Courts Force Change In Buffalo's Kensington Expressway Project

The New York State Department of Transportation's efforts to spend more than $1 billion in public funds to redevelop the Kensington Expressway in Buffalo has taken a major hit as the New York State Supreme Court has ruled on one of the many lawsuits that neighborhood residents had filed to stop the project.

In a court ruling that was made by NYS Supreme Court Justice Emilio Colaiacovo, the project is now officially on hold as state officials did not follow the same rules that they would require any other business to follow when developing a project. In Justice Colaiacovo's ruling, he goes on to say how much of a mystery it is that the state didn't follow its own rules and that its failure to do so is "arbitrary and capricious."

This ruling effectively pauses the project until officials from the New York State Department of Transportation complete an Environmental Impact Statement that complies with the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act.

Reaction to the Ruling

This ruling has received mixed opinions from different people in the Buffalo region, as residents rejoice in the victory for the community as this project must be done to help reduce the negative health impacts, while some state politicians have stated that the funds set aside for the project may disappear if now used in Buffalo soon.

Ed Nice Jackson / Townsquare Media

This project, which was initially met with some fanfare, has been under growing scrutiny as more details have come out about the project. You can read more about what was initially intended here.