thursday feb. 13, 2014
t h e i n de p e n de n t s t u de n t n e w s pa p e r of s y r a c u s e , n e w yor k |
dailyorange.com
t h e i n de p e n de n t s t u de n t n e w s pa p e r of s y r a c u s e , n e w yor k |
2014 LACROSSE SEASON PREVIEW SEE INSERT
dailyorange.com
Syverud passes up task force By Brett Samuels asst. news editor
Syracuse University Chancellor Kent Syverud has decided not to appoint anyone to serve on Mayor Stephanie Miner’s Stadium Task Force. The mayor created the task force to study the feasibility and potential effects of building a proposed new stadium in Syracuse. In a letter written to the mayor Feb. 7, Syverud said he had decided to undertake SU’s own internal analysis of options for addressing the replacement or renovation of the Carrier Dome. “It has become clear to me that the momentum to arrive at a quick decision on this opportunity, along with the necessary funding to support it, has, at least for the time being, subsided,” Syverud said in the letter. He added that while the mayor’s task force will “study the impact any proposed new stadium would have see task
The perfect shot
force page 8
university senate
Senators approve Renovations could improve West Street safety committee
TYLER ENNIS takes in the moment with his teammates following his 3-pointer at the end of regulation that gave No. 1 Syracuse a 58-56 victory at No. 25 Pittsburgh on Wednesday night. The Orange trailed by six points with two minutes remaining, but clutch scoring from senior forward C.J. Fair brought Syracuse closer and paved the way for Ennis’ heroic shot from 35 feet out as time expired. joshua chang staff photographer
By Jessica Iannetta staff writer
Proposed renovations to West Street in the Near Westside of Syracuse could make the road safer for pedestrians. Possible changes to the street include shutting down several lanes, closing the Marcellus Street entrance to West Street, and adding bike paths and parking to the roadway. A mid-block crosswalk could also be added to make crossing the street easier. The street could be repaved and the lane lines re-drawn by the end of the year, according to Near Westside residents and Near Westside Initiative staff familiar with the project. Though it runs through Syracuse, West Street has been owned and
operated by New York state since it was created in the 1960s as a way to funnel motorists onto Interstate 81 and New York state Route 690. As Syracuse debates change to I-81, Near Westside residents remain focused on the traffic the current version of this highway has brought to West Street. “The West Street arterial is kind of an example of what used to happen with highway planning and construction that shouldn’t happen anymore,” said Marilyn Higgins, Near Westside Initiative president. “They’re rectifying that problem and obviously the concern is not to make the same mistakes that were made in the past.” West Street, which runs past the Nancy Cantor Warehouse and up to
Route 690, effectively separates the Near Westside neighborhood from the rest of downtown. Near Westside residents, many of whom do not own cars, regularly have to cross this street to reach essential services in the downtown area, said Taino Palermo, a community organizer for the Near Westside Initiative. Palermo refers to West Street as “the Berlin Wall” and said he has seen people, including Syracuse University students, get hit by cars while trying to cross the road. Because many of the cars on West Street are coming off the highway, there is a natural tendency to speed down the street despite the residential surroundings, Palermo added. “We have women with strollers and other residents who have to
run across West Street, which at its widest point is six lanes wide,” he said. “It’s in no way, shape or form pedestrian-friendly.” Residents first brought up concerns about West Street during an October meeting about the future of I-81. Following the meeting, NYSDOT regional director Carl Ford put together a team of traffic engineers, landscape architects, and city and county representatives to address the concerns. The group has been meeting weekly and two weeks ago, Near Westside residents met with NYSDOT officials to review interim plans for West Street, Higgins said. To implement the changes, the city will use some state funds, Higgins added. NYSDOT spokesperson Gene see west
street page 9
By Jacob Pramuk asst. news editor
The University Senate unanimously passed a motion Wednesday to form an Ad-Hoc Committee that will evaluate Syracuse University’s policies on balancing work and family concerns. The motion was proposed by Marty Hanson, the co-chair for the Committee on Women’s Concerns, when she stressed that members of the SU community have come to the committee with concerns over childcare, maternity and parental leave and caregiving. “We want our community to live their lives and be able to work and not have to worry if horrible things are going on in their lives,” Hanson said. see usen page 9