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Charles Garland, an Onondaga County Legislator, believes that the planned Community Grid roundabout near Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School will increase the harm the Interstate 81 viaduct removal project is looking to reduce.

“The M.L.K. Roundabout (will increase) traffic patterns and (guarantee) diminished air quality (and would) invade the African American community,” wrote Garland, who represents the 16th legislative district, in an email to The Daily Orange.

Garland – a member of the group “Renew 81 For All” working with the towns of Salina, Tully, and DeWitt – filed a lawsuit against the New York State Department of Transportation and three of its officials. Led by former Syracuse Police Chief Frank Fowler, Renew 81 For All, aims to halt the community grid plan to deconstruct sections of I-81.

Alan Knauf, Renew 81 For All’s attorney, wrote to The D.O. that the group will be returning to court on Nov. 10 for oral arguments on the petition. Knauf said postponement is a possibility as of Saturday.

In addition to his spot in the County Legislature, Garland owns a funeral home, the Garland Brothers Funeral Home, which syracuse.com wrote is right near the overpass.

The NYSDOT’s plan for the Southside roundabout reflects the plan’s “environmental racism,” Garland said.

“While the Viaduct removal has been marketed as being designed to address the
damage done to minority residents (primarily Black and Hispanic) when I-81 was initially
constructed in Syracuse, the replacement of the existing Viaduct with a grade-level tree-lined
boulevard enhanced with pedestrian and bike lanes, would not ‘reconnect’ Black or Hispanic
neighborhoods in any way,” the lawsuit reads.

The lawsuit estimated that construction, which could begin as soon as 2026, will divert approximately 40,000 vehicles to the city’s Southside. The group claims the NYSDOT did not consider increased driving times and distances the construction may cause, as well as that new traffic patterns will cause a degradation of air quality.

“Environmental review of the project under state law was woefully insufficient,” Knauf said. “Additionally, the NYSDOT in their approach grossly understated existing and future traffic volumes, thereby distorting their vision of the project’s impacts.”

He said the group wants to hold NYSDOT accountable because it failed to “realistically examine and consider available alternatives.”

The Federal Highway Administration declined to comment through a spokesperson. The NYSDOT did not return The D.O.’s request for comment.

The current $2.25 billion plan for the viaduct removal and Community Grid replacement projects will affect streets in Syracuse, DeWitt, Salina and Cicero, as well as the north and southbound interchanges between I-81 and I-481, according to the court documents. The lawsuit alleges the plan will require I-481 to expand in the towns east of Syracuse.

The lawsuit claims the project could also pose an economic challenge to the towns and villages within a few minutes away from Syracuse. GAR Associates report included in the lawsuit predicts a 5-15% loss of revenue for industries like restaurants and lodging in Salina.

The defense counsel has yet to submit their written response, Knauf wrote.

“We are all in this together,” Garland said. “It doesn’t matter what race you are or where you live. This is a question of morality and justice.”

Published on October 31, 2022 at 1:51 am

Contact Benjamin: beschill@syr.edu