OnTrack

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about the New York commuter train line. For the New Zealand company, see Ontrack (New Zealand).

OnTrack

Locale	Syracuse, New York
Dates of operation	1994 – present
Track gauge	4 ft 8½ in (1435 mm) (standard gauge)
Headquarters	Syracuse, NY

OnTrack is a Syracuse, New York Regional rail line. Syracuse is the smallest city in the United States to have regional train service. The line runs from Colvin Street on the city's south side via Syracuse University and Armory Square to the Carousel Center, using three Budd Rail Diesel Cars that were built in the 1950s. There is also a flag stop called 600 Erie Place, and seasonal service to Jamesville. Financing was finally approved in April 2004 to build a bridge that will allow OnTrack to reach the William F. Walsh Regional Transportation Center, Regional Market, and Alliance Bank Stadium. These stations have already been built, and most of the track has been laid, with simply the bridge link missing.

Operating hours are limited, with trains running Friday through Sunday between September and May and only on Saturdays during the summer months. The fare is $1.50.

OnTrack is heavily subsidized. In order to be profitable, OnTrack needs 500 riders a day, but admits to drawing only about 60. About $8 million of state funds has been pumped into the line since it began operations in 1994.

Currently there are three hopes for a future for OnTrack:

Completion of the bridge mentioned above that would make the line much more useful as many people arrive in Syracuse through the transportation center and do not have a car with them or someone to pick them up. So far, construction problems have made that impossible.
The long overdue construction of Destiny USA, a multi-billion dollar tourism attraction, which is supposed to draw millions of tourists a year.
Increased ridership as a result of more strategically-placed stations. Currently all but one of the stations, Colvin Street, are in non-residential neighborhoods, although the line runs through several. The Colvin Street station has mostly failed to attract ridership, but this possibly could be blamed on OnTrack's operating hours, which do not include morning rush hour service.

OnTrack also runs the "Orange Express" shuttle during Syracuse University Carrier Dome events. This shuttle is much more successful.

OnTrack is the subject of criticism for failing to re-paint its railroad bridges over Erie Boulevard and South Geddes, West Fayette and West Genesee Streets. Congressman Jim Walsh appropriated $3 million in 2002 for Ontrack, although the company insists the money is earmarked for structural rather than cosmetic improvements. ^[1]

[edit] Stops

OnTrack's Network Map

From north to south:

Central New York Regional Market (Planned): Regional Produce Market
Alliance Bank Stadium (Planned): Formerly P&C Stadium, home of the Syracuse Chiefs AAA Baseball team.
William F. Walsh Regional Transportation Center (Planned): Syracuse's Amtrak, Greyhound and Trailways station.
Carousel Center: Syracuse's largest shopping mall, future site of Destiny USA.
600 Erie Place (Flag Stop): Serves the Westside Neighborhood.
Armory Square - Downtown Syracuse: Downtown station, on Armory Square, a major nightlife area that also has many small shops and restaurants.
Syracuse University - Carrier Dome: Station for the University Hill neighborhood, close to the Carrier Dome.
Colvin Street (flag stop): Serves the South Valley and Outer Comstock neighborhoods.
Rock Cut Road (seasonal flag stop)
Jamesville Village (seasonal flag stop)
Jamesville Beach (seasonal destination)

Stations planned for an expanded Salvation Army facility downtown were cancelled when the Syracuse Salvation Army received word in January 2006 that they had not been selected as one of the recipients of a grant from the Kroc Foundation, run by Joan B. Kroc. The foundation had donated $1.6 billion to be used for 48 new community centers nationwide. The grant proposal had requested $36 million for a facility offering recreation, arts, education and work force development.