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Construction begins today on the Connective Corridor on University Ave from Waverly to East Genesee St
Alot of people (not really on this forum but just in general) seem to be hating on the project. Yes, its taken several years to get off the ground and has been funded with government money, but I think it will do wonders to the University area and will only add to what is being done to make the central part of Syracuse more pedestrian friendly and a place people WANT to be, not just have to be because they work or live nearby.
This could possibly spearhead new developments, although they will be way down the road, but this project, (coupled with the following) will link the University Hill and further boost its potential for Syracuse as a whole:
-the former Genesse St. Armory SU student housing project,
-the SUNY Upstate Institute for Human Performance expansion
-the SUNY Upstate Biotechnology Research Lab Center
-the University Bookstore, retail & gym project (hopefully starting this summer)
-the recently finished Hotel Skyler
The Connective Cooridor could have a major impact on the city, but so many people don't seem to see it that way
ese522, it's called a lack of vision by those that still view Syracuse as a manufacturing hub and nothing more. I think it is best to move forward with more projects like this, in order to bring out that other side of the city that has always been there, but hasn't been emphasized as much as it should have in the past.
I hope the Corridor is just the start of a much more extensive bike lane network. If the city wants to be a center of sustainability, or to at least project that image, I can't think of a simpler, less expensive infrastructure project that builds towards that goal. I also hope they start installing bike boxes, or other similar traffic features, to make new and existing lines more useful and safer.
Alot of people (not really on this forum but just in general) seem to be hating on the project. Yes, its taken several years to get off the ground and has been funded with government money, but I think it will do wonders to the University area and will only add to what is being done to make the central part of Syracuse more pedestrian friendly and a place people WANT to be, not just have to be because they work or live nearby.
This could possibly spearhead new developments, although they will be way down the road, but this project, (coupled with the following) will link the University Hill and further boost its potential for Syracuse as a whole:
-the former Genesse St. Armory SU student housing project,
-the SUNY Upstate Institute for Human Performance expansion
-the SUNY Upstate Biotechnology Research Lab Center
-the University Bookstore, retail & gym project (hopefully starting this summer)
-the recently finished Hotel Skyler
The Connective Cooridor could have a major impact on the city, but so many people don't seem to see it that way
Don't forget the Center of Excellence!...Excellent post ese522 (and ckhthankgod/CUPlanner reply's), I could not have said it better. I can say from experience, when projects take a while to get off the ground, it provides naysayers with an opportunity to stir up opposition and (unsubstantiated) misinformation. I agree with ckhthankgod, that many of the naysayers are those who still view Syracuse as nothing more than a manufacturing hub, they still believe that the BIG factory will save the day. Unfortunately, that doesn't happen anywhere anymore. The one good thing about the demise of heavy manufacturing in CNY is it has forced Syracuse and CNY to get creative, and establish a vision for its future. It has forced Syracuse/CNY to believe in itself!
Also...
We should also welcome improvements to existing destinations like the Rosamond Gifford Zoo:
I imagine many of those who have criticized the Connective Corridor project are the usual Syracuse.com types. While I'm not in that category, I can't help but strongly criticize the project - it's poorly planned and is a waste of limited resources.
Upon moving to the neighborhood late last summer, I made it a point to attend public Connective Corridor meetings, which turned out to be pretty discouraging. The designers (I forget the name of the firm now; I think they were from Philadelphia) clearly treated this project with preference for style over substance; they came off like a bunch of college seniors offering up a whimsical project.
When asked about practical concerns such as how snow will be removed from the separated bicycle lanes, they readily acknowledged that there was no money in the budget for maintenance and the city of Syracuse would likely treat the lanes just as they currently treat the sidewalks in the neighborhood (i.e., not at all - the small St. Joseph's office building, all the dentists' offices, Moore's Auto, and the Ronald McDonald House neglected their sidewalks for the entire winter without penalty from the city).
The local designer (Barton & Loguidice) managed to come off even worse; he floated through all the meetings with a sort of generic Central New Yorker "Who cares...it's not like I'm going to be a pedestrian in this neighborhood...now where'd I park my Chevy?" glaze on his face and was dismissive of most specific questions.
Further, the project neglects to solve any of the most obvious areas in which the neighborhood needs improvement, both major and minor. Stand on University Avenue and look up at the Hall of Languages and consider what work should be done.
