Achieve Fiscal Sustainability
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FY 2023 Budget
In April, Mayor Walsh presented the sixth budget under his administration to the Syracuse Common Council. The $310 million budget enhanced services for parks, public works, police, fire, schools and neighborhood quality of life. The proposal reduced the City’s use of American Rescue Plan Act (APRA) relief and fund balance compared to the prior fiscal year. The plan relied on growth in sales tax and property values and proposed a 2% increase in the property tax rate to address the structural budget deficit that has plagued the City for decades.
Credit Rating Upgrade
A year after having its bond rating upgraded by Fitch and S&P, all three credit rating agencies maintained their ratings for Syracuse in 2023. With these ratings, Syracuse is considered fiscally stable by all three of the major bond agencies: Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s and Fitch.
Division of Equity, Compliance and Social Impact (DECSI)
The City established a new Division of Equity Compliance and Social Impact in the Office of Management and Budget The DECSI team established a strategic framework that is comprised of five sections: vendor engagement, social impact, analytics, contact management, and compliance. The new framework works to address vendors’ needs, provide resources, and support the overall goals of communication, transparency, and inclusivity.
Online MWBE Database
DECSI also launched a new streamlined digital directory to connect diverse vendors to City contracting opportunities. In the first month it was available, the City more than doubled the number of vendors enrolled from 42 to 110. Each application takes less than 10 minutes for staff to process, reduced from to 1-2 hours through the paper-based process used for the past 30 years. This efficiency translated to over 45 hours of staff time saved in the first month alone
Procurement Transformation
The City’s process for procuring goods and services began to undergo a full transformation in 2023. The City’s Procurement Transformation team embarked on a multi-disciplinary strategic planning and change management process to make city government more effective in its buying power and impact. Led by the Office of Management and Budget with technical support from the Harvard Kennedy School’s Government Performance Lab (GPL), the procurement transformation project will ensure that doing business with the City is cost-effective, results-driven, equitable, and strategic
Annual Assessments
Using a data centric approach, the City’s Department of Assessment reassessed about 7,500 properties last year. That’s a 40% increase over the prior year and enhances the equity of our assessment rolls.
Property Tax Relief for Seniors
Under a new state law, the City expanded of eligibility for partial exemption from City, School, and County property taxes for homeowners. Under the new eligibility requirements, residents that are 65 years old and older, as well as persons with disabilities, can qualify for a break on property taxes on a sliding scale.
Automated Issuance Management System (AIMS)
The City is improving its accuracy in citing municipal violations using Automated Issuance Management
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System (AIMS). Municipal violations like code violations, parking tickets, and health and sanitation violations, are now being cited using automated, electronic tickets. Employees in the field such as parking attendants and public works employees can use an automated handheld device in the field to issue tickets on-site. Tickets can now be paid online or contested using a QR code on the ticket. The automation of citing, paying, and contesting tickets makes for a more straightforward process beginning to end, saving time and resources for staff and constituents.
Tax Trust Program
The City’s new tax trust program launched early 2023, reduced the required down payment and interest rate and introduced availability for non-owner-occupied properties. It provides a more affordable option for residents who have fallen behind on property taxes and increases revenue for the City.
Increase Economic Investment and Neighborhood Stability
Distressed Property Fund
The Distressed Property Fund, which was supported with American Rescue Plan Act funds, spurred new economic development throughout the city. $1M was awarded to 8 projects, resulting in more than $140M in new investment activity and 160 new housing units.
Resurgent Neighborhoods Initiative (RNI)
RNI received $8.2M in ARPA funds for infill housing development to support new construction and rehabilitation of owner-occupied homes and affordable rental units on scattered sites throughout the city. The RNI Infill Housing Strategy will construct 50 single-family and 75 two-family new affordable homes in strategic locations based on site control, neighborhood need, and proximity to investment and public amenities. By the end of 2023, the infill strategy had more than 100 units of new housing completed or underway.
Former Syracuse Developmental Center
The City approved a development plan to create a new mixed-use, mixed-income campus that will support new workforce housing and job creation on the westside. Demolition is expected to take place in 2024.
City Hall Commons Sale
The City moved forward with the sale of City Hall Commons, the former home of 10 departments and divisions. The historic flatiron style building will undergo a $13.2M redevelopment into 39 units of mixed-income housing and ground floor commercial space and a will go back on the tax rolls.
