Beware the signage approaching Syracuse from the west
Yankee John from Vermont on 09/15/2020 12:12 PM:
The trail signage in West Syracuse is inaccurate since it has been put up prior to completion of a bike/pedestrian bridge over the train tracks that connects the trail to downtown Syracuse. Following the signs will add 3.5 miles each way riding on a section of new trail without an outlet.
Approaching Syracuse from the west riding east the marked trail ends at Warners Road/Reed Webster Park. A new, paved, clearly visible trail winds east up and over the landfill/tailing piles and ends at Bridge Street/297. The Erie Canal Trailway signs at this point bring you left (North) over the new 297 bridge path down to the NY State Fairgrounds. The trail signs then lead left over a long bike/pedestrian bridge to a new paved trail with a beautiful lake overlook and then continues along the lake towards downtown Syracuse. Unfortunately the trail ends abruptly almost to town and there is no passage for bikes or pedestrians further east to the city. A new bridge is under construction over the train tracks and creek to connect to downtown, but this appears to be many months from completion.
The bicycle entrance to downtown Syracuse from the west is on Milton Avenue, which is a right hand turn on Bridge street where the landfill trail ends, and then a left on Milton Avenue.