Humboldt Parkway: Preservation League of NYS event Thursday 8-21-25
Preservation Buffalo Niagara (PBN) and East Side Parkways Coalition (ESP) will host the Preservation League of NYS on Thursday, August 21 to share information about the recent designation of Buffalo’s historic Humboldt Parkway as one of the League’s 2025-2026 Seven to Save. The statewide Seven to Save program highlights the most at-risk historic places across New York. Thursday’s event is called HEALTH over HIGHWAYS! It is co-sponsored by Citizens for Regional Transit (CRT), We Are Women Warriors (WAWW), and the WNY Youth Climate Council (WNYYCC).
“The Department of Transportation (DOT) has a chance to make up for some of the past harm done by the construction of Kensington Expressway during the heyday of Urban Renewal,” said Caitlin Meives, Director of Preservation for the Preservation League of NYS. “But it is vital that residents and stakeholders are part of the process in restoring Humboldt Parkway. The League is honored to support the local advocates who are fighting for a sensitive redevelopment plan that both respects the history of the Olmsted-designed Parkway and the people who live, work, and play in the adjacent neighborhoods today.”
“We are grateful to the Preservation League of NYS for their decision to make Humboldt Parkway part of the Seven to Save because this is the additional support the community needs to keep momentum going,” said Bernice Radle, Executive Director of Preservation Buffalo Niagara. “Preservation Buffalo Niagara continues to be committed to a one parkway system that unites the community and honors our historic legacy.”
East Side Parkways Coalition began discussing the possibility of full restoration of Humboldt Parkway in the Summer of 2023, after NYS DOT removed filtration from a proposed tunnel project that would have cemented in-place that the Route 33 expressway would remain, and the complete, restored Humboldt Parkway could never be fully restored.
HEALTH over HIGHWAYS! will also feature testimonials from residents who have suffered adverse respiratory-related health effects while living near the expressway. ESP meetings are open to the public, and right from the start, terrible stories of family sicknesses flowed in with chilling regularity from residents who lived near the expressway. It was clear that many suffering individuals and families had not been heard during NYS DOT’s short-cut Environmental Assessment (EA) process.
In response, in the Spring of 2024, ESP filed an Article 78 lawsuit to compel the legally required Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process rather than the EA process NYS DOT had used to facilitate a faster timeline for the proposed tunnel.
This Action was joined with similar Article 78 lawsuits filed by WNYYCC and the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU). In February 2025, the Judge ruled in favor of ESP + WNYYCC + NYCLU, so upcoming the EIS process now provides a tremendous opportunity for the East Side to fully restore Humboldt Parkway!
East Side Parkways Coalition seeks UNITY with ALL GROUPS in developing the best solution for the East Side within the EIS process. All concerned groups should want the same thing: to Prioritize the Health of the Community instead of just facilitating car traffic. This primary Project Objective needs to be changed in DOT’s upcoming Environmental Impact Statement Scoping Phase. To best achieve this, ESP demands the full restoration of Humboldt Parkway, with the original Bidwell Parkway-like parkland restored all the way from Delaware Park to MLK Park!
Buffalo has the first-ever City-wide Park and Parkway System in the history of the United States by the most famous landscape architect of all time, Frederick Law Olmsted. Let’s fully restore this world-class urban landscape treasure with this billion dollars in the TIP right now!!
https://www.eastsideparkwayscoalition.com
Facebook: East Side Parkways Coalition Instagram: @espcoalition
About Preservation Buffalo Niagara
Preservation Buffalo Niagara (PBN) is the region’s only full-service, professionally staffed preservation organization, dedicated to empowering Western New York communities to embrace historic preservation as a powerful tool for creating a more vibrant, affordable, and sustainable future. As guardians of the region’s unparalleled architectural legacy, PBN protects and promotes the buildings and residences that shape Western New York’s unique sense of place — recognizing these structures as more than just physical assets, but as essential to the cultural, intellectual, and emotional fabric of daily life. Grounded in a vision of Western New York as a region that values and invests in its historic places, PBN provides the leadership, advocacy, and pragmatic collaboration necessary to inspire not only the preservation of the past but the creation of a brighter, more resilient future. Connect with us: PBN Website, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube
About the Preservation League of New York State
Since its founding in 1974, the Preservation League of NYS has built a reputation for action and effectiveness. Our goal has been to preserve our historic buildings, districts, and landscapes and to build a better New York, one community at a time. The League empowers all New Yorkers to use historic preservation to enrich their communities, protect their heritage, and build a sustainable future. We lead advocacy, economic development, and education programs across the state. Connect with us at preservenys.org, facebook.com/preservenys, youtube.com/c/PreservationLeague and instagram.com/preservenys