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Snowy Weather Means Bus Route Changes in Syracuse Winter Weather Means Bus Delays in Syracuse

By Emmalee Faith

Emmalee Faith: Centro bus driver Jay Haze says as snow piles up on the streets bus routes may change and even delay.Haze says delay time can range anywhere from five to 45 minutes depending on weather severity.He says if the city gets behind on snow plowing the streets, delays can exceed over an hour.

Jay Haze: If the city’s not plowing the bus might get stuck and theres people sliding off the road, ya know…things of that nature.

Emmalee Faith: Haze says alternate routes built into the bus schedule are called snow routes.The snow routes can include detours that avoid icy pockets and other dangerous elements on the streets.Centro bus driver David Wynn says the alternate routes also avoid commonly used turnpikes, hills and streets with sharp turns.

David Wynn: Theres a lot of ya know, inclimate weather, so we dont go up like certain hills just so the buses dont slide and we wanna keep a safe route.”)

Emmalee Faith: Wynn says the alternate routes shouldn´t add to commute time, but that when it does, it´s a small price to pay for rider safety. He says people can always reference the Centro website for an updated schedule and time delays.

Emmalee Faith: In addition to looking online, while people are waiting at the bus stop they can check the centro schedule or the centro mobile app for updates on when their bus will be arriving. In Syracuse, I’m Emmalee Faith, N-C-C News.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – Public transportation systems will have to adapt as temperatures drop in Syracuse. To accommodate icy roads and a build up of snow, Centro will require buses to detour to ¨snow routes.¨

Jay Haze, a Centro bus driver, said one of the biggest issues he’s seen is when the city doesn’t do an adequate job of snow plowing the streets. He said if there are still piles of snow on the streets when the buses try to drive it can threaten bus safety.

“If the city’s not plowing, the bus might get stuck and then theres people sliding off the road,” Haze said.

Haze said if the roads are well kept buses can operate just fine. He said depending on severity of snow buildup, however, buses can see anywhere from 15 to 45 minute delays, “maybe even up to an hour,” or over.

Centro bus driver David Wynn said another reason  “snow routes” are vital for safety is because they avoid  turnpikes, sharp turns and steep hills that are typically used on a sunny day- but pose a threat on a snowy one.

“We don’t go up certain hills just so the buses don’t slide,”  Wynn said “we wanna keep a safe route. ”

He said buses still have to adhere to a strict schedule, but if they are delayed- it’s a small price to pay for rider safety.

Centro’s latest public transportation information can be found here  and on their twitter account here.

People can use the Centro mobile app to follow live updates on bus transit, route delays and traffic warnings.

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