There is no public consensus on the state’s plan to put a cap on a section of the Kensington Expressway in the City of Buffalo, according to data analysts who researched public comments on the topic.
Researchers for the East Side Parkways Coalition found that 48% of the 1,310 comments opposed the project, while 47% were in favor of the state’s plan. 5% were neutral.
Not only do these numbers suggest the opposite of what the D.O.T. calls overwhelming support but the number of comments don’t match said Citizen Researcher Morgan Baker.
“Interestingly enough, our numbers and the D.O.T.’s numbers don't match,” she said. “So, in a presentation to their stakeholders, they stated that there were 1,400 public comments with 41% opposed, 48 in favor. And so, proportionally, the New York State D.O.T. appears to have underrepresented comments opposed over represented neutral comments and over represented comments in favor of the project.”
Baker said the D.O.T.’s neutral comments are more than double theirs, proportionally, and her group is unable to account for the differences since the D.O.T. hasn’t made their final tally or their methodology public.
What Baker and her team has found within the comments is that community organizations want to see more studies done before a decision is made on the future of the Kensington Expressway and Humboldt Parkway.
“The comment demands include,” she said. “But are not limited to by any means; the completion of an environmental impact statement completion of a cultural landscape report that would describe historic properties in the area, more community outreach and education because a lot of folks don't know what's going on strict compliance with local, state and federal law.”
Construction of the project is slated to begin later this year.
