Initial numbers from the 2020 census show Syracuse saw a 2.4 percent increase in population over the last 10 years. The city’s head count now sits at 148,620. Mayor Ben Walsh says it confirms what he’s anecdotally heard, seen, and felt.
"But until you get those numbers, you're just not sure if it translates into the actual census. Historically, it hasn't. This is the first time that the city has increased population since 1950. That's significant."
He says it’s also significant given numerous obstacles. First, the city has a historically harder to count population. Then there was the pandemic and interference from the previous presidential administration. In the end, Walsh says it’s gratifying to see the efforts of so many staff and volunteers paid off. He says the decades of population drain led to declines in the city’s economy and neighborhoods. Now, he hopes the turnaround means a reversal in those trends.
"As you see that population go back up, it bodes well for our neighborhoods, our housing market, and our local economy. There are all sorts of ancillary benefits. But it's also positive reinforcement, that what we're doing has been working."
He hopes it’s a signal for the next decade. Walsh says they’re just starting to process all the data, which will ultimately inform many of the city’s priorities going forward. He says they’ll be looking at where they’ve been focusing their time, effort, and resources to reduce poverty.
"We have used census data to inform that strategy, identifying barriers to opportunity like lack of access to transportation, lack of access to the internet, lack of housing stability. All of that data came out of the previous census."
Now, he says the fresh set of data will ensure they’re investing resources in areas where they can make the most progress. On the county level, Onondaga County saw a 2 percent increase, while all other surrounding counties saw population declines: 1.2 percent in Oneida, 3.8 percent in Oswego, 4.7 percent in Cayuga, 5.1 percent in Cortland, and 7.4 percent in Madison.
PROGESS ON CITY SIDEWALKS
Two miles of new city sidewalks have been completed since funding was approved for the project last month. The common council agreed to use $5 million in federal pandemic relief funds to kick-off the city-wide effort. Mayor Ben Walsh stood at the corner of Tioga and Marcellus Streets on the near west side Friday, where the sidewalk was broken and overgrown just two months ago.
"Sidewalks certainly improve the curb appeal of homes and businesses, and the overall aesthetics of the neighborhood. We're just blocks away from Skiddy Park and STEM at Blodgett School. Kids walking to school or home will now have a safer way to do it. They won't be forced into the roads where its more dangerous."
Walsh says the city typically works with a small group of contractors on sidewalk work. But he wants to make contracts more accessible to minority, women, and veteran owned businesses.
"We have heard from smaller contractors saying, hey give us a chance, we need to build our capacity and work our way up to being able to take on bigger projects, but we have to start somewhere."
So, he says they’ll be breaking up the remainder of the work into smaller pieces. The City’s Department of Engineering will issue bids later this month for contractors to work on the municipal sidewalk program. The bid will be posted on the Procurement page of the city website, www.syrgov.net.
In addition to sidewalk construction at the corner of Tioga Street and Marcellus Street, the City’s Department of Public Works has completed or started new sidewalks at:
- Cortland Avenue from Midland Avenue to South Avenue
- Burnet Avenue from Beech Street to Lodi Street
- Danforth Street from Park Street to Sunset Avenue
- Tioga Street from Fayette Street to Tully Street
- Vincent Road from Comstock Avenue to Jamesville Avenue
- Seeley Ave from Salina Street to dead end
Walsh says they're prioritizing sidewalks in all parts of the city based on condition and those that are most used. He hopes to have the first 20 miles of sidewalks replaced by the end of the construction season.
