For two generations, the Kensington Expressway has cut through Buffalo's East Side along the route of Frederick Law Olmsted's old Humboldt Parkway. Now, there's an increasing push back against Route 33, even a movement to roof it over for much of its path.
The push is led by the Restore Our Community Coalition and the group turned out a good crowd Tuesday night in the Merriweather Library. The initial goal is a roof over the Kensington from Best Street to Ferry Street, providing nearly 15 acres of park land. Many at the meeting spoke of what was there before the expressway was dug and built.
Ulysses Turnage, Jr. sees no reason to cover the road or get rid of it.
"Everything that it seems that is happening is within that space that you want to cover. It makes no sense to cover it," Turnage said.
"You can just grow trees....You want to grow an island. I'm talking about trees up and down the street. Humboldt has no shade. Grow trees. Real trees."
Restore Our Community Coalition member and secretary of the Black Chamber of Commerce Sydney Brown said it's a start toward re-connecting Martin Luther King, Jr. Park and Delaware Park.
"It's a large portion because it would be 14 and a half acres of the park and that's a very significant and historic part because that portion in front of the Buffalo Science Museum is the only original part of Humboldt that has not been destroyed or altered," said Brown.
"So, it would start from there and begin to reconnect MLK with Delaware. So it would be a start."
ROCC is looking for grants to do some heavyweight studies over its proposals, beginning with $6 million worth of studies. Eventually far more money would be needed to restore Olmsted's parkway connecting what is now Martin Luther King Park with Delaware Park.
