Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - One of Buffalo's most influential foundations - the Baird Foundation - has joined a growing chorus of local leaders who want a portion of the Kensington Expressway that cuts through East Side neighborhoods restored to the original Frederick Law Olmsted design.
The foundation has allocated $100,000 towards efforts by the East Side Parkways Coalition, who is advocating for parts of the Kensington Expressway that cuts through several East Side neighborhoods restored to Olmsted's original parkway design.
Olmsted had created a parkway design similar to Bidwell Parkway only to see state leaders cut through picturesque green space to build the portions of the Kensington Expressway.
Some 43 acres, or roughly two linear miles, of park land and green space designed by Olmsted was taken away for the Kensington Expressway project.
"It came at the expense of Buffalo," said Alan Bozer, East Side Parkways Coalition attorney.
The Kensington opened in 1964 and now carries, on average, 75,000 vehicles daily from downtown Buffalo into such suburbs as Amherst, Cheektowaga and Lancaster.
The New York State Department of Transportation is conducting a series of listening sessions that focus on the fate of the Kensington including building a controversial one-mile long tunnel that would connect some East Side neighborhoods or restoring the Olmsted designed parkway, or, even doing nothing.
"It is not a popularity contest," said DOT spokesman Ryan Whalen.
A final design is several years away.
The Baird allocation may help the East Side Parkways Coalition with its litigation costs against the DOT centering on the tunnel proposal and also for community awareness issues, Bozer said.
"We need to get information out," Bozer said.
Restoring the Olmsted parkway design is gaining momentum among community leaders. At a Dec. 2 DOT listening session, most of those in attendance said the support bringing back the Olmsted design.
"It is heartening to see the growing level of support," Bozer said.