One Park Place
The departments once housed at City Hall Commons have a new home at One Park Place. The sale of City Hall Commons facilitated the City's relocation of 150 employees to One Park Place at 300 S. State Street. The move included an updated Central Permit Office on the ground floor to improve services for businesses and residents seeking permits. The relocation also provides employees with an improved, efficient and customer service-friendly working environment and with new modern offices.
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Syracuse Housing Study
In May, the city completed part one of the Syracuse Housing Study, a city-wide assessment of the city’s housing market. In September, the subsequent Syracuse Housing Strategy was launched, establishing the next steps and outcomes for addressing the City’s market and affordability gaps identified in the study.
Syracuse Housing Trust Fund Corporation
The Syracuse Housing Trust Fund Corporation (SHTFC), a local development corporation created to serve as a coordinating body for funding housing needs, was established as a result of the Syracuse Housing Study. Authorized by the Common Council at the end of 2023, SHTFC will serve as the main vehicle for implementing recommendations from the city-wide housing strategy.
Proud Places
The Division of Neighborhood Development launched the Proud Places Project in the Butternut neighborhood this year to engage constituents in addressing neighborhood health and property conditions. Proud Places engages areas previously visited by City staff through the Mayor’s Neighborhood Powerwalks Initiative to deepen coordinated efforts to improve greenspaces, address problem properties, and connect residents to key resources.
Neighborhood and Business Development Growing
The Department of Neighborhood and Business Development created new roles to improve services and address quality of life concerns:
• Director of Data role to expand departmental data/spatial analysis capacity
• Immigrant and Refugee Affairs Coordinator position to assist New American communities in reaching resources necessary for resettlement in Syracuse, as well as ensuring that housing and business engagement initiatives are designed in ways that serve their unique needs.
• Director of East Adams Neighborhood Redevelopment, who will work closely with the City’s Interstate 81 Project Director as well as the City’s Housing Initiatives Project Manager to ensure a community-driven and equity-based approach to planning and redeveloping the East Adams neighborhood.
Syracuse Lead Ordinance
2023 marked the first full year of the Syracuse Lead Ordinance developed in coordination with the Syracuse Common Council. The ordinance allows for proactive testing of both the interior and exterior of pre-1978 residential structures and the exterior of pre-1978 nonresidential structures. It also allows for any inspections performed as part of an application for a certificate of compliance, or for a rental registry certificate, to include a visual assessment for deteriorated paint and bare soil violations. Since implementing the program, Code Enforcement inspectors have issued lead paint violations at nearly 2,200 properties. In nearly half of those cases, the landlords have already addressed the condition.
Tobacco Ordinance
Mayor Walsh signed a new licensing requirement into law in 2023 aimed at stopping the sale of tobacco to minors and reducing the number of individuals of all ages who use tobacco products and electronic smoking devices. The ordinance restricts the placement of new tobacco retail locations near schools, parks and existing tobacco retailers in the city of Syracuse. The Tobacco ordinance also capped the number of available tobacco retail licenses and sets a licensing approval policy that reduces tobacco retail locations in the city in the future.
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Zoning, Preservation, Planning and Sustainability
The offices of Zoning Administration and Planning and Sustainability became part of City government in 2023 after moving from the Syracuse-Onondaga County Planning Agency (SOCPA) to the City’s Department of Neighborhood and Business Development (NBD). The change is part of a planned transition between the City and the County to improve constituent and customer service and better manage growth in city and county neighborhoods.
Zoning and Preservation Administration
Zoning and preservation administration, including the Planning Commission, the Board of Zoning Appeals and Syracuse Landmark Preservation Board, is now managed in the same department as permitting, licensing and code enforcement under the leadership of a newly created position, Deputy Commissioner of Code Enforcement and Zoning Administration.
Division of Planning & Sustainability
The new Division of Planning & Sustainability was developed to focus on short and long-term planning projects and develop new sustainability initiatives to improve the livability and quality of life for City residents and visitors. It is overseen by the newly created position of Deputy Commissioner of Planning and Sustainability.
New Zoning Ordinance
The City adopted a new zoning ordinance and map for the first time in decades. The multi-year project, Rezone Syracuse, included over 100 public engagement meetings and created a user-friendly ordinance, modernized land uses, and streamlined the development review process.
Le Moyne Area Neighborhood Plan
The City began implementation of the Le Moyne Area Neighborhood Plan. The Plan includes new sidewalk, lighting, bike lanes and other initiatives to improve quality of life and safety of neighborhood residents. In 2023, the City installed new sidewalks, pedestrian beacons and bike lanes along Salt Springs and Springfield Roads to improve pedestrian safety, updated and installed more lighting along Springfield Road, and repaired existing lights to ensure proper illumination for all users.
