BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced an upcoming Phase Two study on potential future enhancements along the Kensington Expressway corridor and options for a reimagined Scajaquada Expressway.
Hochul said the NYSDOT will begin work on the study later this year, assessing the traffic and environmental impacts that any potential changes could have. It is expected to be completed by the end of 2027.
The study will also include an analysis of work by the Greater Buffalo-Niagara Regional Transportation Council for the Scajaquada corridor.
“From the beginning, the Kensington Expressway project has been about righting the wrongs of the past, and after decades of talk and indecision, we are finally delivering the results this community deserves. By commencing a study for a second phase, we are committed to exploring new ways to reconnect the community along the Kensington and advancing a greater vision that includes the linked Scajaquada Expressway corridor, enhancing it for residents, visitors and motorists.”
According to the governor's office, the GBNRTC’s report was funded by the NYSDOT and was the result of a collaborative planning process that began in 2019. The report evaluated several scenarios and its preferred option calls for the reconfiguration of the Scajaquada into "a two-lane, at-grade roadway that removes all existing ramps to and from the expressway, creating a new parkway extending from Niagara Street to East Delavan Avenue."
Kensington Expressway Project moving into final design stages; construction expected in fall
The governor was in Buffalo in February to announce that the Federal Highway Administration issued a “Finding of No Significant Impact,” that signaled the end of the formal environmental assessment process that began in June 2022. This allows the NYSDOT to move into the final design stages with construction expected to begin by fall 2024.
Since the project was announced, community members and community groups have voiced their opposition.
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- East Side Parkways Coalition puts pressure on NYSDOT’s billion-dollar Kensington Expressway project
- 'The community's voice will be heard': Neighbors push for Kensington Expressway Project alternatives
- Residents meet with NYSDOT to get answers on Kensington Expressway project
Shortly after the governor's appearance, Terrence Robinson and Marcia Ladiana appeared in State Supreme Court in Buffalo regarding a lawsuit they filed against the New York State Department of Transportation. The couple lives along Humboldt Parkway and wants to block the $1 billion project that would cover a portion of the expressway with a six-lane tunnel. They are crying foul saying the NYSDOT has failed to conduct a proper environmental impact study and wants the state to follow the law.
WATCH: ‘All we want New York State to do is to follow the law’: Opposition to Kensington Expressway Project
The issue was due back in court earlier this month.
Options for a reimagined Scajaquada Expressway
The state said it is preparing for a Phase Two study, which includes options for a reimagined Scajaquada Expressway.
The 3.3-mile-long corridor, also known as Route 198, connects the I-190 and the 33 and runs right through Delaware Park.
The transformation of the Scajaquada Expressway has been in talks for decades. That effort was amplified following the death of 3-year-old Maksym Sugorovsky, in 2015.
The young boy was walking with his family in Delaware Park when a man traveling along the expressway fell asleep at the wheel and drove off the road crashing into the family.
WATCH: Settlement reached in deadly 198 crash which killed 3 year-old boy
Several safety changes were made to the corridor following the accident, including the installation of guard rails and stop signs at every entrance and exit and the speed limit was lowered from 50 mph to 30 mph.
7 News' Pheben Kassahun took some extra time to examine what Phase Two will mean for the highly traveled Route 198, as neighbors share what changes they hope to see.
Hoyt Lake sits adjacent to Route 198. It is a popular spot frequented by many Western New Yorkers and visitors, especially on bright and sunny days like Thursday.
Sarah Averill comes to the area a few times a week to spend time at the Albright-Knox Museum or Hoyt Lake.
She remembers vividly, when she was a kid her mom would pick her up from school downtown or in this area and would have to use the 198.
Averill told Kassahun, "It was terrifying because the traffic was really dense and going very, very fast. I just remember my mother trying to get up to speed and I would just be terrified of the backseat when we were merging onto that expressway when it was at that high speed."
She said she finds it much safer at the current 30 mph, but more importantly, Averill said she would like to see this parkway restored to an area everyone can enjoy.
Averill added, "Designed for speeds at 30 or 35, that encompasses pedestrian and bike design and that would allow this side of the park and the other side to be merged as one."
Buffalo resident Tony Furnivall said a light rail should be put in place and believes it should stretch to the airport.
"The 33 has three lanes of traffic in both directions. I would love for the Department of Transportation to finally do some creative thinking and say, 'If we take two of those lanes out, we could put a light rail track all the way out to the airport and Downtown," Furnivall said.
Furnivall said he moved to Buffalo in 1977 and remembers when the speed limit was 50 mph.
"You put it down to 30 and no one is going to do it, and putting a flashing sign up at the west end, just before you get to the 190 saying your speed 32 miles an hour, is not helpful," Furnivall said.
Tonawanda resident Gregory Lee also frequented the expressway, especially as a student at Buffalo State University.
"My understanding of it is, historically, that it was kind of created and did not help the African American community. This action, I feel, is a step in the right direction. I'm curious what the desolation of that expressway looks like for the betterment of the community and for Buffalo as a whole," said Lee.
He hopes this proposal is a sign of progress. He also wants people to pay attention to traffic patterns
"I know that the reason the action was made to limit it to 30 was because of an incident and I don't want to minimize the loss of life. However, I find that I wish it would speed up to about 40, where it kind of was before or at least revisit the conversation," said Lee.
Kassahun did reach out to local organizations that support the Scajaquada Corridor Coalition but none were able to get back to me for a comment Thursday night.
