New York state has made the right decision in choosing the community grid as the preferred option for replacing the Interstate 81 viaduct through downtown Syracuse.

Of all the proposals rigorously studied by the New York State Department of Transportation – a new viaduct, a tunnel or an improved network of city streets called the community grid – the grid is the most sensible choice for the future of the city and the region.

Across the country and around the world, elevated highways are coming down, not going up. Repeating the error of plunging I-81 through downtown Syracuse would be a step backward. Removing it in favor of a community grid opens up the potential for development, property tax revenue and robust connections between downtown and University Hill. The project also should intentionally try to improve living conditions in the neighborhoods surrounding the highway, where poverty is concentrated and entrenched in no small part because of the decision to build it there.

A proposal to build a high-speed tunnel to replace I-81 would cost more than twice as much as the other alternatives -- $4.9 billion – and would be challenging to build and maintain. A “hybrid” plan that would have put a community grid on top of a tunnel was window dressing.

In July 2018, this editorial board endorsed the community grid. By sticking our necks out, months ahead of the state’s decision, we succeeded in stimulating a robust public discussion of the pros and cons of the three options on the table. We also prodded other community institutions to stake out a position on the future of I-81. A few did right away. Others took a bit longer.

The biggest dominoes fell in the past few days, as the release of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement looked imminent. Syracuse University, Upstate Medical University and SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry all endorsed the community grid. They have the most to lose if ambulances, patients, sports fans, students and employees can’t get to them. Each institution considered the impact that removing the elevated highway would have on their constituencies. Each concluded that a community grid will serve their needs, with collateral benefits for the city and its residents.

NYSDOT’s preference for a community grid is far from the last word on the matter. The Draft Environmental Impact Statement on the I-81 project is a voluminous document, which will provoke still more discussion and debate. There will be public meetings and a public comment period before the agency issues a Final Environmental Impact Statement. Federal highway and environmental authorities also must approve. We urge you to dig into the report and participate in the public sessions.

We anticipate that the proponents of a tunnel won’t take no for an answer, despite the state’s having bent over backward to study the tunnel options. Many of the concerns of suburban residents and businesses can be mitigated. Their energy would be best spent advocating for those solutions. For leadership, they can look to Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon. He preferred the tunnel but, seeing the handwriting on the wall, McMahon has been preparing for a decision favoring the grid. The county executive is right; litigation and delay will only slow down our momentum.

After 10 years, the release of the DEIS means the community is one step closer to remaking I-81. Let’s get on with it.