Fill in the Canal?
Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2012 9:15 am
Excerpts from a recent opinion in the D&C:
Either fix the Erie Canal or fill it in
Is the canal vital to the economies or quality of life for canal-side communities?
Personally, I love a stroll by the canal. And a lot of the canal-side communities have developed waterfront business districts (Spencerport, Fairport, Pittsford just to name a few. But I have never boated on the canal. I know of a few operations that I could depart on, but they seem far from luxury, and other than being a local history geek, what do they have to offer? The canal is a trench, it doesn't really offer much in the way of views.
Either fix the Erie Canal or fill it in
The Erie Canal isn’t the economic engine it once was. A 45 percent increase in truck tolls along the Thruway may be imposed by the Thruway Authority in order, in part, to subsidize the state Canal System. Even last weekend's canal conference, held in Oswego, is bi-annual, instead of annual.
These stories are proof the canal isn’t working or paying for its $100 million operational cost anymore and it's time to either make the canal’s existence economically sustainable or fill it in.
What do you think? Can NYS resurrect the canal as a tourist attraction? Hasn't it already tried? Would you take a multi-day cruise along the canal?While we can no longer expect a large volume of commercial traffic using this waterway, we should be seeing a large volume of overnight tourist vessel traffic traveling between two of the world's greatest vacation destinations, Niagara Falls and New York City. But we’re not.
Is the canal vital to the economies or quality of life for canal-side communities?
Personally, I love a stroll by the canal. And a lot of the canal-side communities have developed waterfront business districts (Spencerport, Fairport, Pittsford just to name a few. But I have never boated on the canal. I know of a few operations that I could depart on, but they seem far from luxury, and other than being a local history geek, what do they have to offer? The canal is a trench, it doesn't really offer much in the way of views.