Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) Buffalo Common Council members are being presented with a new proposal for what is currently the Kensington Expressway. "We want to restore Humboldt Parkway instead of building a 1.5 Billion dollar tunnel," said Brad Wales, co-founder of the East Side Parkways Coalition on WBEN Tuesday.
The coalition, says among other things, it would be half the price and
would the the most healthy solution for residents in that area of the city.
The state has been pushing for a tunnel to be built over a portion of the 33,
though the project has been stuck in the courts.
In February, a judge ruled that the State Department of Transportation must conduct an Environmental Impact Statement in order to move forward with the tunnel.
The coalition wants the Common Council to take a formal position on the project through a resolution.
"The reaction citywide and statewide," Wales said, "has been overwhelmingly supportive. Just yesterday we received accolades from the New York State Preservation League. Restoring Humboldt Parkway us one of seven projects in New York State that they're prioritizing to save."
He explained that removing the Kensington Expressway and restoring Humboldt Parkway is justified by recent traffic data shared by the Greater Buffalo-Niagara Regional Transportation Council.
"The expressway is no longer necessary for the functional requirements of the metro transportation system. Cars can enter the city on the radials or the 190. In fact, it would infuse the entire East side with additional commerce,"
he added.
What leverage does the Common Council have?
The city of Buffalo still owns the land underneath the highway. Additionally, Wales said the Council should be looking out for the health of its citizens.
"Asthma is in the 98th percentile on either side of the highway. For 60 years it's been making people sick."