(Syracuse, NY \u2013 Aug. 2013)\u00a0 Just days after the Aug. 1 launch of Save81.org, more than 1,000 residents from throughout Central New York have signed the group\u2019s online petition in support of preserving Interstate 81\u2019s designation as an Interstate Highway through the City.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are overwhelmed by the grassroots support of Save81.org that has poured in online from throughout the region,\u201d said Salina Town Supervisor Mark Nicotra, a member of Save81.org. \u201cThe fact that more than 1,000 area residents have already signed our petition is evidence of the widespread concern about the potential negative effects of a boulevard on the area\u2019s economy, traffic, public safety, and overall quality of life.\u201d<\/p>\n
Save81.org is a diverse coalition of concerned residents, elected officials, employers, union members, and community groups that have come together as officials in Albany determine how to deal with the aging portions of I-81 in the area. Save81.org opposes a plan being considered to replace I-81 in Downtown Syracuse with a boulevard that would divert Interstate traffic away from the City and \u201cleave\u00a0traffic congestion and air pollution in its place.\u201d<\/p>\n
Save81.org believes that any plan to rehabilitate the aging portions of I-81 must preserve the highway\u2019s Interstate designation through the City; particularly the stretch of I-81 that runs through and connects the community with Downtown Syracuse.<\/p>\n
Save81.org believes there are multiple solutions that could accomplish this goal, including a tunnel, depressed roadway, a new bridge or an idea that has yet to be proposed.<\/p>\n