Tracks 3 Opened 1999 Platforms in use 1 | Parking Yes Phone +1 800-872-7245 | |
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Location 1 Walsh CircleSyracuse, NY 13208 Owned by Intermodal Transportation Center, Inc. Similar | ||
Amtrak passenger train departing the 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.
Contents
- Amtrak passenger train departing the william f walsh regional transportation center
- History
- Station Layout
- CENTRO bus service
- Greyhound
- Greyhound Canada
- Megabus
- Trailways of New York
- Nearby places
- References
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
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 1999, 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.
CENTRO bus service
Fifteen CENTRO bus routes serve the Walsh Regional Transportation Center from Auburn, Fulton, Liverpool, Oswego, Phoenix, Skaneateles, Syracuse, and nearby areas.
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. Fares for the longer distance regional bus routes are on a zone basis, up to $8.00 each way per person for the Auburn line, and $12.00 for the Oswego line.