Elevating Erie Award
The City was proud to receive a planning award from the American Planning Association: The Upstate New York Award for Implementation of the Elevating Erie Project.
Parks Facilities Upgrades
At Huntington Park in Eastwood, a Hexagonal Basketball Court a six-sided court ideally suited to smaller games and shooting practice for multiple users at once – was opened to residents.
At the Syracuse Inner Harbor, a kayak/canoe launch was opened, connecting to the Onondaga Creekwalk and including an operating ADA compliant floating aluminum dock with access ramp for walkers and chair users, and a ramp to slide watercraft to the dock.
At the Southwest Community Center, Parks and the Department of Public Works Skilled Trades teams rebuilt the roof of the pool house.
At indoor pools across the city, ADA compliant lifts were installed, making all more accessible.
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Tree Canopy
The Forestry team planted a total of 3,000 trees on public and private lands. 70% of trees were planted in the city’s lowest canopy neighborhoods, and 75% of trees were planted by young people from disadvantaged communities through the programs of Onondaga Earth Corps. Over 560 people participated in tree walks, planting and pruning events through Parks Forestry programs.
New Dog Shelter in Jamesville
Parks worked with the County and multiple community partners to reestablish a canine shelter and adoption facility at the former Second Chance facility in Jamesville. It will help serve the overflow of stray city dogs that can’t be housed at the City’s primary shelter facility
Syracuse Surge
Syracuse Surge is the City’s strategy for inclusive growth in the new economy. The city of Syracuse and CenterState CEO, with support from SUNY EOC, OCM BOCES, Le Moyne College and Onondaga Community College, have aligned with local employers to launch several Syracuse Surge job training programs to prepare a local workforce with tech skills for today's economy.
Syracuse SEAM High School
The City, Onondaga County and the Syracuse City School District broke ground on the $74M Syracuse STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) High School in December. The STEAM School will be the first of its kind in the region.
Syracuse Surge Workforce Training
Syracuse Surge Workforce Training, which includes advanced manufacturing and coding and software programs, enrolled 1,421 participants in 7 training and upskilling programs this year These programs include:
• Surge Advanced Manufacturing, a short-term entry-level training programs, graduated 76 participants
• Electromechanical Mechanical Technician, a short-term mid-level program, graduated 30 participants
• Surge Defense, a long-term, mid-level and skill-specific training program, graduated its first cohort of 16 participants.
• Le Moyne College ERIE21 – trained 1,500 city school students for tech-centered pathways to good careers
Coding and software training included:
• Surge Coding Apprenticeship: 10 graduates;
• Digital Customer Service: 61 graduates;
• Careers in Code: 71 graduates;
• Lock 3 and Lock 4 Cyber Security and Computer Science Certificates: 138 graduates;
• Digital Upskilling in Healthcare Careers: 977 graduates.
Surge Accelerator
CenterState CEO in partnership with the City launched the first Syracuse Surge Accelerator Cohort. The program advances Black-Indigenous-Persons of Color (BIPOC) entrepreneurs and accelerates new or
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existing tech-related startups within the city of Syracuse. Five businesses were selected for the first cohort, which will graduate in 2024.
NY SMART I-Corridor Tech Hub
Syracuse, Rochester, and Buffalo jointly applied and were awarded as a federal Tech Hub, a designation created in the CHIPS & Science Act. The “NY SMART I-Corridor Tech Hub” designation positions the region as a global hub for workforce training, innovation, and manufacturing of semiconductor technology. The NY SMART I-Corridor Tech Hub proposal will now compete for the next phase of the tech hubs program, which will invest $50-$75 million in up to 10 regions chosen from the 31. Ultimately, the program could grow up to $10 billion, meaning that successful tech hubs may have the opportunity for significant additional funding.
Surge Link: Community Broadband Program
The City launched a municipal broadband service for households whose income is at or below 200% of Federal Poverty Guidelines or participate in a federal assistance program. Surge Link provides high speed internet for eligible underserved residents in the Southside and Westside neighborhoods. Since launching, the program has already served over 400 families.
