Syracuse, New York

Syracuse is an American city in Central New York. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the city had a total population of 147,306, and its metropolitan area had a population of 732,117. It is the county seat of Onondaga County and the economical and educational hub of Central New York, a region with over a million inhabitants. Syracuse is also a relatively large convention city, with a downtown convention complex and the Empire Expo Center directly west of the city, which hosts the annual Great New York State Fair. Syracuse was named after the original Syracuse, a city on the eastern coast of Sicily, Italy, which shares some similarities with this one, including a formerly-important salt industry and a neighboring town of Salina.

Transportation

Public transportation

Syracuse is served by the Central New York Regional Transportation Authority, or CNYRTA. The CNYRTA administers a bus service called CENTRO which runs over a hundred bus lines around Syracuse and into the suburbs. CENTRO fare is still $1, staying away from the price increase other metropolitan areas have enacted.

Related Topics:
Central New York Regional Transportation Authority - Suburb

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OnTrack is the Syracuse commuter train line. The line runs from Colvin Street on the city's South Side via Syracuse University and Armory Square to the Carousel Center. Financing was finally approved in April 2004 to build a bridge that will allow OnTrack to reach the William F. Walsh Regional Transportation Center, Regional Market, and Alliance Bank Stadium. This service sees roughly 60 people a day and is used mostly by Syracuse University students.

Related Topics:
OnTrack - Commuter train - Syracuse University - Armory Square - Carousel Center - William F. Walsh Regional Transportation Center - Alliance Bank Stadium

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The Pyramid Companies have also proposed a monorail linking the university to the airport via downtown, their proposed DestiNY Resort, the transportation center, and their proposed DestiNY Technology Park. The cost of such a line has been estimated at $750 million.

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Local millionaire Tom McDonald has also proposed a gondola lift system, called Salt City Aerial Transit (S.C.A.T.), to link the university to the transportation center using a similar route. The first segment from SU to Downtown has been estimated to cost $5 million.

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Commute

According to the 2000 Census, this is how people aged 16 and over commute to work:

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• 65.9% drive alone
• 13.7% carpool
• 10.1% walk
• 6.8% use public busses (CENTRO)
• 0.6% bike
• 0.2% use a taxicab
• 0.03% use elevated rail (OnTrack)

Bus & rail

The city lies on Amtrak's Empire Service, Lake Shore Limited, and Maple Leaf lines. Greyhound Lines and Trailways provide long-distance bus service. All three use the William F. Walsh Regional Transportation Center in the north of the city.

Related Topics:
Amtrak's - Empire Service - Lake Shore Limited - Maple Leaf - Greyhound Lines - Trailways

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Air service

Syracuse is served by the Syracuse Hancock International Airport in nearby Salina, near Mattydale. The airport is served by 16 airlines (9 major), which provide non-stop flights to destinations as far away as Dallas-Fort Worth, as well as several daily flights to other important airline hubs and business centers such as Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit, New York City, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Washington, DC. Six cargo carriers also serve the airport.

Related Topics:
Syracuse Hancock International Airport - Salina - Mattydale - Dallas-Fort Worth - Atlanta - Baltimore - Boston - Charlotte - Chicago - Cincinnati - Cleveland - Detroit - New York City - Philadelphia - Pittsburgh - Washington, DC

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Roads

Interstate 81 (Canada to Knoxville) runs north-south through Syracuse, and provides access to Canada, Pennsylvania and points south.

Related Topics:
Interstate 81 - Canada - Knoxville - Pennsylvania

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Interstate 90 (Seattle to Boston), also known as the New York State Thruway runs east-west, just north of the city. It provides access to Rochester, Buffalo, Albany, and the north-south (Interstate 87) part of the Thruway which leads to New York City.

Related Topics:
Interstate 90 - Seattle - Boston - New York State Thruway - Rochester - Buffalo - Albany - Interstate 87 - New York City

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Interstate 690 runs east-west through the city, and provides access to Interstate 90, as well as to Syracuse's northwestern and eastern suburbs. A spur off I-690 directly west of the city, NY-695, provides freeway access to the southwestern suburbs.

Related Topics:
Interstate 690 - NY-695 - Freeway

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Interstate 481 forms an eastern loop around the city and continues to the northwest as NY-481 to Fulton and Oswego, on the shore of Lake Ontario.

Related Topics:
Interstate 481 - NY-481 - Fulton - Oswego - Lake Ontario

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U.S. Highway 11 (Canada to New Orleans) passes through Syracuse, including downtown, and it follows the route of Salina and State Streets.

Related Topics:
U.S. Highway 11 - Canada - New Orleans

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U.S. Highway 20 (Boston to Newport, Oregon) passes south of Syracuse.

Related Topics:
U.S. Highway 20 - Boston - Newport, Oregon

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