Transportation planners in Central New York are seeking the community’s input on what public transit might look like in the near future. The Syracuse Metropolitan Transportation Council kicked off its public engagement process earlier this year with a survey. Now the SMTC is holding several community discussions based on the results for it's Exploring Tomorrow's Transitor ETT initiative. Principal transportation planner Meghan Vitale says most people want more frequency in the system, which might take different forms.
“Where should we maintain fixed route service and layer on to that?" Vitale said. "Where should there be mobility on demand? And then also micro-mobility, bike and scooter share. When you put all these modes together, how do they all fit to create a system that really works better for everyone.”
She says the SMTC and Centro are exploring the on-demand option, which came up in the survey response. It would operate like a small ride share bus within specific service zones.
“You would likely be sharing that ride with some other people who have a similar origin or destination," Vitale said. "It's probably not going to pick you up right at your front door. It may require you to walk to a centralized stop within a short distance of either end point.”
Vitale says Centro’s planned bus rapid transit plan, or BRT will also address some of the frequency and headways, or wait times. The system includes higher frequency with fewer stops along heavily used routes, and might eventually replace some of the existing fixed route service. SMTC Director James D’Agostino says there’s a lot to consider that doesn’t include single occupancy vehicles.
"Our community is growing for the first time in decades, substantially." D'Agostino said. "Between [interstate] 81 and its billion dollar investments and the Micron facility and all the jobs that are going to be popping up in the northern suburbs, we have the opportunity to think differently about our community's growth patterns and our communities mobility and how to move people, not just move cars."
The next community discussion will be held Wednesday, Sept. 20 at the Salt City Market in downtown Syracuse from 11:30 to 1:30. Two more meetings will be held next week:
- Tuesday, September 26, 5-7 p.m., Solvay Fire Department (1925 Milton Ave, Solvay)
- Thursday, September 28, 5-7 p.m., Bob Cecile Community Center (174 W. Seneca Tpk., Syracuse)
