BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) announced on Wednesday new leadership and public engagement initiatives for transforming the Kensington Expressway.
Special Assistant to the DOT Richard Fontana said the department is conducting a nationwide search for a new project director following the former director’s retirement. He also called the new change — named Queen City Forward — an “open process” in which the community can voice different ideas for the expressway.
“We will be kicking off an outreach and listening tour beginning in October in areas across the region,” Fontana said. “We want to hear from as many people as possible before we formulate a new plan for the project along the 33.”
The $1.2 billion Kensington Expressway Project originally sought to reconnect neighborhoods on Buffalo’s East Side, which were separated by the expressway, by capping a portion of the six-lane roadway and turning the top into parks and green space. It would have covered about three-quarters of a mile above Route 33.
New team members involved in the project include DOT Regional Director Eric Meka, DOT Regional Design Engineer Cameron Schulz and Community Outreach Specialist Tajé Jenkins-Jones.
Work on the project has remained paused since October 2024 after the East Side Parkways Coalition requested an environmental impact study. A judge then ruled in February that the project could not move forward without the study, a decision the NYSDOT did not appeal.
“After we hear from the community, we will develop a scope for a new EIS [environmental impact study],” Fontana said. “The EIS will include a traffic study on a potential fill-in option. We intend to do an in-depth analysis of where those 75,000 cars a day would go if we fill in the Kensington and what the air quality impacts will be if traffic is diverted to other parts of the city.”
After the community meetings, Fontana said multiple options will be considered and then an EIS will be conducted, which he said will take about two to three years. Construction would begin after that time period.
Katie Skoog joined the News 4 team in April 2024. She is a graduate from the University at Buffalo. You can view more of her work here.
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