Syracuse’s Common Council will vote Monday to set aside more funds for the University Hill Bike Network Implementation Project.

The plan was laid out in 2008 to establish segregated lanes and “traffic calming measures” in the Syracuse University area. The amendment would change the agreement amount from $264,000 to a total that wouldn’t exceed more than $594,500.

This additional $330,500 would cover the construction inspection and detail design costs of the project from C&S Engineers Inc.

The network in Syracuse was designed to “link to the community’s greater bike lane and trail system, improve bicyclist safety, elevate the priority of bicyclists over cars, and encourage alternative modes of transportation,” per the plan report.

The construction of the project is up for bids and will begin during the next construction season in 2019, said City Engineer Mary Robison. There will be bike lanes in the roadway and pedestrian improvements, she added.

The council will also vote to allow the Department of Parks, Recreation and Youth Programs to apply for a $15,000 8 80 Cities Wintermission grant to encourage social interaction and physical activity during the winter.

Julie LaFave, commissioner of the city’s parks and recreation department, said the department would use the grant money to purchase ice bikes, which are more stable and have blades so they can smoothly go over icy paths. Currently, Buffalo’s Canalside allows people to rent ice bikes.

“The idea is to get the senior population, special needs (population), anybody who doesn’t like to ice skate or ride a bike out on the ice,” LaFave said at Wednesday’s study session.

LaFave said the city would try to put the bikes in Clinton Square, but they could potentially be used year-round in indoor rinks.

Other business

Councilor Chad Ryan, of the 2nd district, asked Syracuse Auditor Marty Masterpole to address concerns about compensation of staffers at the Syracuse Hancock International Airport. Masterpole said that, about one month ago, he received a complaint from an employee at the parking contractor who no longer needed health insurance coverage and wanted to receive a higher rate, and the parking company told the employee that was not an option.

Masterpole said the council passed the Living Wage Ordinance in 2012, which states that an employer must pay its employees $12.19 an hour if the employer provides health benefits or $14.40 an hour if the employer does not provide benefits. Republic Parking, the company in charge of parking at the airport, has paid nine employees retroactively to compensate for the oversight, he said. The smallest check was for about $700 and the largest was for more than $10,000 for one employee who was shorted for roughly six years.

Council President Helen Hudson said the council might need to reassemble the Living Wage Committee in order to ensure employees of other applicable companies received their proper wages.

“Bad news is it happened for probably up to six years. The good news is there’s probably some parking attendants with Christmas bonuses,” Masterpole said.

Published on November 28, 2018 at 10:11 pm

Contact Dakota: dapalmer@syr.edu