Public Spaces for the Public Good
We believe that public space ought to be maximized for the public good. This means streets, sidewalks, public right-of-way, public parks, and spaces that are open to the public should be trauma-informed, ADA-accessible, inclusively welcoming, culturally humble, linguistically equitable, and intentionally safe.
Human-Centered Design
Because the public right of way should prioritize human needs first and always, we advocate for these interventions on our public land
Catawba Connector
Funded by federal infrastructure dollars, New York State Department of Transportation (NYDOT) is transforming the to-be-former I-81 corridor. Just south of our microneighborhood, they will be bringing the highway to street level and activating the community grid. The portion near to the West Pond Microneighbrohood will be undergoing other transformations including (a) the removal of the entrance/exit ramp at Spencer/Catawba and (b) the rebuilding of the Spencer/Catawba Street bridge. The new bridge will feature 10-foot shared use paths on either side across it, connected to a shared use path running along Genant on the west side of the highways, and into the planned Inner Harbor redevelopment. As included in the City of Syracuse Vision Plan (released March 2024), we propose the continuation of the shared use path from the bridge to the intended Lodi Street dedicated bike lanes.
Lodi Triangle
At the convergence of Lodi Street | E Division St | N McBride Street sits a small, fenced plot of land - Amos Park. Surrounded by multiple active businesses that offer food and beverage, and sitting along a key corridor for pedestrians, cyclists, scooters, and cars alike, we believe this triangle is rich with possibility. As permitted by the City of Syracuse’s new Community Streets initiative, in the Summer of 2024, we will be closing half of the block of N McBride Street to car traffic to create a temporary pedestrian plaza, featuring a street mural, public outdoor seating, and family-friendly activities to enrich our sense of shared community.
Safe Routes to School
In Syracuse, elementary-age students who live within one mile of their school are required to walk to and from school each day. For many, this walk is treacherous, and requires the supervision of a parent, impacting their ability to work and more. Building the national Safe Routes to School movement, we advocate for Park Street and its pedestrian feeder blocks to be transformed according to best practices to provide a safe route for Franklin Elementary School students to and from school.
Reclaim our Parks
Our microneighborhood has the asset of two public parks located adjacent to one another, ready and waiting to be activated for the public good. Union Park currently offers a playground and splash pad, with a large vacant lot prime for ongoing reinvestment. At Union, we advocate for the installation of a safety fence that will bring parents and guardians peace of mind for their young children to enjoy the park and the installation of an outdoor fitness space or other fitness facility on the undeveloped lot.
Demong Park, across N Salina, sits almost entirely unused. The City Parks & Recreation Department has tentatively agreed to install a community stage that would allow local residents to host weddings, cultural celebrations, and other events in this walkable location.
Between these two parks sits a 5-way Intersection where N Salina, Lodi, and Kirkpatrick converge. This intersection breaks most of the rules of safe transit and Vision Zero best practices. As Centro plans to place a Bus Rapid Transit stop at this intersection, and it is 2/3 surrounded by two public parks, we believe it is imperative to intervene to implement street calming measures in conjunction with these public park improvements.
Pond St Pathways
As the artery that runs through much of our neighborhood of focus, the western portion of Pond Street (between Lodi and Park) is actively utilized by local residents to walk, bike, scooter, ride share, and drive through our community. Due to the essentially non-existent infrastructure, this is a dangerous venture for all transiting along the corridor, and complete street transformation is needed. We advocate for there to be clearly marked space for pedestrians, cyclists, scooters, and vehicular traffic to share the public right-of-way that promotes local businesses and calms both Pond Street and those that intersect with it.
Connections
On a map, the West Pond microneighborhood has excellent access to the Regional Market and the Regional Transportation Center (RTC), where connections are now available to the airport and some job hubs. However, the walkability and the micro-mobility device access to these spaces are very poor. We advocate for this to be meaningfully addressed through improved pedestrian, cycling/scooter, and other micro-mobility options, along with Centro’s prompt deployment of the Bus Rapid Transit line along N Salina St.
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