Syracuse Light Rail Proposal
Hello, I am a senior in High School with plans to major in Transportation Engineering and I've come up with a proposal for a light rail system into the Syracuse Area!
System Map: Click Here!
Why it would make sense
- Reduce Traffic Congestion
- Environmental Impact
- Economic Growth
General Info
If you want the video version of this post: https://youtu.be/kjYR-xSOcZQ
The light rail would include 4 lines with service to almost all parts of the Syracuse Metro Area. Majority of this rail network runs along Highways and busy streets. There are a total of 61 stations with stops such as the Syracuse Airport, Downtown, Syracuse University, Destiny USA Mall, and more! In cases where the light rail doesn't run next to a highway, it goes through downtown streets and residential streets. Obviously that isn't ideal, but there is no real way around it.
- Red Line: Radisson - Nedrow
- Green Line: Radisson - Fayetteville
- Blue Line: Camillus - Cicero
- Yellow Line: Camillus - De Witt
Physical Station Design
Generally, the stations will be small, due to limited space. There will be ticket machines at each station and stations would include benches, nature, roofed areas to protect from rain, timetables for light rail trains and possibly art as well. (see below) P.S. To prevent people from not paying I think you can block off entrance the stations and the track(also for safety)
Station Example (without art in picture)
Fares
- The "Entry" to ride is $1.75
- After that, the cost increases $.15 every station
- Children and Seniors get 50% discounts
- There are machines at every station to buy and load up transit cards.
- You only pay once you are leaving your destination station
Train Models/Idea
Trains will be around 3-4 cars. These trains would run fully on electricity, and possible models include: Alstom Citadis and Siemens s200
Conclusion
I believe this can be a successful project in the area in future years, if the area's population continues to grow, we can see this project in the future, but we also need to find out how to "winter-proof" this. This project will bring our community together and help them travel from point A to point B in a swift, safe, and fun new way!
(I also don't know how much it would cost but if you can estimate please leave a comment!)
I've spent a lot of time on this idea/project and would love to hear your feedback on it!