Salt City Transit

University Thesis

Service Designer

2019 - 2020

Myself

/Project

/Role

/Timeline

/Stakeholders

/Tools

Salt City Transit

University Thesis

Service Designer

2019 - 2020

Myself

/Project

/Role

/Timeline

/Stakeholders

/Tools

/project

/project

University Project

University Project

/role

/role

Self Guided Thesis

Self Guided Thesis

/timeline

/timeline

2 Semesters

/stakeholders

/stakeholders

SUIID

SUIID

/tools

/tools

/project

University Project

/role

Self Guided Thesis

/timeline

2 Semesters

/stakeholders

SUIID

/tools

The Problem:

The Problem:

The Problem:

Transportation in Syracuse is more than a mobility challenge—it is a community challenge. Existing infrastructure prioritizes individual vehicle use, creating barriers between neighborhoods while contributing to environmental degradation and reduced opportunities for physical activity.


By reimagining mobility as a shared civic experience, Syracuse can create a transportation network that moves people while strengthening the city itself.

Transportation in Syracuse is more than a mobility challenge—it is a community challenge. Existing infrastructure prioritizes individual vehicle use, creating barriers between neighborhoods while contributing to environmental degradation and reduced opportunities for physical activity.


By reimagining mobility as a shared civic experience, Syracuse can create a transportation network that moves people while strengthening the city itself.

Transportation in Syracuse is more than a mobility challenge—it is a community challenge. Existing infrastructure prioritizes individual vehicle use, creating barriers between neighborhoods while contributing to environmental degradation and reduced opportunities for physical activity.


By reimagining mobility as a shared civic experience, Syracuse can create a transportation network that moves people while strengthening the city itself.

0+Syracuse Residents
0%Syracuse Residents Drive
0+Daily Bus Riders

A survey of Commuters in Syracuse found:

A survey of Commuters in Syracuse found:

The Problem:

Transportation in Syracuse is more than a mobility challenge—it is a community challenge. Existing infrastructure prioritizes individual vehicle use, creating barriers between neighborhoods while contributing to environmental degradation and reduced opportunities for physical activity.


By reimagining mobility as a shared civic experience, Syracuse can create a transportation network that moves people while strengthening the city itself.

0+Syracuse Residents
0%Syracuse Residents Drive
0+Daily Bus Riders

A survey of Commuters in Syracuse found:

How might we redesign Syracuses commuter infrastructure to better unify the vast array of communities that exist within a city?

How might we redesign Syracuses commuter infrastructure to better unify the vast array of communities that exist within a city?

How might we redesign Syracuses commuter infrastructure to better unify the vast array of communities that exist within a city?

(02)

Mind Map

Mapping out the ins and outs of Syracuse transit infrastructure.

body filler text body filler text body filler text body filler text body filler text body filler text body filler text body

Mapping out the ins and outs of transit infrastructure.

(02)

Mind Map

Mapping out the ins and outs of Syracuse transit infrastructure.

(04)

Stakeholder Interviews

(03)

Stakeholder Interviews

Testing my assumptions, speaking with community stakeholders, and checking temperature on lived experience in the city.

body filler text body filler text body filler text body filler text body filler text body filler text body filler text body

Testing my assumptions, speaking with community stakeholders, and checking temperature on lived experience in the city.

Marteen Jacobs

Marteen Jacobs

Marteen Jacobs

"Reviving the Erie Canal would be wonderful, however it was filled in because it was a hazard to public health."

"Reviving the Erie Canal would be wonderful, however it was filled in because it was a hazard to public health."

body filler text body filler text body filler text body filler text body filler textbody filler text body filler text body filler text

Cindy Paikin

Cindy Paikin

Cindy Paikin

"What I would really love to see is the university teaching first year students to be more in touch with the greater Syracuse Community."

"What I would really love to see is the university teaching first year students to be more in touch with the greater Syracuse Community."

Matthew Finn

Matthew Finn

Matthew Finn

"What does it mean to better serve? And for to whom will the service be better?"

"What does it mean to better serve? And to whom will the service be better?"

Brittany Berry

Brittany Berry

Brittany Berry

"What Syracuse needs is to bridge the gap between the University and the full-time residents of this city."

"What Syracuse needs is to bridge the gap between the University and the full-time residents of this city."

Land Use Study

Looking from 2 miles above Syracuse city limits and visualizing how public spaces are utilized.

Slide 1: Road Usage (major and minor)

Slide 2: Parking Lots (indoor and outdoor)

Slide 3: Green Spaces

Land Use Study

body filler text body filler text body filler text body filler text body filler text body filler text body filler text body

Land Use Study

Looking from 2 miles above Syracuse city limits and visualizing how public spaces are utilized.

