Don’t Be Fooled By NYSDOT’s Smoke and Mirrors
By Marcia Ladiana
I am a 35-year resident of Humboldt Parkway and a retired Environmental Engineer with more than 28 years of experience in air pollution and regulatory compliance. I have reviewed the NYSDOT (DOT) plan to build a tunnel in front of our homes on Humboldt Parkway. I have many grave concerns, with some listed below.
The tunnel will be wider than the Kensington Expressway (Rt. 33), encroaching on our homes. Underground tunnel utility rooms will extend to the curb. Humboldt Parkway will be located at least partially on top of the tunnel.
Five years of continuous vibrations caused by the blasting of very hard bedrock with explosives, pounding, crushing, driving piles into bedrock, the use of jackhammers, mounted impact hammers (hoe rams), rock drills, concrete saws, heavy-duty pneumatic tools, excavator mounted mills, mounted rock mills, front-end loaders, lots of very large dump trucks carrying rock, soil, broken concrete, and other demolition debris and construction materials, and operating other types of heavy-duty equipment close to our homes will damage our fragile, historic 120-year-old houses and possibly utilities (water/ sewer and gas lines). Once our foundations, interior and exterior walls, windows, roofs, chimneys, etc. are cracked, our homes will never be the same. Some damaged utilities must be repaired by homeowners and others are dangerous.
Blasting may release radon gas from the bedrock into the soil, and then into our homes through foundation cracks. Radon is not easily detected and can cause deadly lung cancer over time. DOT acknowledges this possibility in their 2012 Concept Design Study but fails to mention it in their tunnel project plan.
The original subbase of Rt. 33 is possibly made from radioactive slag. If so, radionuclides contained in slag may be liberated into our environment during roadway demolition even if mitigation measures are taken posing a threat to our health if inhaled or ingested. Children and fetuses are especially sensitive to radiation exposure.
250,000 sq. ft. of deteriorated concrete retaining walls contain asbestos, which may be released into the ambient air during removal. Asbestos enters our homes through the air and by contacting the soil. Over time, asbestos can cause deadly mesothelioma in some people if exposed through inhalation and/or ingestion.
After the tunnel is built, people living, working, and attending school near Dodge and Sydney Streets at each end of the tunnel will be exposed to much higher concentrations of numerous air pollutants. DOT’s estimated emissions data shows up to a 138 % increase in carbon monoxide and up to a 40% increase in PM 2.5 at these locations. PM 2.5 and smaller particulates present in vehicle exhaust gas pose a great health risk because they enter our bloodstream through our lungs potentially causing disease.
Air and noise pollution will greatly increase during the approximately 5 years of Rt 33 demolition and tunnel construction.
DOT has never measured the numerous contaminants in the air from Rt. 33 vehicle exhaust or conducted a health risk assessment to determine the cumulative effects of inhaling this polluted air for decades. DOT claims our air is safe to breathe, but we know people are sick and have died from diseases that can be caused by exposure to vehicle exhaust. Our community has some of the highest rates of asthma and low life expectancy in the U.S. We need honest data and analyses to determine the true environmental impact on our community from inhaling the numerous criteria and hazardous air pollutants emitted from tailpipes and formed from secondary chemical reactions in the ambient air.
The “intensive green roof” on the tunnel will require substantial maintenance at a very high cost. DOT has no intention of conducting routine maintenance and has not identified another group for this task. Although the DOT claims the trees will grow up to 50-60 feet high and will mimic Olmsted’s magnificent Humboldt Parkway, trees are unlikely to flourish in 3 feet of soil on top of a concrete structure without regular access to water. Below the soil, there is a 6-inch section that contains a concrete protective layer, drainage mat, rigid insulation, and waterproof membrane to protect the tunnel cover.
These materials have a limited lifespan under ideal conditions and will deteriorate when exposed to freeze/thaw conditions, salt runoff from pathways and road spray, load, biodeterioration, and other factors. To keep the tunnel safe for motorists, in approximately 20 years (the life of a roof), these materials and the tunnel cover, if damaged by tree roots or deteriorated by water infiltration, will need to be replaced. This will require the removal of the green roof and replanting of trees after this extraordinary maintenance is completed. Any leaks detected before this will also require partial removal of the park to carry out repairs. This is not sustainable!
Tunnel jet fans located at Sydney, Utica, and Dodge Streets will be used at times to evacuate toxic air and smoke from the tunnel pumping it into our community.
The entrance and exit ramps at Utica Street will be removed, disconnecting our community further and cutting us off from any possible economic growth.
The potentially irreparable damage to our homes during tunnel construction, the completed tunnel located 30 feet from our homes, ground-borne noise and vibration from the tunnel, increased accidents because of the tunnel’s effect on motorists, and other negative impacts will not improve our property values.
DOT has no intention of preparing a full Environmental Impact Statement to determine if its tunnel plan is truly safe for our community. They have refused to evaluate the full restoration of Humboldt Parkway from MLK Park to Delaware Park, a safe and sustainable option for our community.
The full restoration of Olmsted’s Humboldt Parkway is very feasible and would provide many acres of real parkland for our community to enjoy for many generations. Mature trees will consume carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, produce oxygen for us to breathe, reduce air pollution, and cool us as temperatures increase due to climate change.
Traffic studies show the volume of traffic on most Buffalo streets is well below capacity. Current Rt. 33 traffic will naturally reroute to the underutilized streets if Humboldt Parkway is restored. Buffalo radials and streets can be updated with synchronized signals, greatly reducing the current traffic volume and dispersing air pollutants. Transportation planning must prioritize improved bus and rail transit to further reduce vehicular traffic, associated greenhouse gases, and air pollution and provide safe and efficient travel options for our community.
Rt 33 and its bridges are in gross disrepair and require full reconstruction at great expense if retained. To maintain Rt. 33 is a costly and continuing expense. The proposed tunnel is an extraordinary waste of money and will cause great harm to our health, well-being, and homes. Our money must be spent wisely on the best solution for our community.
We deserve the full restoration of Humboldt Parkway from MLK Park to Delaware Park as it was before the DOT ripped it out of this neighborhood decades ago. This can be done quicker, with much less disruption, no harm to our health, and for a fraction of the cost of the tunnel. The remainder of the tunnel project transportation funds can be spent on updating and improving our streets, sidewalks, and public transportation.
We must demand that NYSDOT puts people first by restoring Humboldt Parkway fully, so we have clean air and a healthful environment as guaranteed to all New Yorkers by the NYS Constitution.