Complete Streetscapes

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The Connective Corridor includes two areas: A “Connector Route” and a “Civic Strip.”  CC and Civic Strip map

 

The “Connector Route” is the main pedestrian, bicycle and transit route between University Hill and downtown Syracuse, with dedicated bike lanes, enhanced pedestrian areas, improved lighting, and more convenient public transportation. Construction of the two-mile “Connector Route” is now complete.

The next phase of the Connective Corridor is the “Civic Strip” which will be enhancements to a district that encompasses the City’s civic institutions, museums, and a clustered area of arts, cultural and entertainment venues. The vision for the Civic Strip is attractive architectural lighting, wayfinding signs, public art and other streetscape accoutrements to provide a welcoming, walkable experience for those living, working, and visiting downtown Syracuse.

Components of the completed “Connector Route” include:

  • Approximately two-miles of new complete “green streets” (from building façade to building façade), with bike and pedestrian paths linking University Hill and downtown business and residential districts, to help create a more livable, walkable community along a reconstructed urban corridor;
  • New network of green infrastructure that captures and manages 26 millions of water annually across the corridor through a variety of advanced technologies;
  • Redesigned public parks and spaces, along with landscaping and signage for key gateway nodes to central business districts, along with extensive urban tree plantings along the streetscape;
  • A free public bus system connecting campus and community venues, with ridership numbers that have grown from 6,000 to more than 200,000 ride counts annually;
  • A better connected arts, cultural and heritage district, with more than 30 cultural/community venues working together to program and co-promote the district;
  • A public art corridor that features visual art and installations, interactive spaces, along with one of the largest calls for public art underway in the country; the Urban Video Project, an IMAX-scale outdoor video projection project which programs work byregional,  national and international video artists, as well as popular outdoor summer film series;
  • More than 70 façade improvements designed to augment the new complete streetscape – many of which are historic preservation projects;
  • New outdoor bistro seating areas and sidewalk cafes as part of the façade program;
    Innovative lighting projects designed to highlight the City’s iconic architecture and increase street activity, with 23 buildings being illuminated;
  • A network of 11 Tourism Assistance Portals installed at arts and cultural organizations along the Corridor – a collaboration with Visit Syracuse;
  • The project employed a large number of contractors and subcontractors from across CNY, and utilized largely local materials (stone crush, asphalt, granite curbs, etc.) from local vendors. Where possible, NYS products were used (Selux light columns, green methacrylate bike lane materials from Transpo Industries, all landscaping products from local nurseries, etc.). The project created a significant supply chain and employment impact across the region over construction.

The City of Syracuse owns and maintains all Connective Corridor improvements in the public right of way as they are completed.

The next phase, the Civic Strip, includes a series of public art installations, special lighting corridor projects, enhanced and new public spaces that are being created to provide more access to community assets such as Onondaga Creek, along with dynamic arts and cultural district information programming, and a historic wayfinding signage system.