BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Buffalo residents gathered Thursday night at East Community High School for the 7th Queen City Forward listening session, sharing their ideas for reimagining the Kensington Expressway, also known as "the 33."
The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) is collecting community input as it moves forward with an Environmental Impact Statement.
The sessions are open to residents who live near the 33, as well as those who commute through it.
WATCH: Future of Route 33 discussed at 7th listening session
Ryan Whalen, public information officer for NYSDOT Region 5, said the agency is working toward a key milestone before the formal study begins.
"We're aiming toward the end of the year to file a notice of intent, which is the beginning of the EIS," Whalen said. "Once that starts, you're on a two-year clock, and it has to be done within that two years. So we have to make sure that we have everything ready for that."
Several residents I spoke with called for the complete removal of the 33 and a full restoration of Frederick Law Olmsted's original 1930s park design.
Liz Barresi said the highway's construction came at a high cost to the city.
"Buffalo was the only city at the time in the world with a fully functional park system, and unfortunately, it was torn out for The 33," Barresi said.
Ryan Mathers, a Buffalo resident who works with the organization Strong Towns, which focuses on improving transit and infrastructure, echoed that sentiment, saying nearby residents should be the top priority.
"Health and safety issues about the parkway, and I understand concerns about commuters and traffic and whatnot, but I think those concerns of the nearby residents need to be prioritized over anything else," Mathers said.
Edward Kwarteng, who works with the East Side Parkways Coalition and has lived near the Kensington Expressway for the last three years, said he has felt the effects of pollution firsthand. He also supports a complete restoration of the 33, but wants a solution that doesn't leave any group behind.
"We're talking about rerouting traffic and where the cars going to go, but let's just put people first and then figure out how can we get people downtown," Kwarteng said. "I want like a solution that's like holistic and we don't just neglect a certain group and prioritize one over the other."
Not everyone at the session favored removal. Allen Carrier, a lifelong Buffalo resident who lives near the expressway, said he wants to keep the 33 and hopes the area can become a source of jobs and opportunity.
"To give people some work in that area that's going to be using it all the time, so we start from the inside where it's at," Carrier said. "We start putting advertisements out that there's work available or apprenticeship programs available for those who don't have the experience."
The 8th listening session will be held on May 30 from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at PS 37 Futures Academy, located at 296 Carlton Street. Residents can also join the mailing list and view session materials on https://queencityforward.dot.ny.gov/.
