William F. Walsh Regional Transportation Center

William F. Walsh Regional Transportation Center
Walsh Regional Transportation Center in Syracuse.
Location	1 Walsh Circle Syracuse, NY 13208
Coordinates	43°04′36″N 76°10′09″W / 43.0767°N 76.1691°W / 43.0767; -76.1691Coordinates: 43°04′36″N 76°10′09″W / 43.0767°N 76.1691°W / 43.0767; -76.1691
Owned by	Intermodal Transportation Center, Inc.
Line(s)	Empire Corridor (Syracuse Terminal Subdivision)
Platforms	1 side platform
Tracks	3
Connections	CENTRO: 16, 45, 46, 48, 50, 82, 88, 116, 188, 216, 246, 248, 316, 550 Greyhound Megabus: M26 Trailways
Construction
Parking	Yes
Bicycle facilities	Yes
Disabled access	Yes
Other information
Station code	SYR
Website	centro.org/RegionalTransportationCenter.aspx
History
Opened	1998
Electrified	No
Traffic
Passengers (2017)	131,881 (Amtrak)[1]  2.65%
Services
Preceding station   Amtrak   Following station Rochester toward Niagara Falls, NY Empire Service Rome toward New York Rochester toward Toronto via Niagara Falls, ON Maple Leaf Rochester toward Chicago Lake Shore Limited Utica toward New York or Boston South
Limited/former services Preceding station   Amtrak   Following station New York State Fair toward Niagara Falls, NY Empire Service Rome toward New York New York State Fair toward Toronto via Niagara Falls, ON Maple Leaf   Amtrak   Rochester toward Chicago Lake Shore 1971-1972 Utica toward New York Grand Central

The William F. Walsh Regional Transportation Center is the long-distance ground travel (rail and bus) terminal serving the Syracuse, New York area. It is served by Amtrak, Greyhound Lines, Megabus, and Trailways. Local and regional bus transportation is provided by the Central New York Regional Transportation Authority (CENTRO). Various taxi firms service the Center, as well. The Regional Transportation Center is located on the north side of Syracuse, adjacent to the Central New York Regional Market and near Destiny USA.

Syracuse is served by two trains daily on the Lake Shore Limited, four trains daily of the Empire Service, and two trains daily on the Maple Leaf.

History

Former Syracuse station from platform, November 1994

When the financially desperate New York Central Railroad sold off its elevated right-of-way through downtown Syracuse to the State of New York in 1962, all rail service was re-routed onto a former freight bypass to the north of the city center. The elevated line and train station had been in service for less than 30 years, having replaced tracks that ran at-grade through the center of Washington Street.

From this time until the late 1990s, bus service remained at the former train station downtown, but with the former train route converted into Interstate 690 (a downtown freeway, in vogue among mid-century urban planners), rail passengers were forced to use a "temporary" structure near the freight yards in East Syracuse. Both options proved decidedly unpopular, with the train station in particular becoming synonymous with Amtrak's many woes.

Opened in 1998, the Regional Transportation Center replaced both venues, re-integrating bus and rail service for the first time since the early 1960s. There were provisions built for OnTrack, Syracuse's commuter train line built on the former Lackawanna right-of-way through Armory Square, to call at the station; however, the necessary connection between the two lines was never built, and the OnTrack program was axed due to low ridership. The station is named for William F. Walsh, a former mayor of Syracuse and representative in the U.S. Congress.

Station layout

The station is built at ground level, with bus loading/unloading areas in front of the main entrance, and stairs and an elevator leading up to the tracks, which are on an embankment. A central concourse with shops and a waiting room links the two areas. Trains call at a single high-level island platform serving one (nominally eastbound) track; provisions were made for cross-platform transfers with OnTrack on the other side, but the program was canceled before service ever reached the station.

Amtrak Syracuse station platform

P Platform level	Track 3	No passenger service
	Track 2	No passenger service
	Track 1	← Empire Service toward Niagara Falls, NY (Rochester) ← Maple Leaf toward Toronto (Rochester) ← Lake Shore Limited toward Chicago (Rochester) Empire Service, Maple Leaf toward New York City (Rome) → Lake Shore Limited toward New York City or Boston (Utica) →
	Side platform, doors will open on the left or right
	Expansion Area	(designed for OnTrack)
G	Street level	Exit/entrance and station building

CENTRO bus service

Fifteen CENTRO bus routes serve the Walsh Regional Transportation Center from Auburn, Fulton, Liverpool, Oswego, Phoenix, Skaneateles, Syracuse, and nearby areas.^[2]

The most frequently serviced corridor is between the Regional Transportation Center and the Downtown Syracuse CENTRO Transit Hub (at Salina and Adams Streets), via Route Nos. 16, 46, 50, 116, 216, 316, and 550. Transfers to buses serving other routes may be made at Destiny USA or the Downtown Transit Hub. Standard local fares are $2.00 per person; with children aged 6-9, seniors 65+ and persons with disabilities at $1.00 per person. Children under 6 are free.^[3] Fares for the longer distance regional bus routes are on a zone basis, up to $4.00 each way per person for the Auburn (Aub36) line, and $5.00 for the Oswego (Osw46) line.^[4][5]

Intercity bus lines and routes

Nearby places

• Central New York Regional Market - farmers' market
• Destiny USA (formerly the Carousel Center) - shopping mall
• Dinosaur Bar-B-Que
• NBT Bank Stadium - Syracuse Chiefs' baseball stadium
• Onondaga Lake Park
• Tipperary Hill

See also

• Intermodal passenger transport

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to William F. Walsh Regional Transportation Center.

• Official website
• Amtrak – Stations – Syracuse, NY
• Syracuse Amtrak Station (SYR) Great American Stations (Amtrak)
• Syracuse Amtrak Station (USA RailGuide - TrainWeb)