Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced in Buffalo on Friday the next step towards making the $1 billion Kensington Expressway project a reality.
With official approval from the Federal Highway Administration, New York State has been given the green light to move forward with the project, allowing for construction to begin by the fall of 2024. The Federal Highway Administration issued a "Finding of No Significant Impact," which is a key development that signals the end of the formal environmental assessment process and clears the way for the New York State Department of Transportation (DOT) to advance to the final design stages.
Additionally, at the direction of Gov. Hochul, the State DOT will commence a study this year on additional potential enhancements to further reconnect the community, all the way up to the Scajaquada Expressway and Delaware Park, including a new vision for a reimagined Humboldt Parkway.
Building on the hundreds of public engagements ahead of this project, the State DOT will continue to engage with community members and listen to their concerns to ensure the best outcome for the corridor and the residents who call it home.
Gov. Hochul said on Friday the stars have all aligned to get to work now on this transformative project for East Buffalo.
"From the very beginning, the Kensington Expressway Project has been a community-driven effort to restore the greenspace and quality of life wrongfully taken from East Buffalo with the highway’s initial construction," said Gov. Hochul on Friday at the Edward Saunders Community Center on Bailey Avenue. "Today's decision by the Federal Highway Administration allows us to move ahead on this transformational project to right the wrongs of the past and start construction later this year. But we are not done yet and will continue to rely on the project’s most important architects – local community members – to share their vision and partner with us as we study opportunities to reconnect the East Buffalo community in a way that makes residents proud."
Constructed during the 1950s and 1960s, the Kensington Expressway replaced, what had been, a grand, tree-lined boulevard – the historic Humboldt Parkway designed by Frederick Law Olmsted – with a below-grade highway that cut through the heart of the surrounding neighborhoods in East Buffalo.
To right the wrongs of this historical injustice and its long-lasting impact, Gov. Hochul has set aside $1 billion for the project, which includes providing new green space to reconnect the community.
The Biden-Harris administration also provided $55.59 million for the project through the Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program, a first-of-its-kind initiative established by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to reconnect communities that are cut off from opportunity and burdened by past transportation infrastructure decisions.
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Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes says the project is a fulfilling one for East Buffalo.
"The Federal Highway Administration's determination is a huge victory for Restore Our Community Coalition (ROCC), allowing us to take the next step towards design and construction. This victory is for the late Clarke Eaton, Lumon Ross, and Stephanie Barber-Geter, staunch community advocates who had the vision and desire to see their neighborhoods reconnected. This will be their legacy. I look forward to working with the community on training and local hiring and to make this project as innovative and impactful as possible for residents," said Peoples-Stokes on Friday.
State Sen. Tim Kennedy says officials in Albany have remained committed to this effort for the Kensington Expressway since it was first discussed several years ago.
"Today is a win for the community. The Kensington Expressway redesign has been driven by the community since day one, and that continued passion for progress is key as this project moves forward," said Kennedy on Friday. "I thank the many people who led us to this moment, including Gov. Hochul, Majority Leader Peoples-Stokes, and of course, Stephanie Barber Geter. As this project moves into the next phase, it does so in her memory and the years she spent on the front lines advocating for change."
Proposed project highlights include:
- Replacement of the below-grade expressway with a 4,150-foot-long, six-lane tunnel between Dodge Street and Sidney Street;
- Creation of a 90-foot-wide, tree lined median on top of the tunnel, providing approximately 11 acres of new, publicly accessible green space;
- Reconstruction of Humboldt Parkway while implementing “Complete Street” roadway design features;
- Rehabilitation of 9 miles of local streets, including resurfacing and replacement of sidewalks, curbs, driveway aprons, lighting, signals and new tree plantings as needed;
- Replacement of Best Street Bridge and creation of a roundabout at the Best Street interchange.
A new Kensington Outreach Center, located at 630 Humboldt Parkway, is now officially open in East Buffalo to further opportunities for public engagement as the project moves from the planning phase to the construction phase. Its hours of operation are from 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. EST, Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. EST on Saturday.