Canal Recreationway Commission, NYS Canal Corp., NYPA publish 'Canal Recreationway 2050 Plan'

Full Canal Recreationway 2050 Plan can be found here. 

New York Power Authority/New York State Canal Corp. Press Release

The Canal Recreationway Commission (CRC), New York State Canal Corp. and New York Power Authority have published the “Canal Recreationway 2050 Plan” as part of New York state’s commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the original Erie Canal’s opening in 1825.

With input from more than 500 stakeholders across the New York State Canal system, the CRC-lead initiative to publish a new plan builds on the success of the original 1995 canal recreationway plan that transformed a post-industrial waterway into a vibrant resource for inclusive recreation. The 2050 plan is structured around seven guiding principles that create a continued vision for the 524-mile canal system of waterways, trails and parks, while taking cultural heritage, economic impact, and ecological benefits into account.

“Together with my fellow CRC commissioners and colleagues at NYPA and canals, we’ve produced a comprehensive framework that is responsive to today’s climate, as well as the wishes of the many devoted stakeholders who provided us with invaluable feedback on what they hope to see for the canal system’s future,” said Canal Recreationway Commissioner Kal Wysokowski. “The 2050 plan will ensure the canal system continues evolving and thriving for many decades to come, while benefiting everyone involved, including private industry and employers to tourists from around the world to those invested in arts and culture.”

Since its establishment under New York State Canal Law in 1992, the CRC has been dedicated to developing the New York State Canal system into a vibrant recreationway that enriches communities and connects people to the cultural, historical and natural treasures of our waterways. Empowered by its mandate and inspired by the bicentennial of the Erie Canal, the CRC felt there was no better time to revisit and reaffirm its vision for the canal system. The 2050 plan casts its gaze a quarter century into the future, contemplating how New York state might continue to build upon the success of the 1995 plan to further the canal system’s impact on tourism, recreation and economic development while expanding its focus to include environmental stewardship, accessibility and strategic land use.

The seven guiding principles of the 2050 plan are:

•Caring for the system’s infrastructure by investing in sustainability, which will be done through electrifying and decarbonizing canal operations; building staff capacity to more readily manage canal infrastructure; and aligning staffing and operations with the needs of a contemporary parks network.

•Convening residents and visitors by developing a dedicated, comprehensive visitor experience strategy; continuing to add and improve interpretive and wayfinding materials; and exploring complementary funding opportunities to support the visitor experience, like bicycle racks and benches.

•Connecting upstate New York to the world by completing and expanding canalway trails; maintaining and promoting through-navigation along the waterway and strengthening relationships with neighboring waterways and trail networks.

•Commemorating history and culture in all its forms by engaging in intentional practices to tell more representative stories about the canals, both past and present, that depict the rich and varied experiences of those involved with the canal’s existence, from individuals to communities; engaging audiences by using innovative programming and technology to share new narratives about the canal; and encouraging individuals to tell their stories about the canals and their connections to the waterway.

•Catalyzing local revitalization of canal communities by enhancing public spaces along, and connecting activities to, local identity; strengthening local economies by leveraging canal infrastructure for new and existing uses; modernizing appropriately scaled commercial shipping opportunities along the canal system to increase economic activity and provide alternative green transportation options; and strategically managing and allocating canalside land in support of the plan’s vision and local community economic development.

•Championing quality-of-life and inclusivity for all users by committing to making accessibility the standard across the system; expanding “off-season” programming to activate the canals year-round; prioritizing youth programming to grow the next generation of canal stakeholder and users; and promoting equitable economic access to programs and amenities.

•Cultivating upstate New York’s ecoregions and natural systems by leaning into holistic management practices for the canals’ right-of-way and water systems; strategically adapting the system to enhance resilience for canal infrastructure and the neighboring communities in response to the effects of climate change; and promoting water management practices that balance the needs of different uses and regions along the system.

Extensive stakeholder outreach and research were conducted while forming the 2050 plan, including close review of prior plans that had been assembled and their related studies; site tours across the canal system; staff interviews; focus groups; virtual and in-person workshops with external stakeholders; canalside pop-up events; a public-facing website and online survey. Input from more than 500 individuals informed the 2050 plan.

New York Power Authority President and CEO Justin E. Driscoll said, “The work of the CRC is critically important to fulfilling the recreational mission and the future of the canal. We are grateful for Commissioner Wysokowski and her fellow CRC members for guiding this process. While we may be commemorating 200 years of the Erie Canal, in many ways, this is just the beginning. This document is a true reflection of the close study, observation and listening my colleagues at NYPA and the Canal Corp. have engaged in. Working together, we can ensure New York state has a vibrant waterway and trail for all to enjoy, regardless of their background or physical ability, and for many generations to come. NYPA and the Canal Corp. are committed to maintaining a canal system with through navigation and a vibrant trail network that benefits New York state in countless ways, and the 2050 plan helps to ensure our success in meeting this goal.”

New York State Canal Corp. Director Brian U. Stratton said, “Like the canals and trailway, this is a document for everyone, and I am proud of the effort that was made to include such extensive input from our valued partners from Albany to Buffalo because, without them, we wouldn’t be commemorating our bicentennial. We hope the 2050 plan will serve as the guide for all those individuals and entities – inside and outside our organization – who make up the vibrant fabric of the canal system as we focus on its next century of operation.”

The Canal Recreationway Commission was established in 1992 when the Canal Corp. was created to operate and maintain the state’s canal system. In 1995, the CRC published its original recreationway plan, establishing a framework to transform the industrial shipping waterway into a thriving place for visitors from all over the world to enjoy. The 420-mile-plus Canalway Trail, established under the plan, was a precursor to the Empire State Trail that would follow decades later. The 2050 plan is a continuation of that work.

New York’s canal system includes four historic canals: the Erie, Champlain, Oswego and Cayuga – Seneca. Spanning 524 miles, the waterway links the Hudson River with the Great Lakes, the Finger Lakes and Lake Champlain. The canals form the backbone of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor and connect hundreds of unique communities.

The New York State Canal Corp. is a subsidiary of the New York Power Authority.