Brody Blair

2/4/16
Environ: 370
Section: 003
Stakeholders and Syracuses Elevated Highway
Syracuse New York was influenced heavily during the period of growth in America after

World War II. The city hastily implemented interstate 81, an elevated highway that spilt the city,

in hopes of encouraging fast local economic growth. The highway connected the city to up and

coming suburbs, allowing the affluent populations of the city to contribute to urban sprawl. This

left poor populations stuck in the city, and unable to provide adequately for themselves. Today,

the elevated highway has come to the end of its drivable life. It is suffering from wear and does

not comply with todays engineering safety standards, and it takes up blocks developable land in

the form of parking structures, lots, and entrance ramps. There is much debate on what should

be done to the highway. Should it remain standing through the city, or be turned into a

boulevard?

There are stakeholders on either side of the argument. The poor, whose community was

destroyed by the highway, would like to see the highway gone. The mayor of Syracuse is

determined to reduce the concentration of poverty in the city and increase the overall quality of

life in the city by removing the highway. The Department of Transportation also favors

removing the Interstate. Many businesses, suburban citizens, and governments of surrounding

communities are against tearing down the interstate. They perceive the highway as providing a

stable economy. The stakeholders of the city and its residents on one side, and surrounding area

interests on the other are pushing forward their ideal ways to deal with the highway, making it

difficult for a final decision to be made.

 The black community of Syracuse has been negatively affected by the implementation of

the elevated highway, which replaced the 15th ward. The construction of the highway tore the

black community in half and lead to a sharp increase in concentration of poverty. Streets next to

and under the highway that used to be filled with small shops and businesses in the area soon

closed because the highway did not allow them easy access. The generally poorer black

community was not able to move out of the dying part of town.

The poverty stricken black population is predominantly in favor of tearing down the

viaduct and implementing a boulevard. More would need to be done to eradicate poverty of the

area, but a boulevard with access to the surrounding streets could be a big help. It would bring in

traffic which could encourage shops to move in and promote economic growth. More shops in

the area and increased traffic would lead to a better community that would watch out for its

interests, thus helping end the violence and gangs of the area. The high poverty of the black

community makes it difficult for them to influence what is going to happen with the highway.

Fortunately they have help from the city of Syracuse.

The city of Syracuse seems to be in favor of replacing interstate 81. Both the mayor and

the Department of Transportation are looking at better ways to route city traffic. The mayor of

Syracuse, Stephanie Miner, is in favor of bringing down the highway, what she refers to as a

big scar going through our city right now, which has done damage in all sorts of ways.

According to Miner, the highway has split the two major parts of Syracuse, downtown and

University Hill. This potentially hinders the cities overall economic capacity of the city. The

highway also takes up a lot of developable space, which does not allow for expansions of

hospitals, medical schools and institutions nor the development of new businesses.
 Miner, along with the New York State Transportation Commissioner are looking at the

highway from a community aspect as well as a system of transportation. They are looking to

improve the quality of city life, decrease the poverty and bring in more businesses and economic

growth. Miner claims that the extra developable space provided, if the highway were to be turned

into a boulevard or side streets, would encourage institutions would move in closer to the road,

which would cause restaurants and shops to follow suit. This, Miner believes, would increase

property values and tax revenues, leading to a higher quality of life in the city with less poverty

and more economic activity.

The Department of Transportation (DOT) is looking into creating a city that would

increase the quality of life and economic development of the city as well as transportation safety.

Other cities have gone through similar car-centric highway issues and the DOT is using the

others experiences to determine the best alternative system. Cities like New Haven and Seattle

that have taken down their central highway and turned it into a boulevard, showed the DOT that

the central highways through cities do not add any value to the city, they only move traffic. The

data and past city experience show that the highways decrease property values, economic

activity, and a citys overall strength. The DOT is also looking to improve commuter safety as

the highway is currently unsafe compared to current engineering standards. The roads are too

narrow and many sharp twists through the city disallow drivers from exceeding 55 mph.

Looking not just to improve the safety of drivers, the DOT is also trying to figure out which road

system could safely support pedestrians and bicycles. Both the mayor and the DOT have an

impact in what will happen to the elevated highway. They are looking at improving the overall

quality of the city of Syracuse. The mayor has an ultimate say in what should happen to the
highway because she wields the power, the DOT on the other hand can provide data analysis and

potential solutions for approval.

