Posted here by Sen. John DeFrancisco on Monday, September 29, 2014. The survey is now closed.
“As I’m sure you are aware, the elevated portion of Interstate 81, which runs north-south through downtown Syracuse, is nearing the end of its useful life. State and federal officials are now determining a solution for fixing this important thoroughfare. It’s a decision that will impact Central New Yorkers for many decades.
With this in mind, I mailed a survey to all of my constituents of the 50th Senate District to gather their input on the future of I-81. Then in early October, I mailed a letter to members of the business community to also request their participation in this survey, as I-81 will, no doubt, impact their business and the overall economy for years to come.
The survey is now closed, and to date, 168 members of the Central New York business community completed the I-81 survey below. The results are as follows:
47% want to construct a new I-81 viaduct or repair the existing one
21% want to remove the existing viaduct and construct a street-level boulevard only through Syracuse
2% want to remove the existing viaduct and construct a tunnel only through Syracuse
30% want to remove the existing viaduct and replace it with a street-level boulevard for downtown access, with a tunnel under the boulevard for interstate north-south traffic through Syracuse
Furthermore, 77% of the survey respondents, to date, think it is important to maintain a north-south throroughfare, at interstate speed, through the City of Syracuse. Just 23% do not think a thoroughfare is important.
The percentages shown in the above results are almost identical to the results of the survey that was sent to the residents of my Senate District.
Thank you, again, for having completed this short survey to share your vision for I-81 and to help shape our community’s future. Your responses will be kept confidential.”