I think the problem with "heavy rail" type systems such as OnTrack was that they don't run often enough. People just aren't going to wait more than 10-15 minutes given other options. I think the route made sense in terms of connecting the surviving pieces of downtown with SU Hill (sort of) and Carousel Center, too bad the link to the rail/bus station and the stadium never quite made it.
Other cities seem to make a go of light rail connecting airport to downtown to university/hospital complexes, but of course those cities are larger (thinking of Portland OR, St. Louis, etc.). It's come to be seen as something real cities have
Traffic and parking congestion in Syracuse are NOT the problems of CNY. Something is needed to spark development and outside interest in Syracuse, and resurrecting track-based transit on the OnTrack route, completed to the transportation center and extended to the airport and to park-and-ride lots near the airport, with real hours and frequent service, sure would be a real boost to the area.
Were you folks saying something about a biotech complex possibility in the old projects across I-81 from Upstate Med? If so, a station there would be needed too. The old "SU" station (really should have been called the "ESF" station
) was poorly located, obviously by necessity, and would need to be supplemented or moved north a couple of blocks if that area's made safe.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
