Syracuse seeks public input on next Onondaga Creekwalk extension phase

Syracuse officials asked residents Monday evening to weigh in on the next Onondaga Creekwalk extension at Brighton Academy Middle School Cafeteria, where the city laid out plans to push the trail 3 miles south from West Colvin Street to Dorwin Avenue.

The Phase 3 project would extend the city’s signature creekside corridor deeper into the Southside and Valley areas, tying together neighborhoods, parks and school routes along Onondaga Creek. City materials say the finished system would bring the full Creekwalk to nearly 8 miles, stretching from Onondaga Lake to Dorwin Avenue.

The project is still in design, with more than $2 million set aside for design work and $12.8 million budgeted for construction. The city’s timeline runs from January 2025 to fall 2031, giving planners several more years to refine the route, crossings and access points before work is complete.

City documents show the preferred trail alignment was shaped by public input, construction feasibility and the project budget, and officials said Monday’s meeting was another chance for residents to influence details before the design hardens. Concept drawings included sidewalk improvements, roadway crossing upgrades, trailheads and a possible pedestrian bridge replacement. The plan also calls for new access points to Onondaga Creek, including places that could support canoeing and fishing.

The corridor’s location makes the trade-offs especially visible. The route would pass near Kirk Park, Southside Academy Charter School, Van Duyn Elementary and Brighton Academy Middle School, putting safety, school access and neighborhood circulation at the center of the conversation. For nearby blocks, the extension could mean easier connections to downtown, the creek and the lakefront. It could also raise concerns about land use, long-term maintenance and how the trail fits beside homes, streets and other public spaces.

The existing Creekwalk already runs 4.8 miles, mostly parallel to Onondaga Creek from Onondaga Lake through downtown and south to West Colvin Street. The Phase II extension opened in July 2020, adding 2.2 miles from Armory Square to Kirk Park. Trail history places the first proposal for the creekwalk in 1979, underscoring how long Syracuse has been working to turn the creek corridor into a connected public route.

Several public meetings were held in 2025 before the current round of outreach. Even with a preferred route on the table, the feedback gathered around Brighton Academy Middle School could still shape access, safety features and the final design of a project that will define how Syracuse moves along Onondaga Creek for years to come.