» Save 81 Blog

         The Trucking Association of New York has joined Save 81! Click here to read more.

        Gov. Cuomo orders the study of a tunnel in DEIS process. Click here to read more.

Independent I-81 project study shows ‘many negatives’ of community grid. Click here to read more.
Putting Syracuse to Work During the I-81 Project: Click here to read more.

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Visualization of Alternative Design

Here’s a look at what effective high-speed transit looks like with a community grid at street level. As the “grid only option” proposed by the State DOT is NOT a done deal, let’s keep the ideas flowing and the conversation going.

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Join us on Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2019 in Salina!

Dear Save 81 Supporter,   The DOT will host a neighborhood meeting in Salina on September 11, 2019 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Chestnut Hill Middle School (200 Saslon Park Dr., Liverpool, NY 13088). Whether you live in Salina, Skaneateles or the Southside of Syracuse, the future of I-81 matters to all Central New Yorkers. […]

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Carrier Dome traffic can only get worse with I-81 community grid (Your letters)

To the Editor: Regarding “Will Carrier Dome traffic get worse with new I-81? Think sieve not funnel, state says” (May 3, 2019): I find it disingenuous that Interstate 81 project director Mark Frechette and the New York State Department of Transportation are purporting the new community grid will be better for Carrier Dome large event traffic. […]

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I-81 Open House on June 18!

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I-81 opinions: Needs of suburban majority outweigh grid proponents (Your letters)

To the Editor: Interstate 81 serves as a vital backbone for the economy of Onondaga County, and for decades it has been an economic driver for the many towns and businesses that have grown around it. Recently, representatives of 11 hotels located along Interstate 81 sent a letter to Gov. Andrew Cuomo expressing our concerns about what […]

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I-81 opinions: First responders need high-speed access to downtown Syracuse (Your letters)

To the Editor: For decades, Interstate 81 has played an essential role in the safety of residents across the city of Syracuse and Onondaga County. Recently, the Lysander Public Safety Coalition, comprised of nine first responder agencies serving the northwestern region of the county, unanimously passed a resolution in support of a hybrid solution to […]

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Development potential of I-81 community grid is ‘wishful thinking’ (Your letters)

To the Editor: Once again, this newspaper and groups of developers and architects are lauding the development potential and subsequent tax income by releasing valuable land beneath the viaduct with the community grid option to replace Interstate 81 (“Developers: Growth of Syracuse, region depends on community grid,” Nov. 14, 2018, “Landscape architects group: We support […]

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I81 Opinions: Many questions remain about how grid, I-481 will handle traffic (Your Letters)

To the Editor: I am responding to the editorial board’s position that the Community Grid is the best option for the Interstate 81 viaduct replacement project. Let’s look at some details. * Thousands of people travel I-81 every day. The grid assumes that many vehicles will be offloaded onto Interstate 481. It is packed every […]

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I81 Opinions: We had community grid in 1950s, and it was slow (Your letters)

To the Editor: I was glad to read Joseph Todisco’s commentary, “Maintaining I-81 is the true investment in downtown Syracuse’s future” (Jan. 9, 2019), advocating the maintaining and improving of Interstate 81 on it’s present path through Syracuse. I’m old enough to remember Syracuse in the early 1950s, before I-81 ran through our city. We had what […]

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Save 81 Statement On Release Of Latest DEIS

Recently, the residents of Central New York were given access to the New York State Department of Transportation’s (DOT) latest Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Interstate 81 project. As we have stated throughout, it is critical that the public have ongoing access to, and be fully able to understand, the impacts of each […]

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2019 is off to a great start for Save 81!

In February, Representative John Katko is holding a series of town halls throughout Onondaga County to encourage a community discussion about the replacement of Interstate 81. The first town hall was held in the City of Auburn, and Save 81 supporters came out to show how this decision impacts not only the City of Syracuse, but every town and […]

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Central New York stands up for I-81

As 2018 wrapped up, we continued to see so much support for maintaining high-speed access via Interstate 81 from the Central New York community. And we’re still seeing more people stepping up to make their voices heard as we near the release of a draft environmental impact statement about this project, the next key step in […]

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With I-81 decision nearing, the time to speak up is now

With Gov. Cuomo saying in November that the next step in the Interstate 81 decision-making process is coming in January, it has never been more important to make your voice heard about the need to maintain this important route. And that’s exactly what we’re hearing from our community. Ed McGuire of Syracuse recently wrote in […]

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Three cases for maintaining I-81

Why not Central New York? New Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon is asking just that as the debate over how to address Interstate 81 continues and the federal government’s role in the process remains as important as ever. “The (federal) money’s going to get spent on federal infrastructure somewhere. Why not have it done here?” County […]

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Save 81 members spread the word about community grid pitfalls

What’s the cost of replacing Interstate 81 with city streets? A more expensive gallon of gas, according to Steve Erwin, the Central Region vice chair of the Trucking Association of New York. Erwin, who foresees longer or more dangerous trips for trucks if I-81 in Syracuse is demolished, predicted during a radio interview Monday that […]

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Save 81 gains momentum in August

August is prime time for summer vacations, but even if you’ve been away, it has been hard to miss all that is going on with conversation about how to rebuild Interstate 81 in Syracuse. Simply put, we’re seeing momentum for rebuilding this important highway so it continues to serve all of Central New York and beyond: Gloria […]

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Mahoney: ‘I like (an I-81 tunnel) … because it satisfies everybody’

Onondaga County Executive Joanie Mahoney told reporters on Wednesday that she is supportive of a hybrid tunnel option for rebuilding Interstate 81 in Syracuse. “I like it in theory because it satisfies everybody,” she said, according to Syracuse.com. “You get the community grid and you get the high speed access.” Numerous polls and surveys in […]

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Trucking Association of New York joins Save 81

Save 81 today announced the Trucking Association of New York (TANY) is joining the vast coalition of concerned citizens, elected officials and business leaders from Syracuse and Central New York who are committed to preserving a high-speed option to and through the city. Approximately 90 percent of New York communities depend on trucks to deliver […]

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Interstate 81 debate heats up in July

There was plenty of discussion about the future of Interstate 81 happening throughout July, but we all know the debate exploded when the Post-Standard published its lengthy editorial supporting a community grid replacement for this important highway. But any disappointment Save 81 felt over the newspaper taking this position was overshadowed by an overwhelming outpouring of community support for maintaining […]

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DeFrancisco: High-speed route must remain in Syracuse

State Sen. John DeFrancisco has penned a letter to the editor on Syracuse.com that makes the case for maintaining a high-speed route through Syracuse as the state considers the best way to rebuild Interstate 81. He writes: The point I’ve made repeatedly over the years since I-81 has been discussed is that we need to […]

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