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Interstate 81 Debate Should be Broadened: Mass Transit, Jobs Neighborhoods Part of Solution

WAER Archive

  A rally and meeting tonight is trying to broaden the conversation about the future of the Interstate 81 bridge through Syracuse.  The Moving People Transportation Coalition believes just talking about replacing or removing the elevated portion of the highway is not enough.  

NOTE: I-81 RALLY AT FIREFIGHTERS PARK MOVED INSIDE TO PARK PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH @ 5:00 P.M. TODAY (01/02)

Peter Sarver with Alliance of Communities Transforming Syracuse – or ACTS – is helping organize.  He says some people overstate the need for the 81 section.

“Places like Milwaukee and San Francisco and Seattle, where elevated highways have come down in those communities, people have find alternative means to access th4e city.  In fact, we have certain myths around the interstate.  All you have to do is have one guy get a flat tire and you can be standing in the parking lot known as I-81 for an hour.  What we have now is not necessarily the best solution for moving people." 

The group believes alternative transportation into the city should be part of the debate and the planning.  That could mean more rail, shuttles or bus lines to reduce reliance on cars and parking lots.  He also sees it as a chance to get local people working.  A rally in Firefighters park has been moved inside…now the meeting will be entirely at park Presbyterian Church on East Fayette Street…starting at 5:00 p.m.  

Chris Bolt, Ed.D. has proudly been covering the Central New York community and mentoring students for more than 30 years. His career in public media started as a student volunteer, then as a reporter/producer. He has been the news director for WAER since 1995. Dedicated to keeping local news coverage alive, Chris also has a passion for education, having trained, mentored and provided a platform for growth to more than a thousand students. Career highlights include having work appear on NPR, CBS, ABC and other news networks, winning numerous local and state journalism awards.