Albany is a River City
BY SAM FEIN
Albany has lived many lives over its 400 years. Dutch trading post, British colony chartered by a distant king, capital of New York, center of politics for one of the largest states in America. Throughout its long history one thing has stayed the same about Albany: Geography. Situated on the west bank of the Hudson River ten miles south of the Mohawk river, Albany is a river city. Schooners, frigates, barges, and ferries have plied the river for centuries, moving goods and people north, west or south. Where beaver pelts were once loaded for export to Europe, wind turbines are built today that will sustainably power New York in the centuries to come.
The steamer Albany departs for New York City; at the height of steam travel in 1884, more than 1.5 million passengers took the trip.
The river connects us to our history and our future. But are we connected to the river? When I-787 was built, the elevated highway running along the banks of the river separated Albany from its waterfront, denying it the possibilities of recreation, commerce, housing, and parks. In a trend that had spread across the nation in the ‘50s and ‘60s, the convenience of commuters from the rapidly expanding suburbs was placed above the quality of life of urban residents, and the resulting highway became a loud, looming symbol of the state’s indifference to the aspirations of its poorer residents.
The South Mall Arterial allowed for easy access to the parking garages beneath Empire Plaza but cut off the South End from the rest of the city.
Today, the highway remains a symbol of the government’s failure to consider the good of Albany, but also a challenge to the growing group of residents who see the possibility of change. Residents, activists, architects, artists, and elected officials are working to articulate a plan and a process that can include every voice in our city and region. For once, Washington seems to be on our side, with funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and an administration with a mandate to tackle the inequities in our transportation systems and make real, lasting change. With support and funding from Washington, a new Governor in the Executive Mansion, and local leadership who all understand the need for action and concrete results, I am optimistic today and determined to continue this work until the day I can walk from my neighborhood in the South End, to a newly restored, connected, and integrated Albany riverfront. •
Sam Fein is a member of the Albany Count Legislature (6th District).