The following was submitted by Maura Ackerman on behalf of the Syracuse-Onondaga Food Systems Alliance, a coalition of local changemakers dedicated to a more just and equitable food future in the Central New York region. She writes in partnership 26 individuals and organizations.
Every Saturday morning, thousands of people make their way to the Central New York Regional Market on Park Street. They come for vegetables and eggs, for locally raised meat, for the plants and the pastries and the vendors who know their names. For many families in Syracuse, the market isn’t just a weekend errand — it’s a lifeline. For shoppers using SNAP benefits, the market’s EBT token program makes it even more so: Swipe your card, receive market tokens accepted by participating vendors, and New York state will match your purchase with up to $50 in FreshConnect Coupons each visit. It’s one of the more effective tools we have for making local food genuinely affordable, and it only works if people can get there.
The network of roads connecting the Regional Market to the surrounding neighborhoods is one of the most important food access corridors in our region — and one of the most dangerous for people on foot or on a bike. Incomplete sidewalks drop off without warning. Crossings on busy roads offer little protection. Families pushing strollers, elders using mobility aids, cyclists trying to avoid traffic — all of them are navigating infrastructure that was not designed with them in mind…