Many stakeholders living outside the city, enjoying the advantages of money and political

power, are against tearing down interstate 81. In order to make their stance heard and voice their

concerns, this diverse collection of members including citizens, community groups, unions,

employers, businesses, and elected officials has come together to create the group Save 81. Save

81 is a coalition that aims at preserving the highway that runs through the city of Syracuse. The

group claims the highway provides economic stability, connects commuters and tourists with

local businesses, and keeps Downtown Syracuse accessible to the community. Removing the

highway would not just take away these benefits from the city, citizens, and businesses, but

replacing it with a boulevard or other side streets would cause heavier traffic congestion,

decrease public safety and have an overall negative impact on the local economy.

Businesses involved in Save 81 are worried about their loss of income, even though the

city claimed that taking down the highway would lead to a healthier economy for the city. But

these companies deliberately set up shop near interstate 81, to allow for a large amount of

customers to have easy access to their goods and services. This benefits the industries with more

business, and also benefits the shoppers because of the ease of access to the many stores.

Rerouting the highway, or turning it into a boulevard, could increase the economy of the city, but

it would hurt the specific businesses located on the highway, and make shopping access more

difficult for potential customers. The highway is also good for the trucking business, which,

with the aid of the highway, deliver goods right to businesses doorsteps. Smaller streets would

make it more difficult for trucks to navigate their way to the shops as they would need to good

down side streets and through neighborhoods. The difficulty for trucks to get to the businesses
easily could make it hard for stores to stock their shelves. Many commuters and business owners

as well are able to commute to work easily with the highway, without it transportation to work

could be difficult.

Save 81 has a potential to have a bigger say in what is going to happen to interstate 81

because they have support from local governments, surrounding towns, businesses, and interest

groups. The legislatures of Onondaga districts in support of keeping interstate 81, have the

ability to choose what they want to happen to the highway, if enough legislatures vote to keep the

highway, the city would have to comply. Also surrounding town supervisors and mayors are able

to make their voice on the issue herd in the local government. These forms of local government

are aiming at preserving the local economy and continuing the ease of access to the city of

Syracuse. The Onondaga County Legislature, the county Syracuse resides within, and several

other town boards have all approved related proposals to ask the department of transportation not

to turn the highway into a boulevard, but instead maintain the current highway system.

Businesses and interest groups in the area can also have a say because they can pool together

their money to influence the decision on keeping the interstate.

There are stakeholders that live in the city, and stakeholders living outside its border.

Both of these groups is represented by private sector and public sector interests. Whether

interstate 81 is dismantled or not will be affected by these stakeholders. No matter what

happens, all stakeholders will feel the effects. The debate is primarily between those in the city

in favor of replacing the highway and those outside the city looking to keep the highway to make

their lives easier. The differences of stakeholders opinions make it difficult for a final decision

to be made, which could either potentially benefit the Syracuse or the surrounding suburbs and

businesses.
 Bibliography
Syracuse gov:
https://www.dot.ny.gov/i81opportunities
http://www.syrgov.net/uploadedFiles/City_Hall/Mayors_Office/Content/Press_Releases/2015-
04-29%20Miner%20Statement%20on%2081%20Scoping%20Report.pdf
http://www.syrgov.net/uploadedFiles/City_Hall/Mayors_Office/Content/Press_Releases/2014-
09-02%20Public%20Comment%20on%20I-81.pdf
http://thei81challenge.org/cm/ResourceFiles/resources/PublicInvolvementWhitePaper.pdf

Want a highway:
http://www.savei81.org/access-syracuse/
http://www.i-81coalition.org/goals/

No highway:
https://www.cnu.org/highways-boulevards/campaign-cities/syracuse
http://onondagacitizensleague.org/blog/rethinking-i-81-ocls-study-blog-9-2/
http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/11/syracuse-slums/416892/
http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2014/02/syracuse_mayor_miner_calls_i-
81_a_big_scar_in_atlantic_cities_recap_of_highways.html
http://www.citylab.com/commute/2014/02/future-urban-freeways-playing-out-right-now-
syracuse/8419/