Close the Gaps - Complete the Erie Canalway Trail

ERIE CANALWAY TRAIL – A CAMPAIGN TO CLOSE THE GAPS!

Extending 365 miles across New York, the Erie Canalway Trail brings important economic, public health, tourism, and quality of life benefits to more than 3.7 million New Yorkers living within the fifteen counties where the trail is located. The Erie Canalway Trail is 75% complete and on its way to becoming a premiere tourist destination for cyclists and other outdoor enthusiasts as well as the longest, continuous intrastate multi-use trail in the nation.

However, the Canalway Trail can neither realize its full potential as a world-class tourism destination nor offer maximum benefit to the more than 200 communities along its length until it is finished from Buffalo to Albany as a continuous off-road trail. Only by closing the six significant remaining gaps will all canal communities enjoy additional mobility; opportunities for recreation, healthy physical activity; and safe non-motorized transportation can local businesses and State and local governments be able to reap the trail’s maximum economic impact.

The NYS Canal Corporation estimates that closing the remaining major gaps will result in more than 1.5 million bicycle and pedestrian trips across the Erie Canalway Trail, an increase of 500,000 trail users annually.(1) Closing the gaps will also generate an additional estimated $5 million in annual mobility, health, recreation and reduced auto use benefits system wide.(2)

Campaign to Close the Gaps initiated by Senator Gillibrand

A campaign to “Close the Gaps” was initiated by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand in conjunction with the New York State Canal Corporation and Parks & Trails New York with a roundtable in Canajoharie in the fall of 2010. Four additional “Close the Gaps” roundtables were held in Syracuse, Lockport, Utica, and Clyde in 2011. Attendance ranged between 45 and 75 persons at each event. Participants included elected officials and other representatives of town, village, county and state government and nonprofits; civic and business leaders; and interested citizens.

Although none of the existing trail gaps were closed in 2011, significant progress was made in efforts to close the remaining gaps. Interest in completing the Erie Canalway Trail among citizens, community leaders, and elected officials at all levels of local, state and federal government grew dramatically. The campaign to “Close the Gaps,” initiated by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand in the fall of 2010, drew more than 200 persons to additional roundtables in Syracuse, Lockport, Utica, and Clyde. Each roundtable has spawned local follow up meetings and a number of working groups focused on discovering “out of the box” solutions to the unique challenges associated with discrete segments within the larger trail gaps.

The NYS Canal Corporation also responded to the need to close the gaps with an application for $35 million in federal TIGER III funds to acquire necessary right of way and undertake construction of 75 miles of trail that would effectively complete the remaining major trail gaps. The application was not funded, but received an impressive level of support 65 government oficials and nonprofits accross the corridor.

Additional progress in closing the gaps will result from the efforts of multiple individuals and communities continually working to address specific needs in discrete segments of the trail. In the year ahead, CTANY, with assistance from PTNY, will undertake the following activities:

Continue to communicate to the public that "Closing the Gaps" will attract more tourists, grow local economies, and positively impact the health of the region's residents.
Work with Senator Gillibrand’s office to ensure continued support for resolving issues associated with the five major trail gaps.
Meet with local and state legislators, Congressional representatives, and the regional economic development councils to emphasize that completion of the Canalway Trail is a priority project that will make a significant contribution to quality of life attributes needed to attract and retain jobs and improve the economy of more than 200 communities upstate.
Ensure that applications for transportation enhancements, municipal park, and Canal Greenway grant funding are submitted by coalitions of communities to build new trail segments in those places where funding is the only barrier to construction.
Supply support letters for funding applications that promote completion of gap segments.
Where gaps have other issues to be resolved in addition to funding, continue to foster communications and meetings between the appropriate parties to resolve these issues and remove barriers to trail development.
Advocate for the continuation of Transportation Enhancements in the next federal Transportation bill.

(1)New York State Canal Corporation, TIGER III Discretionary Grant Application 2011, Table IV-e Total Annual Community Demand by Trail Segment. P. 19

(2)New York State Canal Corporation, TIGER III Discretionary Grant Application 2011, Table IV-c Annual and Life Cycle Economic Impact and Job-Year Creation, p.14