You'd probably say that utility lines should be buried, highway-style cobra head street lights should be replaced, and that a canopy of mature trees would look nice. Unfortunately, none of those things is going to be fixed. The hideous utility lines will stay (lines belong underground downtown and on the Hill, but for some reason were not a priority here), the cobra heads have to stay (because the decorative red light-posts along the Connective Corridor are just for show and will not provide sufficient illumination to work on their own), and the more majestic sycamores and silver maples that were killed this winter will be replaced by smaller urban-friendly trees (the designers don't want to plant trees whose growth will interfere with the utility lines...no, seriously).
Of course, the major problem was completely avoided by planners: the huge majority of employees in Midtown and on the Hill are motorists, but a.) there is not enough space to store all their vehicles and b.) it is impossible to create a pedestrian-friendly streetscape when traffic engineers' priority is maximizing vehicle throughput on neighborhood streets. The growth of Hill universities and businesses is absolutely unsustainable as long as mass transit options are limited and employees choose to live outside of walking distance from work; the world's traffic engineers still have yet to devise a way to create a pedestrian-friendly neighborhood while encouraging near-universal automobile use, and this project is no great breakthrough.
What bothers me is that it could've been done right had the city and university pushed for realistic urban improvements rather than some flashy attempt at a Disney cityscape. Now naysayers will point to ~$7 million being pissed away for a glorified lane reconfiguration in my neighborhood and be able to use that failure as ammunition the next time a "progressive" public works project is proposed.
You'd probably say that utility lines should be buried, highway-style cobra head street lights should be replaced, and that a canopy of mature trees would look nice. Unfortunately, none of those things is going to be fixed. The hideous utility lines will stay (lines belong underground downtown and on the Hill, but for some reason were not a priority here), the cobra heads have to stay (because the decorative red light-posts along the Connective Corridor are just for show and will not provide sufficient illumination to work on their own), and the more majestic sycamores and silver maples that were killed this winter will be replaced by smaller urban-friendly trees (the designers don't want to plant trees whose growth will interfere with the utility lines...no, seriously).
Of course, the major problem was completely avoided by planners: the huge majority of employees in Midtown and on the Hill are motorists, but a.) there is not enough space to store all their vehicles and b.) it is impossible to create a pedestrian-friendly streetscape when traffic engineers' priority is maximizing vehicle throughput on neighborhood streets. The growth of Hill universities and businesses is absolutely unsustainable as long as mass transit options are limited and employees choose to live outside of walking distance from work; the world's traffic engineers still have yet to devise a way to create a pedestrian-friendly neighborhood while encouraging near-universal automobile use, and this project is no great breakthrough.
What bothers me is that it could've been done right had the city and university pushed for realistic urban improvements rather than some flashy attempt at a Disney cityscape. Now naysayers will point to ~$7 million being pissed away for a glorified lane reconfiguration in my neighborhood and be able to use that failure as ammunition the next time a "progressive" public works project is proposed.
I think the point was to have a "Disney cityscape." Despite the fact that there is little "steak" in Syracuse, there is virtually no "sizzle," so to speak, for someone coming from NYC or DC or Boston where they have gone nuts putting up at least the appearance of having dedicated bikelanes and creating flashy reuse projects like the Highline.
If the goal is to improve sustainability, one simple streetscape improvement project is certainly not going to do that no matter where you do it. You touched on it briefly CP, but as long as it is just as cheap and easy to drive to work everyday, and as long as there is the perception that the city is unsafe and the schools stink, the majority of people are going to continue to live in the suburbs and commute in. So, if you really wanted to make a difference there, the money would have been better spent going to improve the schools, increase police patrols, improve Centro service (if that is possible), etc. However, those are long term issues that are going to require continued attention, and for the amount of money that you would be putting into those projects, the immediate, visible and tangible returns would be minimal, and officials would be derided even more for wasting money.
So, in light of those realities, they wanted something that would be flashy and sexy and different (because there already are a good number or tree-lined, "traditional" streets in Syracuse but none of the type designed). There are definitely some practical considerations and deficiencies in the plan, but I think the design is exactly what it was supposed to be and, in my opinion, though it does have some problems, is an interesting addition to the city.
It seems that JP Morgan has (will) become an integral part of the Syracuse economic scene. Thanks, its exciting!
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