Winter weather and traffic are two things Syracuse fans are all too familiar with when heading to the game at the Carrier Dome.
With last year’s legalization of ridesharing apps like Uber and Lyft in Upstate New York, S-U’s Gameday traffic is swelling, so this fall, ridesharing vehicles had a designated place to drop off Orange fans and foes alike.
“We’re trying to educate Lyft and Uber and taxis to drop off and pick up at this location over here”
S-U Director of Parking and Transit Services Joseph Carfi worked with the athletic department to make the lot a reality.
“So that’s the area that we worked out to be the dropoff and pickup”
But he says the advent of ridesharing hasn’t been without issues for S-U.
Carfi: “So they’re taking rideshares and they’re taking them right up to the game, so it has caused a lot more vehicular traffic in the area, no doubt about that”
With football season winding down, and basketball season starting back up again, there’s bound to be more traffic on campus during game times, SU parking and transit services knows this, and Carfi says the goal is to divert traffic away from university place and Euclid avenue so buses can get through freely, and plus, when you’re in the back of a car, you get protected from the elements pretty well.
Ridesharing drivers can make a right on South Crouse, and drop riders in this lot on University place near Crouse College, then these now-closed gates are open during gamedays to exit on to Irving Avenue.
Keenan Lewis drives for Lyft as a side job, and says he welcomes a well-defined lot from behind the wheel.
Lewis: It gives an opportunity for drivers to have easy access to and from, it has a dropoff space so it helps with the passenger knowing exactly where the pickup point is as opposed to driving around the Carrier Dome or what have you to kind of find your passenger”
“So this is our really first full year with rideshare and how its impacting us and I think we’re going to tweak things so, again, it benefits the fans that are coming to the games and in the long run its going to be great for the community.”
Carfi also says the ridesharing lot will be kept in use through basketball season.
In Syracuse, Jack Watson, N-C-C News.
By Jack Watson SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – Winter weather and traffic are two elements Syracuse fans are all too familiar with when heading to the Carrier Dome to cheer on the Orange.
This winter, however, as the Syracuse faithful make their way to S.U. for the big game, they can expect a newer option of getting to the Dome to continue, according to Joseph J. Carfi, the university’s Director of Parking and Transit Services.
Carfi worked with the athletic department as S.U. football home games began this fall to make the ridesharing lot at University Place a reality.
In 2017, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed a bill allowing the legalization of ridesharing apps like Uber and Lyft in Upstate New York. Since then, according to Carfi, “[Ridesharing] has caused a lot more vehicular traffic in the area,” Carfi said. “No doubt about that.”
“We’re trying to educate Lyft and Uber and taxis to drop off and pick up at this location over here,” said Carfi, pointing to the lot off Crouse Drive and University Place.
Carfi explained to NCC News that a goal of the ridesharing lot’s designated spot is to divert traffic away from University Place and Euclid Avenue so buses can get through freely to take spectators to the Manley Field House and Skytop parking lots.
To get to the ridesharing lot, drivers can make a right on South Crouse, and drop riders in this lot on University place near Crouse College, then these now-closed gates are open during Dome events to exit on to Irving Avenue.
Keenan Lewis drives for Lyft in the Syracuse area as a side job, and says he welcomes a well-defined lot from behind the wheel.
“It gives an opportunity for drivers to have easy access to-and-from,” says Lewis, “so it helps with the passenger knowing exactly where the pickup point is as opposed to driving around the Carrier Dome or what have you to, kind of, find your passenger.”
“This is our really first full year with rideshare and how its impacting us,” Carfi continued, citing the 2017 legalization of ridesharing apps in the region, “and I think we’re going to tweak things so, again, it benefits the fans that are coming to the games and in the long run its going to be great for the community.”