Digital Empowerment Program
The City launched the Digital Empowerment Program (DEP) in partnership with the Syracuse Community Center Collaborative. The program provides digital literacy and technical assistance services to Syracuse residents engaging them in safe and effective use of the internet and digital tools to achieve a higher quality of life. In 2023, the program served more than 500 residents and distributed about 200 Chromebooks to families without computers at home.
Tech Garden Expansion
The City of Syracuse and partners broke ground on The Tech Garden expansion. The $32M project will add 46,000 square-feet of space to the region’s key tech business incubator facility. The Tech Garden expansion advances CenterState CEO’s work in launching high-potential early-stage businesses and anchor Syracuse's City Center Innovation Hub.
Syracuse Build
Syracuse Build, the City’s paid construction and skilled trades workforce training program is currently in its sixth cohort of trainees for its flagship program Pathways to Apprenticeship. In 2023, Syracuse Build doubled its average class size to 30 participants per cohort. The program graduated 149 skilled participants across the following programs in 2023:
• Pathways to Apprenticeship hosted 2 cohorts and graduated 42 participants
• Build Ready, which provides 140 hours of hands-on training to prepare students for various construction/apprenticeship positions, hosted 3 classes and graduated 19 participants
• Syracuse City School District CDL training in graduated 5 participants
• National Tractor Trailer School CDL training program graduated 10 participants
• BOCES HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) program
• A new Electrical Maintenance Technician program was launched with BOCES
Safer Streets Program
The Mayor’s Office to Reduce Gun Violence advanced the Safer Streets Program in August of 2023 after
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it was passed by the Syracuse Common Council. With this program, the Mayor’s Office to Reduce Gun Violence has developed a strategy to resolve personal conflicts before violence occurs, using ‘credible messengers’, cognitive behavioral therapy to address trauma, anger and impulsiveness of participants, mentoring, and workforce experience training incentives for participants engaged in skills building training.
Syracuse Police Department
The Syracuse Police Department (SPD) graduated four classes, 25 officers in total, in 2023. To encourage interest in careers with SPD, the Department relaunched its Cadet Program in March, designed to be a steppingstone for prospective candidates SPD has 13 cadets set to graduate in March 2024
New Schedule
The department fully implemented a new work schedule, which allows for an overlap of staff during peak call times and puts more officers on the streets when they are needed most. It also allows more walking beats and bike patrols and is better for officer wellbeing. And the new schedule is improving response times. The average “minutes to dispatch” was reduced by nearly 30% after introducing the new schedule.
Gun Buy Back
In the third year of the Syracuse Gun Buyback Program in partnership with the NYS Attorney General’ Office, SPD recovered 751 guns. This is in addition to 259 firearms recovered while working in the field. The Syracuse Gun Buyback is cited as among the most successful in New York State.
Representing a significant reduction in gun crime from 2022, Syracuse Police report that instances of shots fired were down 16%, shootings with injury were down 38%, shootings with injury or death down 36% and shooting victims who were injured or died were down 31%.
Citizens Academy
SPD continued its Citizens Academy, designed to educate community members about police training and tactics, rules and regulations. In 2023, Citizens Academy graduated 12 residents.
Syracuse Police Activity/Athletics League
The Syracuse Police Athletic/Activities League (PAL) introduced five new programs in 2023. Syracuse PAL created a Veterans Day Drawing Contest, hosted a Skills Win! Tournament to connect middle school students with professional development training, held a “The Police and Me” book tour with author Derrick Dotson to build positive relationships between officers and children in the classroom, and created rowing and dance programs.
Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED)
The city saw more crime reduction efforts utilizing Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) methods. CPTED includes teams from SPD, DPW (including street lighting and environmental services), NBD, including Codes, and Law. The cross-departmental team works to address neighborhood elements like lighting, overgrowth, illegal dumping and blighted properties to create safer neighborhoods.
Syracuse Fire Department
The Syracuse Fire Department responded to about 29,500 total alarms in 2023, the most ever in the
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department history, including 83 major structure fires. The average response time was just two minutes and 53 seconds – the best in Onondaga County.
ISO Class Rating
SFD has once again earned the highest-level Public Protection Classification rating “ISO Class 1” from the national organization that grades communities on fire suppression – a rating achieved by less than 1% of fire departments in the country. In addition to documenting excellence, the ISO 1 certification means lower costs for fire insurance.
New Fire Training Tower
The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding made it possible to replace an outdated fire training tower with a new best-in-class facility. By the end of 2023, SFD had already trained 8,400 hours in the new tower.
