What Was Good for Rochester, Syracuse, Niagara Falls Deemed Not for Buffalo
By Betty Jean Grant
Betty Jean Grant
Most times, fate allows one no opportunity to correct misdeeds or mistakes. Once a deed or action is done, it usually cannot be corrected, changed or revisited. However, sometimes, because of advocacy, faith, courage or even luck, a bad decision or mistake can be reversed.
Over 70 years ago, Buffalo politicians put forth what they self proclaimed called progress, in what they labeled as urban renewal, to divide thriving, cohesive and connected neighborhoods around Humboldt Parkway by putting an Expressway in the middle of it. Tall, magnificent trees were cut, over 600 homes were taken through Eminent Domain and White Flight put the icing on that process that led to Buffalo’s urban and Black neighborhoods’ decline. This happened not just in Buffalo, but in Black and poor urban neighborhoods all across the United States.
So, in Buffalo and other cities, community groups emerged to fight for the restoration of parks, parkways and lakeside properties by campaigning for the removal or remediation of those Expressways that were known to be impairing the health of residents and homeowners living near them. Fortunately, for cities in New York State such as Rochester, Syracuse and Niagara Falls, that were blessed with enlightened politcians who worked together with NYS Governor Kathy Hochul, to remove the Expressways from their collective cities. The governor, who worked with those politicians in the three cities I just named, is the same governor who is denying the residents of Buffalo and Humboldt Parkway to live in a healthy environment by not removing the 33 Expressway and doubling down by insisting on putting a tunnel under Humboldt Parkway that will make people sicker than they are now.
Another stroke of luck for Buffalo and other urban cities was the election of a President Of The United States, Mr. Joseph Biden, who believed in Reconnecting Communities in areas decimated by racist decisions to situate Expressways in Black neighborhoods all across this country, in the 1950s and 1960s. Those of us who never thought luck, fate and/or common sense would put Buffalo in the position to rid itself of the intrusive and divisive 33 Expressway, are elated and we are fighting hard to make sure that Buffalo takes advantage of correcting the mistake that was made so many decades ago. The decision to put the Expressway on Humboldt Parkway was wrong in 1963 and it would be wrong to allow it to remain now, to continue to make people sick or to hasten their demise.
We can restore Humboldt Parkway by filling it in for 1/2 of the 1 billion dollars or more, cost of putting in a tunnel on 1/4 of the length of the Parkway. We need to be mindful of the fact that 3/4 of the Expressway on the Parkway will not be covered and will remain as it is right now. Let us work to have the Expressway removed to save the lives of those residents who bought their homes in the1960s without the knowledge that they would soon be living next to a carbon monoxide emitting, cancer causing, anti-community monstrosity called the Route 33, Kensington Expressway.