Interstate 81 can be seen as a pseudo Berlin Wall — a physical barrier between the Hill and downtown.

It’s had a controversial presence in the city for the past 10 years. Some want the city to maintain the highway, others want to see it torn it down to build a citywide boulevard with hopes of beautifying the city.

During the last four years, federal officials, local business owners and city legislators have come up with their own version of the most cost-effective, efficient and neighborhood-friendly solution.

But the highway will reach the end of its useful life in 2017 and a plan has yet to be decided upon. To many in the community, the conversation is still missing an important voice — residents of the city of Syracuse.

On Wednesday, a community forum will be held in the city to better inform individuals and further spark discussion among residents.

The past four years should have created extensive public discussion on major issues affecting the city of Syracuse, giving federal officials the information they need to finish the project in the next three to four years, said David Rubin, professor and dean emeritus at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.

But because the process is expected to last at least four more years, it can be difficult to sustain public interest and maintain clear priorities, said Rubin, who lives in the area and has had an active voice in the I-81 debate.

Eventually, Rubin said, residents might doubt that federal officials have their interests in mind, and will ultimately make the decision on their own and without public input.

“I think that people who live in the city are suspicious of this whole process,” Rubin said. “Their thoughts weren’t considered when it was built, so they feel the same will happen and don’t want to commit to the discussion.”

Besides being divided by I-81, the area around it exists in a “shadow” that limits any possibility for economic development, he said. If the area had a landscaped boulevard with upscale apartments, restaurants and, above all, slow-moving traffic, people would be more likely to move into the area.

“I think gentrification is inevitable, because if people invest in apartment buildings and retail, those pioneer projects are going to come down,” Rubin said. “People will need to be relocated and where they will go is an issue.”

Though a boulevard might spur economic development, it risks appearing similar to Erie Boulevard, said County Legislator Kathleen Rapp (R-5th District). Merely taking it down, she said, doesn’t solve all of the city’s issues.

Rapp said she feels that officials have become shortsighted by narrowing options to either keeping the highway or creating a boulevard.

“I think it’s become pretty clear that neither of those views really represent the community,” Rapp said. “We need to challenge ourselves to become more creative and inclusive. We need look past just A or B.”

Rapp has proposed building an iconic bridge to replace the highway leading into the city, adding that a bridge would give a “sense of place” to Syracuse, keep traffic flowing and not divide the city.

Leaving the New York State Department of Transportation to handle the discussion, she said, has led the project in the wrong direction. Rather than create an “us-versus-them” mentality, Rapp said, the community needs to decide what is most important. Then function will follow these priorities.

She said she hopes the community meetings will help to identify residents’ “pulse,” but their success depends on the tone that officials establish.

“Democracy is always messy, but I think if those that are at the front keep the tone where it needs to be, it’ll work itself out,” Rapp said.

Whether by public assertion or federal direction, the conversation is starting to shift to a more local scale, said Salina Town Supervisor Mark Nicotra.

Community forums, such as the “meeting of the interstate’s neighbors” held downtown on Wednesday, are being scheduled in areas across the county to inform individuals and spur discussion, he said.

“Discussion is the only way to produce an amicable decision on all sides,” he said. “The Department of Transportation should listen to people and have that shape their decision.”

Nicotra is also a member of Save81, a coalition of citizens, elected officials, employers, unions and community groups who believe some form of interstate is necessary for the city. Save81 has received more than 2,500 signatures on their petition to keep I-81 — 40 percent of which were from Syracuse residents, he said.

He added that the coalition has seen a lot of concern from residents who don’t necessarily think the boulevard is the best option, thinking it might increase traffic and hinder the development of business in the area.

If the highway were to be demolished, he said, the idea of Syracuse as a “20-minute city” — one that is easily accessible from any direction — would be heavily affected.

County Legislator Bob Andrews (R-9th District) said the two issues of traffic flow and revamping the city doesn’t have to be mutually exclusive. Andrews said he believes both can be achieved through a tunnel — a solution not brought up by anyone else. Building a tunnel would allow the city to divert traffic flow any way it needed and remove the highway for better road access.

Taking down I-81 would also remove what many see as the “barrier” between the Hill and downtown, which Andrews said would redevelop and “unite” the city.

The only drawback of constructing a tunnel, he said, is that it would likely be the most expensive option. But Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) has reassured Andrews and other legislators, asking them to not worry about the cost, but rather what’s best for the community, Andrews said, a sentiment he agrees with.

He said he’ll continue to push officials to think about other pertinent issues the city needs to address.

“We can’t just solve one issue. This is a major project and we need to be thinking larger and more expansively,” Andrews said. “This is a 100-year project, not just repaving a street in one day.”

Published on September 25, 2013 at 12:52 am

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