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As many of you know, I am an senior urban planning student at the University at Buffalo. Over the course of this semester I have been been doing my own 3 credit independent study analyzing the former OnTrack System that functioned in Syracuse from 1994-2008, & working with a professor who specializes in urban transportation.
I have collected dozens of articles, documents, conducted personal interviews with people realted to the project, and even did my first ever FOIL with the State DOT. All this information has been crazy helpful in getting to know the system better. But now I wanted to turn it over to you guys and get your thoughts..
So if you had experience riding the Ontrack System or remember it quite well, lets have a discussion. What did you think of how it was operated? Clearly there are many flaws as well as strengths to how it operated, and ways that you think it could have been better. Also if you have a little inside information that I wouldn't find or remember (I was a young kid when OnTrack was at its strongest) that would also be great!
Here's what my project consits of: Looking at the history of OnTrack and how it operated and was ornagized, etc. Then looking at what led to its demise in 2008, and what has occured in Syracuse since its closure. The finally comes the interesting part: Im asking the question is Syracuse ready or will it ever be ready to see OnTrack come back and serve as a low cost passenger service line that once existed, and what would need to occur differently in order for it to be succcesful.
So let me know what you think. I understand this is a big question, and people will have different thoughts or ideas, but I appreciate honesty, even if it is negative. Once I finish my comprehensive report once I graduate in 3 weeks (I still cannot believe it) I will be sure to publish all of my findings.
I thought that there was hardly any advertising or publicity about OnTrack when it was operating. I believe that it was popular for SU sporting events in terms of people parking or taking the bus Downtown, catching it at Armory Square and taking the train to the SU stop near the West Lots near the Dome. It was also hard to find where the stops were.
If it came back, it may do a little bit better due to more people living Downtown, the expansion of DestinyUSA and if the service is more visable(advertising and in regards to stops). If it extended into the Northern suburbs, you may get people to use it as a commuter rail line too.
I thought that there was hardly any advertising or publicity about OnTrack when it was operating. I believe that it was popular for SU sporting events in terms of people parking or taking the bus Downtown, catching it at Armory Square and taking the train to the SU stop near the West Lots near the Dome. It was also hard to find where the stops were.
If it came back, it may do a little bit better due to more people living Downtown, the expansion of DestinyUSA and if the service is more visable(advertising and in regards to stops). If it extended into the Northern suburbs, you may get people to use it as a commuter rail line too.
Thanks for your response. I certainly agree with your points and I do think that a new system would require an aggressive marketing strategy and would need to draw off downtown residents and people who live close to the rail line. This was in my opinion its biggest flaw. The stops and stations served attractions and destinations such as Armory Square, SU & Carousel Center but completely bypassed neighborhoods and people who could use the rail service to commute to these places.
Connecting the service to the North is a bit more of a challenge that my research has developed. Between the dozens of Amtrack trains that rush through the Empire Corridor daily and the fact that CSX owns the rights to the northern line past Carousel. There could be strategies to overcome this, but I believe OnTrack would have to be fully functional and working well in the City of Syracuse first.
And for people who are unfamilair with OnTrack, as I mentioned earlier I will post my report to the forum for people to look at. It will explain the former system and maybe then it will create a better discussion on how a new system like this could work for Syracuse in 2013 as opposed to 5-10 years ago.
I'm not actually from Syracuse but may be moving to the area in the future. From what I've read about On-track in never really seemed like it had a decent timetable so you couldn't rely on it as a commuter route, esp as it never connected to the transportation hub!?!?
It looks like all the hard-work and expense had been done to actually get it connected to the transportation hub but the tracks just weren't laid. So in a sense it seems like the infrastructure is in place but who knows if it is viable or not.
I had a looked at what a potentially new on track could look like. If you went past the transportation centre it could have stops where James St is crossed by Thompson Road or near that area, and then further on at Minoa. Also you could have a line that goes north to Liverpool and on from there.
I wonder if something like this would work as the trains for the syracuse line Parry People Movers Ltd - Home page they look like they have low running costs compared to the old trains used and also are brand new!
I think the most valid point that was made is that OnTrack never connected to neighborhoods to fully utilize the rail line. I'm sure most people would think its just as convenient to drive to their destination (other than SU sporting events and Jamesville) than to drive practically near their destination and hop on a rail line.
If OnTrack were to exist today, it would need a complete remodeling just to be feasible. However if it was revamped correctly, it could be a vital source of transportation for the city and even the county if it wished to extend previous service boundaries. For a city and county that's striving to be a leader in Green, it's a shame that they let OnTrack slip away without attention.
My son just started attending classes at SUNY-ESF (at Syracuse University). Being a railfan, I was checking out the rails around the area on the internet, so I could see them firsthand when I get up there to visit. I came across "OnTrack" in a Google search-- I am from Long Island, and had never heard of it... 'Any chance of a revival? Or is it dead for good?
My son just started attending classes at SUNY-ESF (at Syracuse University). Being a railfan, I was checking out the rails around the area on the internet, so I could see them firsthand when I get up there to visit. I came across "OnTrack" in a Google search-- I am from Long Island, and had never heard of it... 'Any chance of a revival? Or is it dead for good?
Well, as of right now OnTrack is fully out of commission. However, 90% of the same infrastructure that the old OnTrack line used is still in place (the rail line is used twice a day by freight trains). With my project & research now completed, I am still working to share my ideas with as many people as possible, both citizens and local officials to promote the idea of perhaps bringing the service back to life.
I personally believe a system like OnTrack could once again work in Syracuse, but there are several challenges that would need to be overcome, so the future is extremely unpredictable right now. But my hope is that one day passenger rail will return to Central New York.
Well, as of right now OnTrack is fully out of commission. However, 90% of the same infrastructure that the old OnTrack line used is still in place (the rail line is used twice a day by freight trains). With my project & research now completed, I am still working to share my ideas with as many people as possible, both citizens and local officials to promote the idea of perhaps bringing the service back to life.
I personally believe a system like OnTrack could once again work in Syracuse, but there are several challenges that would need to be overcome, so the future is extremely unpredictable right now. But my hope is that one day passenger rail will return to Central New York.
How has the feedback been from people that may have come across your information or that you have shared this information with?
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