The Erie Canal which recives a 80 million doller subisidy by way of tolls from the New York State thruway may be forced to stand on its own as the State Republicans have proposed that the “Canal Copertation” ween itself off of the thruways budget. The Canal has rehabed most of its locks using a half a bllion doller grant from the thruway. The Canal gets about 30,000 boats a year 95% is Tourist Traffic. The Canal corp has gone from freight to recreation and is a major conduate for large finished boats moving from Florida manufactures to Great Lakes Ports and Canadian Retireee on there way to the bahamas…
The Canal Towpath uses the West Shore Railroad right of way which peorodicaly comes up as a high speed rail route. “The spector of having to go to the state assembly and beg for money is not palitble” one canal official was quoted. The Canal is working on a plan to increase freight traffic in moving diemensional loads or items too large to move by truck or even rail.
Actualy, the split off was the Canal Corporation’s idea. It will reciev funding from the state’s general fund and the Thruway Authority will lower tolls. I covered this story ofr the Legislative Gazette’s June 13 issue. check it out at Legislativegazeete.com
And none of it has anything to do with railroads…
It does because it will place the Canal corp in the same position as Amtrak with the canal corp having to beg for a subsidy every year. I think someone up there is on a power trip and wants his own “Agency” to boast his career. I wish Amtrak would get a portion of the NYS thruway toll…
Which still has nothing to do with railroads…