William F. Walsh Regional Transportation Center

William F. Walsh Regional Transportation Center
Walsh Regional Transportation Center in Syracuse.
Location	1 Walsh Circle Syracuse, NY 13208
Coordinates	43°04′36″N 76°10′09″W / 43.0767°N 76.1691°W / 43.0767; -76.1691Coordinates: 43°04′36″N 76°10′09″W / 43.0767°N 76.1691°W / 43.0767; -76.1691
Owned by	Intermodal Transportation Center, Inc.
Line(s)	Empire Corridor (Mohawk Subdivision)
Platforms	1 side platform
Tracks	3
Connections	CENTRO: 16, 45, 46, 48, 50, 82, 88, 116, 188, 216, 246, 248, 316, 550 Greyhound Megabus: M26 Trailways
Construction
Parking	Yes
Bicycle facilities	Yes
Disabled access	Yes
Other information
Station code	SYR
Website	centro.org/RegionalTransportationCenter.aspx
History
Opened	1999
Traffic
Passengers (2016)	128,476 (Amtrak)  9.1%
Services
Preceding station   Amtrak   Following station Rochester toward Niagara Falls, NY Empire Service Rome toward New York City New York State Fair (Open only during the New York State Fair) toward Niagara Falls, NY Rochester toward Toronto Maple Leaf New York State Fair (Open only during the New York State Fair) toward Toronto Rochester toward Chicago Lake Shore Limited Utica toward New York City or Boston South Station

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.

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.

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.