Award-Winning Fire Prevention Program
SFD’s Fire Prevention Bureau, which installs smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and conducts a comprehensive year-round community education program, received the Onondaga County Boynton Award, recognizing outstanding fire prevention programs for children and youth. SFD’s outreach included more than 1,000 door visits with handouts after structure fires, about 1,200 smoke detector installations and 152 fire prevention community events.
Award-Winning Fire Leadership
Fire Chief Michael Monds, a 23-year veteran of the Syracuse Fire Department, received New York State Association of Fire Chief’s 2023 Fire Chief of the Year award, recognizing exemplary leadership, innovation, professional development, integrity, service to the public, and contributions to the fire service.
Provide Quality Constituent Engagement and Response
LGBTQ Equality Index
Syracuse earned a top score of 100 in the Municipal Equality Index (MEI), a comprehensive nationwide assessment of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ+) equality in municipal policies, laws and services. Syracuse was one of six cities in New York earning 100 out of 100 points in the MEI Index, which is conducted by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for LGBTQ+ people. This designation affirms the work of the Mayor’s LGBTQ+ Advisory Board. The Board is an avenue for representatives of the LGBTQ+ community to provide input and feedback to the City on matters of policy, programming, procedure and training.
Syracuse Named a Digital Inclusion Trailblazer
The City received the 2023 Digital Inclusion Trailblazer Award from the National Digital Inclusion Alliance for its efforts to close the digital divide. The distinction recognizes Syracuse’s commitment to digital inclusion – access to affordable high-speed internet, devices, and digital skills training. Digital Inclusion Trailblazers are municipal, county, or regional governments that are paving the way and providing excellent models for digitally inclusive communities.
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Open Data Portal
In 2023, the Office of Analytics, Performance, and Innovation (API) added 34 new or updated datasets to the Open Data Portal, an online resource for constituents to engage with open data, maps, and visualizations to help you understand what is happening in the city.
Open Data Day
In November, API held its first Open Data Day, which brought together about 130 local data-oriented minds to provide analysis, visualizations and web projects tied to understanding citizens’ experience with transportation systems in Syracuse. The result was 8 total projects, which are posted online for public use.
Online FOIL Program
The Department of Law took the FOIL (Freedom of Information Law) process online. Now, citizens can more easily and accessibly request information available under FOIL. Residents can access the link from syr.gov/foil.
The Office of Communications continues to improve the efficiency of City communications and public engagement to the public and the media. For the first time, the City of Syracuse has unified its communications and public information officers into a Citywide Communications Team
Responsive Public Information
The City has improved news media engagement through distribution of 226 non-emergency press releases and 552 emergency (fire, police, winter weather or infrastructure) press releases in 2023.
Improving Public Engagement and Marketing
The City has improved public engagement by increasing the quality and quantity of reach for city programs through both digital channels and community partnerships. Examples include:
• The City grew the social media audience following of City accounts from a combined 208,800 followers in 2022 to 224,000 in 2023.
• The Syracuse Police is the 3rd most followed Public Safety Agency in New York, behind the NYPD and Buffalo Police
• The City has partnered with the Office of Human Resources to revive the @WorkForSyracuse social media account to support talent acquisition, reach jobseekers and share stories of why the city is becoming an Employer of Choice.
• The City now engages residents at least 5 times per project or program by sharing information (1) on syr.gov, (2) on social media, (3) with news and media partners, (4) with community partners through newsletters and forums, and (5) with physical marketing material via mail or accessible and targeted locations.
A New City Website
In 2023, the Communications Office partnered with Digital Services to successfully complete migration of content from the old city website at syrgov.net to the new secure syr.gov. Using syr.gov provides several benefits for both employees and residents:
• City departments can now monitor analytics and web behavior reports on web traffic from an average of 35,000 users per month.
• Residents can perform 36 new self-services on syr.gov that were previously only in-person.
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• Retired two dozen unused and unmonitored digital domains and continue to write and support new content and launch new websites the right way while partnering with IT to manage the City’s information securely.
Visual Storytelling with Photographers
The Communications Office launched a photo series to help tell the story of Syracuse in visual content. The series, #Syracuse Photo Series, seeks out talented photographers in the community to help us tell the story of the city by featuring seasonally selected photos on the city website and prominently on social media.
Leadership in Communications
The Communications and Marketing Director, Ruthnie Angrand, was named ELGL Top 100 Influencers in Local Gov Award (formerly Traeger Award) in 2023. Engaging Local Government Leaders (ELGL) is a professional association with more than 4800 members from all 50 states and overseas focused on authentic and meaningful practices in government.
