William F. Walsh Regional Transportation Center

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, NY
Walsh Regional Transportation Center in Syracuse.
Location1 Walsh Circle, Syracuse, New York
Coordinates43°04′36″N 76°10′09″W
Owned byIntermodal Transportation Center, Inc.
Line(s)Empire Corridor (Syracuse Terminal Subdivision)
Platforms1 side platform
Tracks3
Connections CENTRO: 16, 45, 46, 48, 50, 82, 88, 116, 188, 216, 246, 248, 316, 550
Greyhound
Megabus: M26
Trailways
Construction
ParkingYes
Bicycle facilitiesYes
Disabled accessYes
Other information
Station codeSYR
Websitecentro.org/RegionalTransportationCenter.aspx
History
Opened1998
ElectrifiedNo
Passengers
2017131,881 (Amtrak)[1]  2.65%
Services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station
Rochester
toward Niagara Falls, New York
 Empire Service Rome
toward New York
New York State Fair
(limited service)
toward Niagara Falls, New York
New York State Fair
(limited service)
toward Toronto via Niagara Falls, Ontario
 Maple Leaf
Rochester
toward Toronto via Niagara Falls, Ontario
Rochester
toward Chicago
 Lake Shore Limited Utica
toward New York or Boston South
Former services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station
Rochester
toward Chicago
 Lake Shore Utica
toward New York (Grand Central)
Rochester
toward Detroit (Michigan Central)
 Niagara Rainbow Rome
toward New York (Grand Central)

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.

With the former train route converted into Interstate 690 (a downtown highway, in vogue among mid-century urban planners), rail passengers were forced to use a "temporary" structure near the freight yards in East Syracuse, opened on August 29, 1962.[2] The East Syracuse station remained in use well into the Amtrak era, long after the end of its useful life. Bus service remained at the former train station until a 1996 fire. 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, a bridge that was intended to connect the two lines was never built after CSX claimed construction could destabilize its freight rail bridge, and the OnTrack program was axed due to low ridership.[3] 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 ← Freight service →
Track 1 ← Freight service →
Track 2 ←      Lake Shore Limited toward Chicago (Rochester)
←      Lake Shore Limited toward New York or Boston (Utica) →
←      Maple Leaf toward Toronto (Rochester)
←      Empire Service toward Niagara Falls (Rochester)
←      Empire Service, Maple Leaf toward New York (Rome) →
Side platform, doors will open on the left or right
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.[4]

Route No. Route Name Variations Notes
16 North Salina - 7th North 116, 216, 316 7 days, 5:23 am – 10:35 pm+
40 Syracuse University Hill - Hospitals 240, 340 7 days, 7:38 am – 6:50 pm+; less on weekends
46 Liverpool - Rte 57 weekdays only, 8:14 am – 9:56 pm; limited return
48 Liverpool - Morgan Rd Sat/Sun only, 9:55 am – 5:55 pm; no return
50 Destiny USA - Downtown Transit Hub 150, 550 7 days, 5:23 am – 10:30 pm+; starts & ends later on weekends
236 Auburn - Syracuse via Skaneateles 138 Sat/Sun only, 9:55 am – 5:55 pm
246 Oswego - Syracuse via Fulton - Phoenix 7 days, 10:43 am – 5:50 pm; additional return service

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.[5] 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.[6][7]

Intercity bus lines and routes

Greyhound

Greyhound Canada

Megabus

Trailways of New York

Nearby places

See also

References
  1. "Amtrak Fact Sheet, FY2017, State of New York" (PDF). Amtrak. November 2017. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
  2. Billmyer, Eleanor (August 30, 1962). "NY Central Station Greets Last Passengers". The Post-Standard. Syracuse, New York. p. 6. Retrieved August 18, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. Kenyon, Jim (2013-11-07). "OnTrack: a derailed promise for Syracuse". CNYCentral. Retrieved 2017-07-16.
  4. CENTRO route schedules, effective June 29, 2015. Accessed: October 3, 2015.
  5. CENTRO. (2015, June 29). "Route 50, Destiny USA/ Regional Transportation Center" schedule. Accessed: October 3, 2015.
  6. CENTRO. (2015, June 29). "Route 236, Auburn-Syracuse via Skaneateles" schedule. Accessed: October 3, 2015.
  7. CENTRO. (2015, June 29). "Route 246, Oswego-Syracuse via Fulton-Phoenix" schedule. Accessed: October 3, 2015.
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