More than 30 people spent the lunch hour today looking at rain gardens, bioswales, and porous pavement as part of a walking tour of downtown’s green infrastructure sites.
Education coordinator with the Onondaga Environmental Institute Amy Samuels highlighted a few of the stops and explained how the projects keep storm water out of the sewer system.
“The water from the street flows down and can enter the garden at these points and that helps capture water on Harrison Street,” said Samuels.
The tour seemed to attract a variety of people for different reasons. State Department of Transportation employee Wendy Sherman says they’ve installed porous pavement parking lots.
"In the future we will continue to work with local governments in these types of projects."
Christie Bravos of the Syracuse Convention and Visitors Bureau also took part in the walking tour.
“I think when convention groups come in, their attendees, especially the environmental groups would be absolutely interested in something like this. It’s just another way to get them out and about into the community to see what we have and to boast about our wonderful infrastructure,” said Bravos.
If you missed the walking tour, there will be a 10-mile bike tour October 26th.