A recent article posted on the news website Current Central (If you’re not a reader, you should be) has inspired The Hound to once again bark up a favorite tree.
Reporter Chris Libonati writes that Onondaga County Exec Ryan McMahon is considering the possibility of implementing bus rapid and light rail as local transportation options. In terms of our perhaps- fanciful idea for use during the New York State Fair, we’ll focus on the light rail. 
Our understanding is that it would be a local-use train providing quick trips for commuters who may otherwise be driving a personal vehicle or taking a bus.
Libonati compares the rail plan to the OnTrack train routes that ran from 1994 to 2008. That train didn’t roll to the Fairgrounds, but it sure would be great to have that option. Driving and parking in Fair lots can be slow and frustrating, especially on high-attendance days and when a concert at the Amp complicates the approach.
It seems that the use of a train to deliver customers to the Fair would provide a fun, fast option that would keep cars off I-690 and State Fair Boulevard while freeing up space in parking lots.
Amtrack trains already stop at the mini-depot near the racing stables to drop off passengers from neighboring towns, so we wonder if they could also bring folks from downtown and Syracuse suburbs.
As The Hound advocated in Slow Roll (Sep. 15, 2019), taking a local train to the Fair would add some fun and convenience to the trip, which would be better than navigating the massive traffic jams that often leave us exiting our cars exasperated. There are many tracks that run past the Fairgrounds and trains–mostly freight trains–roll by frequently.
Maybe the Fair should partner with County officials to put the Fairgrounds in the loop, literally of the light rail plan, putting Fair commuters on track for a smoother ride. It would be a major project, but linking it to the proposed light rail system makes it seem possible.
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