To: Governor Kathy Hochul; Marie Therese Dominguez; Hon. Mayor Byron Brown
Fill in The 33 To Protect Our Health
Dear Governor Hochul, Commissioner Dominguez and Mayor Brown,
The current plan to build tunnels in place of sections of the 33 Expressway is incomplete and without an Environmental Impact Study. The New York State Department of Transportation should be mandated to complete an Environmental Impact Study and have an objective third party review their findings. No construction should begin without this study being completed. There are thousands of families with small children and elderly residents who will be significantly negatively impacted by both environmental construction hazards and long term impacts of the tunnel emissions. As of today, there are already well documented health disparities within the neighborhoods next to the 33 Expressway. This project stands to convenience drivers while creating more health disparities for people of color. Yes we all want the parkway restored, but this time it needs to be handled the right way,; the equitable way.
If an environmental impact study is not feasible, and/or if the study cannot support all of the mitigation required to keep residents safe during and after construction, then we demand for the NYSDOT to fill up the 33 Expressway and make plans for aerial roads to absorb traffic. This has successfully occurred in many cities and the Eastside Parkways. Coalition has an excellent plan already in place: https://www.eastsideparkwayscoalition.com/#the-radials-can-handle
We refuse to standby and watch our neighborhood suffer so that people who do not live in the neighborhood can get downtown quickly. That makes no sense, and we will not stand for it.
Concerned Buffalo Citizens
The current plan to build tunnels in place of sections of the 33 Expressway is incomplete and without an Environmental Impact Study. The New York State Department of Transportation should be mandated to complete an Environmental Impact Study and have an objective third party review their findings. No construction should begin without this study being completed. There are thousands of families with small children and elderly residents who will be significantly negatively impacted by both environmental construction hazards and long term impacts of the tunnel emissions. As of today, there are already well documented health disparities within the neighborhoods next to the 33 Expressway. This project stands to convenience drivers while creating more health disparities for people of color. Yes we all want the parkway restored, but this time it needs to be handled the right way,; the equitable way.
If an environmental impact study is not feasible, and/or if the study cannot support all of the mitigation required to keep residents safe during and after construction, then we demand for the NYSDOT to fill up the 33 Expressway and make plans for aerial roads to absorb traffic. This has successfully occurred in many cities and the Eastside Parkways. Coalition has an excellent plan already in place: https://www.eastsideparkwayscoalition.com/#the-radials-can-handle
We refuse to standby and watch our neighborhood suffer so that people who do not live in the neighborhood can get downtown quickly. That makes no sense, and we will not stand for it.
Concerned Buffalo Citizens
Why is this important?
Buffalo has a history of environmental racism. The current project to build tunnels in sections of the 33 Expressway is another form of environmental racism. We must force accountability for this construction process and we must promote and demand alternatives that would be equitable and beneficial for the impacted neighborhoods first and foremost.