Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) The State Department of Transportation appears to have put redevelopment of the Scajaquada project, or 198, on hold.
The Greater Buffalo Niagara Regional Transportation Council (GBNRTC) has released its updated 5 year Transportation Improvement Plan and in reviewing the document, it looks as though the resources available for the project have bottomed out. They've identified the project as "illustrative," said Justin Booth of GObike Buffalo and co chair of the Scajaquada Corridor Coalition.
He said despite an effort by the community to move the project forward and a
consensus by the region in 2023, that there's no new movement by the State Department of Transportation to make this happen.
"We've been talking about this for 20 years," added Booth. "The GBNRTC had a vision of not just moving vehicles from point A to point B, but thinking about how the corridor and surrounding community could work together to build a quality of life that everyone wants."
A plan was in place. The next step was the environmental impact statement and then full design. In the meantime, the Scajaquada remains an expressway with a 30 mile per hour speed limit.
Public comment is open until June 2 on the GBNRTC's site and Booth is encouraging people to request that the state maintain the $100 million dollars for the project and move it forward.
Whether it's redeveloping the 198, or tunneling the Kensington Expressway, is public opposition a factor that is pausing these projects?
"That's what's disconcerting," noted Booth. "We do have community consensus on a vision for the 198. While there's opposition on so many other projects, this seemed like a good opportunity to move this forward
for the betterment of the city."
But is there too much community input, after ten years and nothing done?
Booth said we're kind of stuck right now dealing with how to advance a project that isn't focused on just moving cars, but also building a community and connecting people.