The future of I-81 in Syracuse is still up in the air, but some who attended Wednesday's public comment meeting wondered if they were really being heard.

“It’s only thought out for just for the city and the city itself," said John Edinger, who commutes to Liverpool. "It really was never thought out regionally at all.”

Edinger went out of his way to attend the public meeting in downtown Syracuse at 3 p.m.

As his morning commute takes him from Tully to Liverpool starting at 4:30 a.m., the future of I-81 is a big deal to him.

And he was less than convinced that the meeting was for input, not lip-service.

“I would like to see them welcome in any changes, but my opinion is, I think they're all dead-set on this plan. I think that they’ll just go for it, bowl ahead and go forward with it,” he said.

Easels of information lined the Oncenter, and people dove right in with concerns.

“Yeah, I think this is showing what they had before. I remember these posters," Edinger said.

He opposes the community grid option, as he says he knows too many people like himself whose commutes and businesses will be affected.

But he also knows the interstate needs work.

“You may still keep putting Band-Aids, and you got to do something,” he said.

Talking to more project consultants, Edinger found there’s still time and more input to be had.

“The viaduct alternative still has some eyes. Sounds like it's still in play, so hopefully that would be the case." Edinger said.

But he’s taking everything with a grain of salt.

Finally, Edinger made his way to provide public comment. He opted to use a stenographer.

“I’m present at the meeting today to give my objection to the new community grid," Edinger said. "I feel that that the community grid is going to hold up a lot of traffic through and around the area,” he said.

On his way out, he said he felt like he’s at least given his input and hopes more people, not just from the city of Syracuse, do, too.

“They have an impact if, if they actually do take a look at everyone's concern, because I think it's only been looked at at one side. That's my opinion," Edinger said.