The state has put the brakes on a plan to convert the Scajaquada Expressway into a lower-speed boulevard after receiving public comments that were overwhelmingly in opposition.
Published in The Buffalo News
January 8, 2018
The state has put the brakes on a plan to convert the Scajaquada Expressway into a lower-speed boulevard after receiving public comments that were overwhelmingly in opposition.
The decision by the state Department of Transportation comes at the end of a long design process to reshape 2.2 miles of Route 198 between Parkside Avenue and Grant Street, which has been slowed to a 30 mph roadway. The state was widely expected to announce the start of the design project later this year.
“After an extensive effort to create a plan that transforms the Scajaquada Corridor, unfortunately, a consensus could not be reached with the many stakeholders involved,” said DOT Region 5 Director Frank Cirillo in a statement. “More than two-thirds of the most recent public comments received by NYSDOT were not in favor of the proposed Scajaquada Corridor project moving forward.”
“As a result, NYSDOT will rescind work on the Environmental Impact Statement and not move forward with the project in its current form. In the coming months, we will hit the ‘reset’ button and begin a fresh dialogue with stakeholders,” Cirillo said.
A source told The News the expectation is that the process — which has dragged on intermittently since Gov. George E. Pataki was in office — may not require years more of study due to the volume of fresh studies and data collected. The source also said there is nothing punitive about the state’s decision to table its plan as it moves toward a solution that could enjoy greater community support.
The source also said interim traffic-calming steps along the Scajaquada could be taken over the next several months to help address current traffic concerns.