City eyes changes to I-787
$400,000 federal grant slated to improve access to the Hudson River waterfront
ALBANY — Albany is set to receive nearly $400,000 in federal infrastructure funding as the state eyes a major transformation of Interstate 787 to improve access to the Hudson River waterfront — long choked off from widespread pedestrian access because of the highway.
The grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation comes through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, touted as a landmark federal investment in public infrastructure across the country. New York is set to receive $36 billion in federal funding from the bill for transportation purposes.
The transportation grant will aid Albany in removing dated transportation infrastructure such as highways and interchanges, according to recipient Clean+healthy New York, which works in environmental health advocacy in New York. It has teamed up with the Albany Riverfront Collaborative, a community group that has also advocated for a complete transformation of downtown Albany and the riverfront by scrapping I-787’s elevated highway and ramps.
Advocates will collaborate in reconnecting Albany’s neighborhoods to the river — something they say is long overdue.
The grant dovetails with ongoing efforts by New York’s Department of Transportation, which launched a $5 million environmental study of I-787 last year. The state is looking at modifying the highway or scrapping it entirely, a move many local officials have championed as good for economic development and for downtown revitalization.
Albany’s efforts also mirror a trend emerging in other industrialized urban areas across the country, many of which are beginning to rethink the reliance on roads that, when built in the mid-1900s, often razed vibrant communities and neighborhoods to establish carfriendly road networks.
The push for more public transportation
and walkable communities has gained momentum. And local officials have been vocal about their desire to see Albany’s blighted riverfront reconnected to the heart of the city.
“Our single greatest natural resource here is the mighty Hudson River,” said Assemblywoman Patricia Fahy, an Albany Democrat. “Albany is not unusual from so many cities across the country — it was the worst of the 1960s; the car was king and unfortunately, it still is.”
The state Department of Transportation will host a public forum May 1 to present draft concepts of the agency’s I-787 vision. The open house event, which will run from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Albany Capital Center, will allow residents to discuss the project with state officials.
Interstate 787, which extends north through Watervliet, Colonie and Menands, was constructed in the 1960s and runs parallel to the Hudson
River. A $5 million study launched last year by the state Department of Transportation promises to “identify potential future transportation strategies that support and balance economic development and revitalization efforts, including enhanced walking, biking, and public transportation access to the waterfront,” according to a website dedicated to the project.
“Infrastructure should connect our communities, not divide them. This $390,000 federal investment will help groups like the Albany Riverfront Collaborative to study and plan how best to reimagine Albany and reconnect communities divided by I-787,” U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer said in a statement. “This funding allows the opportunity to right historical wrongs and give residents the opportunity to make their voices heard on how to better connect downtown Albany and the waterfront.”
The federal grant is expected to fund efforts including preparation of informational materials, an extensive design process outlining the needs and wants of communities impacted by I-787, and multiple community events to gather input for presentation to the state Department of Transportation.
“Throughout my time in Congress, I’ve been a leading proponent of initiatives that better connect our region to its waterfront,” said U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko, D-amsterdam, whose district includes the city of Albany. “Now, I’m grateful to Clean+healthy and its partners for their commitment to reimagining I-787 while prioritizing the voices of communities that have been disproportionately impacted by environmental injustice.”
In Syracuse, millions of dollars from the federal infrastructure bill have been dedicated to demolishing the I-81 viaduct and replace it with a community grid network. State officials, including Gov. Kathy Hochul, have touted the project as a way to improve the viability of downtown areas and boost economic opportunity in New York’s upstate cities. That project has promised a focus on walkable communities, with bike paths and enhanced public spaces to attract residents and businesses.