removed, it allowed for more access or possibilities to a lakeshore or for development, for example.
I do wonder about what will happens to the public housing and the people that live there if that portion of I-81 is removed.
I would just like to clear up something about the boulevard option that I wonder if people don't understand. The boulevard that replaces I-81 will only be from the current 481 interchange to the 690 interchange. From 690 there will still be a interstate highway. So travel from I-90 to Destiny and even downtown will still be at 65 mph with no stoplights. The area that will be converted to a boulevard will only be 3 miles and should only have stoplights through the area around university hill. Not every street will get a stoplight as well. I think some people have this idea that I-81 from 481 to 90 will be 35 to 45 mph. That is simply not the the case. Also, with the boulevard option there will be more side roads to turn off of to get to your destination along with another lane of traffic (three versus the two on I-81 now). You will not have to be funneled into adams st and townsend street in order to get to downtown/university hill.
I worry that some people here are throwing the option away under the wrong pretenses. Additionally, I don't think anyone believes that this option will save Syracuse. We simply think that this option will be the best for the city in the long run.
All this information has come from the I-81 challenge website, specifically this pdf pages 92 to 97.
Last edited by Tyrosine; 09-23-2013 at 03:01 PM..
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