Slide 1: Road Usage (major and minor)

Slide 2: Parking Lots (indoor and outdoor)

Slide 3: Green Spaces

Land Use Study

Looking from 2 miles above Syracuse city limits and visualizing how public spaces are utilized.

Slide 1: Road Usage (major and minor)

Slide 2: Parking Lots (indoor and outdoor)

Slide 3: Green Spaces

Insights

Insights

  • Syracuse, like most American cities, is missing intentional public spaces.

  • Syracuse, like most American cities, is missing intentional public spaces.

  • Syracuse, like most American cities, is missing intentional public spaces.

  • The Syracuse University community is out of touch with the greater

    Syracuse community.

  • The University students are out of touch with the greater community.

  • The Syracuse University community is out of touch with the greater

    Syracuse community.

  • What percentage of incomes being generated within the city of Syracuse being reintegrated into the city economy?

  • Is the money being made in Syracuse by city employees walking out of it at 5pm?

  • What percentage of incomes being generated within the city of Syracuse being reintegrated into the city economy?

  • Travel and public transportation affects more than just a bus route.

  • Travel and public transportation affects more than just a bus route.

  • Travel and public transportation affects more than just a bus route.

Whitespaces

Whitespaces

Teardown of

I-81 through the

City of Syracuse

Teardown of I-81 through the middle of Syracuse

Reimagining of

Public Spaces

Reimagining of

Public Spaces

Reimagining of public spaces

Connecting The

University Community

With Greater Syracuse

Bridge the connection between university community and the local community

(04)

User Interviews

(03)

Stakeholder Interviews

I did a photo collage study thing i need to check my book but I primarily spoke with SU students who take the bus daily

body filler text body filler text body filler text body filler text body filler text body filler text body filler text body

I did a photo collage study thing i need to check my book but I primarily spoke with SU students who take the bus daily

Adam J.

Adam J.

"Getting to campus is easy enough, but getting to a grocery store or anywhere outside downtown takes way longer than it should."

"Getting to campus is easy enough, but getting to a grocery store or anywhere outside downtown takes way longer than it should."

body filler text body filler text body filler text body filler text body filler textbody filler text body filler text body filler text

Omar E.

Omar E.

"If the stations felt cleaner, brighter, and safer, I'd probably choose the bus more often instead of asking friends for rides."

"If the stations felt cleaner, brighter, and safer, I'd probably choose the bus more often instead of asking friends for rides."

Jeremy M.

Jeremy M.

"I don't have a car, so the bus isn't optional for me. When it's unreliable, I end up late for work, class, or both."

"What does it mean to better serve? And to whom will the service be better?"

Chris T.

Chris T.

"The buses are packed between classes, and there's nowhere comfortable to wait when it's snowing. It feels like riders weren't really considered."

"The buses are packed between classes, and there's nowhere comfortable to wait when it's snowing. It feels like riders weren't really considered."

Insights

Insights

  • Syracuse, like most American cities, is missing intentional public spaces.

  • Syracuse, like most American cities, is missing intentional public spaces.

  • Syracuse, like most American cities, is missing intentional public spaces.

  • The Syracuse University community is out of touch with the greater

    Syracuse community.

  • The University students are out of touch with the greater community.

  • The Syracuse University community is out of touch with the greater

    Syracuse community.

  • What percentage of incomes being generated within the city of Syracuse being reintegrated into the city economy?

  • Is the money being made in Syracuse by city employees walking out of it at 5pm?

  • What percentage of incomes being generated within the city of Syracuse being reintegrated into the city economy?

  • Travel and public transportation affects more than just a bus route.

  • Travel and public transportation affects more than just a bus route.

  • Travel and public transportation affects more than just a bus route.

System Requirements

WeCycle
Each station will be house a recycling center with buyback incentives, encouraging a cleaner Syracuse.

(04)

System Requirements

(04)

Heating and Cooling Systems Diagram

(05)

Map

Transit Map

Transit Map

A transit map of Syracuse inspired by Massimo Vignelli's 1972 NYC Subway Map. I studied the most popular transit points, then compiled that data, as well as city and neighborhood boundaries, to make this map.

A transit map of Syracuse inspired by Massimo Vignelli's 1972 NYC Subway Map. I studied the most popular transit points, then compiled that data, as well as city and neighborhood boundaries, to make this map.

A transit map of Syracuse inspired by Massimo Vignelli's 1972 NYC Subway Map. I studied the most popular transit points, then compiled that data, as well as city and neighborhood boundaries, to make this map.

Want to see more?

Want to see more?

SHKR

SHKR

A social media app designed for streamlining the NYC morning commute.

SHKR

A social media app designed for streamlining the NYC morning commute.

Roomease

SCMT

Roomease

An app designed to streamline chore assignments and nipping potential household tensions in the bud.

An app designed to streamline chore assignments and nipping potential household tensions in the bud.

An app designed to streamline chore assignments and nipping potential household tensions in the bud.