SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) — With the I-81 reconstruction project set to have unpredictable effects on residents surrounding the viaduct in the historic 15th Ward, the City of Syracuse is making an effort to connect with these neighborhoods.
“One lady who’s been walking this corridor her whole life told me she’s been wishing they would give this underpass a fresh coat of paint,” Joe Driscoll, I-81 project director, said. “Under the bridge and painting is not my typical office, but we are loving it.”
The event is a three-way partnership with the project leaders, New York State Department of Transportation and local Assemblywoman Pamela Hunter (D-128). One mural read “Weaving Community Together.”
One of the organizations highlighting the decoration on their social media was Blueprint 15, a community revitalization network focused on supporting the residents of southwest Syracuse. Marquita Hetherington, programming coordinator for Blueprint 15, emphasized how events like these are the first step in getting the neighborhoods back to the prosperity they had before the viaduct was built.
“Just making them aware of everything that’s available to them. I feel like they are close knit, we are trying to get them to expand their horizons,” Hetherington said. “Everyone is fully aware of what’s going to happen.”
The event saw kids, teens and adults working together in road, sidewalk and mural painting. This second edition of the traffic calming event was held from 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., with the next one in the works with location pending.
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT: Traffic calming event
Lucas Welch: It’s a real creative community effort here west of campus. As you can see to my right, we have road painting. To my left we have mural painting. There are adults, teens, kids. It’s a real family affair. Now, this event is being hosted by the New York Department, state, state, Department of Transportation and the city’s I-81 viaduct project, as well as local State Representative Pamela Hunter. I want to highlight this one mural behind me saying weaving together community. That is what this event is really all about, as you can see, because this is the connection between that deconstruction of I-81 and the local residents up here that it’s affecting. I spoke with one local leader of an organization who says that this event is one of her favorites of the year.
Marquita Hetherington: Yeah, just making them aware of, like, everything that’s available to them and I feel like they are close knit, like they just know what’s going on in their immediate area and not in the next block over where we are trying to get them to expand their you know, horizon just a little bit and not just be secluded in. Oh, well, no one cares about us and no one knows, you know, what we’re going through. It’s like I was fully aware of what’s going to happen here.
Welch: Now I want to bring in I-81 project Director Joe Driscoll. This isn’t your. It’s your usual uniform, but it’s not your usual setting.
Joe Driscoll: Yeah, correct. This is, you know, under the bridge. And painting is not my typical day at the office, but, we’re we’re loving it. It’s been going great so far.
Welch: Obviously, this is such an important event to connect the project with the community. What is the feedback you’ve been getting from people who are helping out?
Driscoll: It’s great. You know, one woman who has grown up here in Central Village said, you know, she’s been walking this corridor since she was a little kid and always wish someone would give it a fresh coat of paint so she said she’s always dreamed of seeing this corridor brightened up and beautiful. And so, she’s very happy to see it. And so we’re hoping everybody feels the same. A real community effort, a real feeling of togetherness.
Welch: I just want to thank you so much for now. Thank you. Of course, for now, we’re live in Syracuse.