New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Thursday that the New York State Department of Transportation (NYDOT) would hold a public hearing on the Kensington Expressway Project.
Co-hosted by the Federal Highway Administration, the hearing will take place between 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., and again 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Sept. 27 at the Buffalo Museum of Science, 1020 Humboldt Parkway, and will give residents and other stakeholders an opportunity to express their view on the project and its environmental, economic and social effects given current design plans.
“The Kensington Expressway project is a once in a generation opportunity to set right the wrongs of the past, which contributed to economic injustice and racial disparities in East Buffalo,” Hochul said. “From day one we have listened to the community and made notable changes to the project due to this valuable input – and we’re not done yet.”
Hochul said the hearing is a way to reunite East Buffalo, and to heal the “wounds of the past.” Built in the 1950s and 1960s, the expressway replaced what had been a tree-lined boulevard designed by noted landscape architect Frederick Law Olmstead. The expressway cut through the heart of the city and neighborhoods surrounding what was the Humboldt Parkway. Hochul’s office said the expressway added to the area’s decline, and presents challenges that exist still.
Hochul’s office set aside up to $1 billion of the $32.8 billion five year NYDOT transportation capital plan for the East Buffalo project, including restoring the green space that was destroyed by the expressway.
“I encourage everyone potentially impacted by this project to join us on September 27 for this important step in a process that reunites East Buffalo and heals the wounds of the past once and for all,” she said. “This project will rectify these mistakes by reuniting the East Buffalo community, improving infrastructure, and walkability as well as restoring a place of natural beauty for this generation and for generations to come.”
The hearing will give an update on the project’s progress as well as seek input form the community. The public can also make comments on the project’s website or by contacting the project’s Community Outreach Office.
“No one anywhere in the nation has done more to reunite communities and work towards revitalization and inclusivity than Governor Hochul. Her commitment is reflected in the Kensington Expressway project which will heal the wounds inflicted generations ago in the heart of East Buffalo, in the process enhancing quality of life, walkability and safety in this important area of the city,” New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez said. “The Department of Transportation’s commitment to community engagement has helped us gain a deeper understanding of what the community wants in a project of this magnitude. The coming public hearing is another opportunity for community members to make certain their voices are heard.”