New Marketing Apprenticeship
The Communications Office has partnered with Manufacturers Association of Central New York (MACNY) to participate in the launch of a registered apprenticeship for a Marketing Coordinator. This ensures the City engages in creating workforce advancement pathways in its use of marketing and digital engagement.
Deliver City Services Effectively, Efficiently and Equitably
City Data Alliance
The City of Syracuse was announced as 1 of 20 cities selected to participate in Bloomberg Philanthropies’ City Data Alliance. Through the Alliance, the City is engaged in executive education and coaching on how to leverage data to strengthen government operations, innovate public services, and produce better outcomes for residents. The City’s focus areas include improving access to health care, reimagining waste management systems, expanding affordable housing, and combatting homelessness.
What Works Cities Certification
Results for America awarded the City of Syracuse with Bloomberg Philanthropies What Works Cities Certification at the Gold-Level for exceptional use of data to inform policy decisions, allocate funding, improve services, evaluate program effectiveness, and engage residents. What Works Cities Certification sets the standard of excellence for data-informed, well-managed local government. This is the third What Works Cities Certification Syracuse has received.
Smart City Award
Syracuse was named a winner in the International Data Corporation (IDC) Government Insights’ Smart Cities North America Award (SCNAA) competition. The IDC recognizes progress by municipalities in smart cities projects. A national online vote picked Syracuse as the winner in the Next-Generation Emergency Services category for its forward-thinking, tech-enabled snow response and resources for winter weather
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operations. Winners of the SCNAA illustrate best practice examples of how forward-thinking municipalities are effectively leveraging technology and innovation to offer sustainable, new services and economic opportunities to meet the needs and expectations of diverse communities. Seamless integration with mapping technology makes it possible for the DPW to share a publicly accessible map of plow coverage with residents, increasing transparency and leading to a 30% decrease in citizen calls about snowplow service.
Modernized Trash Services
Full implementation of the City’s new trash cart program was completed in 2023. The new lidded, 96gallon trash carts have reduced trash by 319 tons since December 2022. Semi-automated cart pickup has allowed workers to roll carts from the curb to the truck where a cart tipper lifts and dumps the contents of the cart into the truck. This increased safety by removing the burden of manual lifting and dumping that causes injuries; worker injuries were reduced from 21 total injuries in 2022 to 6 in 2023.
Road Reconstruction
In 2023, the Department of Public Works (DPW) completed roadwork on 14 miles of city streets. DPW also completed the massive, multi-year West Genesee Street Dig Once project – completely reconstructing a major artery running from downtown all the way to the western city line. The work encompassed installing sidewalks, safer driveways, and pedestrian crossings the entire length of the project.
Municipal Sidewalk Program
In the second full year of the Municipal Sidewalk Program, the City fixed more than 12 miles of sidewalks, creating safer, more walkable sidewalks leading to schools, parks, shopping districts and other areas with high pedestrian and vehicle traffic.
Speed Cushion Installations
The City implemented 11 more asphalt “speed cushions” on five city streets in 2023 The speed cushions are designed to slow traffic without impacting emergency vehicles, making it safer for walkers, cyclists and residents. Data from 2023 shows that speeds are lower on streets where past speed cushions have been installed.
VEO e-Scooters and Bikes
Veo continued to serve city residents with point-to-point micromobility share program. With an expanded Syracuse fleet of nearly 1,000 Veo e-scooters or bikes, the highest number of rides in a single day in 2023 was over 3,500, and the distance traveled was over 700,000 miles.
I-81 Groundbreaking
In 2023, federal, state and local officials celebrated the official groundbreaking of Interstate 81 Project, formally launching one of the largest and most ambitious construction projects ever undertaken by New York State. Overseen by the State Department of Transportation, the $2.25 billion project will create a Community Grid to reconnect neighborhoods severed by the I-81 viaduct's construction and correct an enduring injustice that has disproportionately impacted residents of color in the City of Syracuse for decades.
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Syracuse City School District Investments
In 2023, projects at eight Syracuse City Schools were closed out as part of Joint Schools Construction Board Phase II, representing $300M in investments. Those schools included:
• Huntington Elementary
• Henninger High School
• Corcoran High School
• Nottingham High School
• Danforth Middle School
• Expeditionary Learning Middle School (ELMS)
• Clary Middle School
• PSLA @ Fowler High School
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