Tear Down the Freeway, Or Fix It Up?

That's the dilemma with Interstate 81 in Syracuse, NY, an elevated freeway that cuts through the center of the city. At the end of its life expectancy, planners are debating its fate.

1 minute read

June 15, 2011, 8:00 AM PDT

By Tim Halbur

The freeway shows a lot of wear and tear, but transportation folks say they can keep it going for a while longer. But Van Robinson, head of the Syracuse Common Council, has another idea:

Emma Jacobs reports:

"Robinson's subscribed to an idea popular with a lot of urban advocates that downtown expressways should be torn down. Along with some citizens' groups and the Mayor, he'd like to see an urban boulevard at street level. Something that makes you interact with the city, not zip right through it.

However, some argue that interacting with all those cross streets could bring back the congestion and long commutes that downtown expressways were originally built to address."

FULL STORY: Syracuse stretch of I-81 nears expiration date

Tuesday, June 14, 2011 in NCPR News

Infrastructure Land Use New York Freeway Teardowns Inner-City Freeways

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