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City considers converting select west‑campus one‑way streets to two‑way after Syracuse University request
Summary
Syracuse DPW presented a study, requested by Syracuse University, to return several one‑way streets near West Campus to two‑way traffic; university planners and the consultant said it can lower speeds and help emergency access, while councilors pressed for Vision Zero crash data and pedestrian-safety analysis.
Neil Burke, deputy commissioner for the Department of Public Works, told the Syracuse City Council that item 11 seeks revisions to the traffic code to allow two‑way traffic on a small set of currently one‑way streets in the west‑campus pocket near Syracuse University.
Jennifer BiBe, Associate Director for Planning at Syracuse University, said the change responds to I‑81 construction, local street closures and changes to the Dome shuttle route. She said the streets were originally built as two‑way, were converted to one‑way in 1979 to support shuttle routing, and have operated as temporary two‑way during recent Dome events with “by all accounts it’s worked extremely well.”
Amy Deike, senior managing transportation engineer at Passero Associates, who performed the university’s traffic study, said two‑way operation often reduces travel speeds, improves cyclist safety and reduces driver confusion for visitors and delivery drivers. She warned that one particular concern on Stadium Place is a mid‑block pedestrian crossing with two curb lanes in the same direction, which can create sightline hazards if drivers in the adjacent lane do not see a stopped vehicle yielding to a pedestrian. Deike noted New York State law requires drivers to stop for pedestrians in crosswalks.
Council members asked whether the study included crash history or Vision Zero metrics; Deike said the study did not analyze crash data and that the area had not been identified on the city’s high‑injury network. Councilor Erin Reid and others expressed concern about pedestrian volumes on game days and whether two‑way conversion would increase vehicular volumes or create new conflicts.
On implementation and cost, presenters said the physical work would be limited to new pavement markings and signage; Syracuse University offered to pay for signage and to reimburse DPW for restriping. DPW said police and fire were consulted in earlier discussions and that, from a network standpoint, the changes should not materially affect overall operations. The project team said NYSDOT had been broached about a proposed Van Buren roundabout but did not present a final roundabout coordination plan at the session.
Next steps: Councilors asked DPW and the applicant to supply Vision Zero/crash data and more detail on the NYSDOT coordination before a final ordinance revision is scheduled.
