Issue Position: Revitalizing Syracuse's I-81 Corridor

Issue Position

Interstate 81 covers 846 miles from Tennessee to New York, and Syracuse is the only place along its entire route where the highway cuts through the center of a city. The original construction of the viaduct, which was opposed by the city at the time, destroyed the old, vibrant, predominantly African-American 15th Ward. It resulted in fifty years of racial segregation, concentrated poverty, and reduced quality of life in the area. With the end of its useful life approaching, we finally have an opportunity to restore that central corridor in Syracuse as a hub of mixed-use development that can serve long-time residents and welcome new entrepreneurs.

I support the "community grid" option that would keep traffic in the area at street level and create a walkable, bikeable, transit-friendly landscape that is not designed solely to move cars through the city at high speed. I believe, if you design a city for cars, you get cars. If you design it for people, you get people. There are ample alternative routes for through traffic, and there is no substitute for a coherent urban core. Cities around the country are tearing down highways and rejuvenating urban neighborhoods without creating any serious traffic concerns. We can do this; it's time.

I also have introduced legislation to protect schools from major highways. Right now, too many of our schools, including in Syracuse right near I-81, face major pollution problems from nearby highways that negatively impact the health and learning ability of our students. My legislation would require transportation planners to take schools into account when making major decisions, and engage in better air quality mitigation to protect our kids.

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