Predictably, much of the public conversation and customer feedback after the record-setting 2019 New York State Fair has centered around issue of getting there, negotiating parking lots and accessing internal modes of travel.
The high point–or low point, depending on how you look at it–was day 11, Saturday, Aug. 31. It was expected that completely unmanageable traffic jams would occur that day, though record attendance of 147,749 was a mild surprise. 
The reasons for the massive throng that converged on the Fairgrounds were obvious as the Saturday before Labor Day is always one of the best attended, unless the weather is terrible. Not only was the weather lovely, there were major concerts at both Chevy Court and the Experience Stage and the first Syracuse University football game of the season was being screened inside the Expo Center.
The annual fireworks display, traditionally saved for Labor Day, exploded overhead that night (though 10 p.m. was way too late for most). In addition, admission had been cut to one dollar for everyone and parking in the new Willis Ave. lot was free until the lot was filled. 
Of course the nitwits who run the Lakeview Amphitheater had to book a popular show that night, something that surely made a bad situation worse. That practice has to stop and it looks like Onondaga County government officials (looking at you County Exec McMahon) have to intervene to make sure it does.
State Fair Hound readers can’t say they weren’t warned. The Hound recommended early arrival to avoid the inevitable traffic mess (Dawn Patrol, Aug. 30, 2019).
Angry visitors made comments on local television news shows and sent critical letters to the daily newspaper. Reporters asked Fair Director Troy Waffner tough questions, many about the accommodations for disabled people and the new bus drop-off location at gate 10.
Though the parking changes and the traffic jam are related, there are at least two primary issues one the table–how to get all those people there and how to park and process them once they arrive.
Barring major land acquisition to allow more entry points, which seems extremely unlikely, it’s hard to see how driving directly to Fair parking lots can be changed to accommodate such high volume. There are only so many lanes coming in.
The time has come for an innovative approach advocated by State Fair Hound, utilizing nearby railroad tracks to bring customers in by local trains. Yeah, it’s seems complicated, labor-intensive and probably expensive. But it would not only provide a route to the gates for thousands of passengers, it could actually be another attraction for the Fair–a fast, fun, exciting, accessible way around gridlocked roads and overheated engines, not to mention overheated drivers.
Trains do bring passengers from out-of-town stations–as the train in the top photo is doing–so why not bring passengers from downtown, Liverpool, DeWitt and other nearby communities on rail lines? There’s a platform near Gate 11 and a tram stop at the corner. 
Of course, patrons who arrive by rail don’t take up space in on-site parking lots.
That bubbling mini-train that navigated Broadway this year may have provided a hint for future Fair travel. Let’s follow up on it.
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