Get the latest Syracuse news delivered right to your inbox.
Subscribe to our newsletter here.

For the first time in nearly 100 years, the city of Syracuse will experience a total solar eclipse Monday afternoon.

The partial eclipse will begin at approximately 2:09 p.m. with the total eclipse lasting nearly one and a half minutes, occurring from 3:23 p.m. to 3:24 p.m. The darkness will gradually lighten over the next hour and conditions will return to normal around 4:34 p.m.

The city and county have been preparing for over three months, said Syracuse Chief of Police Joseph L. Cecile. He said the city will set up a unified command post with representatives from the Syracuse Police Department, Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office and New York State Police Department and will be in contact with the Syracuse Fire Department, Department of Public Works and the Department of Parks, Recreation and Youth.

Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Interagency Task Force – which is comprised of over 20 state agents and authorities — has focused on spreading awareness and safety information in preparation for New York as a “prime location” to experience the eclipse, according to a Sunday press release from Hochul. The task force has been working since October 2022 to anticipate public safety challenges, such as traffic management, communications capabilities and public health and safety.

Syracuse University has adjusted transportation and planned several on-campus events for students, faculty and staff in preparation for the eclipse.

“It’s a historical event and we’re hoping that these astronomical events really are a great opportunity for people to see a phenomenon they’re not going to ever see again in their lifetime,” Cecile said. “We’re hoping that folks will do it and think about not only their own safety, but the safety of others.”

Traffic

Traffic is the “biggest concern” for SPD, Cecile said.

Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office predicted about one million people will pass through Onondaga County over the weekend and Monday to get to and from their eclipse destinations, syracuse.com reported.

In a university-wide email, SU’s Department of Public Safety Chief Craig A. Stone urged campus community members to prepare for increased traffic, especially in areas more north toward the middle of the path of totality. Students may need to adjust travel plans if planning to travel before or immediately after the eclipse, Stone wrote.

The majority of people will head to Watertown, Cecile predicted, as it is where the darkness will last the longest.

“We think a lot of folks that are in Syracuse who rented the hotels will jump on the highways and thruway and head out to Watertown to see the eclipse,” Cecile said.

According to the Visit Syracuse website, all hotel rooms in the Syracuse area were booked for Sunday as of last Wednesday. Some prices tripled, according to syracuse.com.

Walter Freeman, an SU associate teaching professor in the physics department, said Syracuse is on the edge of totality, while locations further west or further north will experience up to three minutes and 40 seconds of totality.

“People are going to come to Syracuse, but many more people are going to come to Buffalo, Niagara Falls, Rochester, Watertown, Saranac Lake, high peaks region of the Adirondack State Park, places like that,” Freeman said. “There’s going to be a ton of stuff here, but there’s going to be even more stuff in places that are closer to the center of the band of totality.”

Vehicles are not allowed to park on the shoulder of the highway to view the eclipse, according to the Sunday press release. New York state is also suspending construction and temporary lane closures to increase the flow of traffic.

“Extra HELP and tow trucks are patrolling the roads to assist motorists in need and the Department will have all hands on deck to make sure we do all we can to keep the state highway system safe,” State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez said in the release. “Leave early, be prepared for traffic delays – bring extra food, water and blankets and don’t forget your eclipse viewing glasses.”

Cecile said it is important for drivers to properly plan ahead and find a spot to watch the eclipse to avoid causing a traffic accident or injuring other drivers.

“If you get stuck in traffic after it’s over, which could very well happen because now you’re going to have a bunch of drivers coming back from wherever they were …, take that time to enjoy the phenomenon you just saw that won’t come around again for 375 years,” Cecile said.

Because of the increased traffic, Stone wrote that a common issue experienced during previous eclipses is cars running out of fuel. He encouraged travelers to have a full tank of gas and prepare a secondary route to avoid traffic.

The city has also scheduled city streetlights to turn on throughout the duration of the eclipse, according to a Tuesday City of Syracuse press release.

Cole Ross | Digital Design Editor

Closures

All city staff will work normal schedules Monday, according to Tuesday’s press release.

The city plans to keep all departments providing service to the public — such as the Payment Center, Central Permit Office and City Clerk — open, but Mayor Ben Walsh said in the release that he encourages citizens to “consider other times to do business at our offices.”

Trash and recycling pickups will occur as scheduled and Parks, Recreation and Youth Program sites and events will operate on a regular schedule.

No SU classes will be canceled on a schoolwide basis, and several schools and colleges will host events for students, staff and faculty to enjoy the eclipse.

Many SU schools, such as the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, are supporting faculty who choose to host an educational field trip in lieu of in-person classes to allow students to engage in campus-wide events. Freeman said he and other professors in the physics department will cancel classes Monday.

The ‘Cuse Van and Trolley Services will pause from 3:15 to 3:30 p.m. during the period of totality, SU’s Parking and Transportation Services announced on Instagram. Normal schedules will continue following the period of totality, the post states.

The Syracuse City School District, among 20 other districts in central New York, will have no school for students and a half day for staff.

Courts in Onondaga County, including Syracuse City Court, will begin conducting emergency operations virtually starting at 12 p.m. Monday. All emergency matters — except criminal court arraignments and any other criminal matters — will be held virtually.

Destiny USA will also hold a 30-minute closure to allow employees to enjoy the eclipse, according to an April 1 press release.

“Everyone’s going to come together,” Freeman said. “We’re going to have traffic jams and people all over New York looking up at the sky all sharing this moment where we all look up together and admire something for its beauty.”

Safety

Freeman said viewers can take off their glasses during the one and a half minute period of complete totality, but if the sun is even partially visible, the unaided eye can be severely damaged.

SU is distributing free eclipse glasses across campus and residence halls while supplies last. Glasses will be available at various locations on campus, such as the Shaw Quadrangle, the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, College of Law and Newhouse.

Glasses will also be provided to all city employees whose jobs include going outdoors, including police, fire, Public Works, water, parks and Code Enforcement, according to the Tuesday press release.

“It is my hope everyone has a joyful and celestial experience for our eclipse. The most important thing you can do when watching the solar eclipse is to make sure you have a good way to protect your eyes,” New York state Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said in the Sunday release.

Asst. Digital Editor Faith Bolduc contributed reporting to this article.

Published on April 7, 2024 at 11:06 pm

Contact Kendall: kaluther@syr.edu