Here's some of the latest news on NY's Reimagine the Canals initiatives being developed to improve Erie Canal profitability and use.

All of these are part of a joint effort between the new owners of the canal, the New York Power Authority, along with the Governor of New York and the New York State Canal Corporation.

THE BROCKPORT LOOP

Just announced and carried by a few local newspapers, the Governor of NY  has announced the Architectural firm that has been awarded the Design portion of the Brockport Loop Project. There is a rendition of the "sky bridge" design below, that will make use of existing canal infrastructure to create a new type of access and canal crossing experience for the many users of New York's Empire Trail system.

The Niagara Gazette also had a very nice writeup on the Reimagine the Canals work. You can click the image below for a QUICK LINK. as well as a local Rochester TV station, 13WHAM News.

NYPA Announces New Reimagine the Canals Initiatives

New York Power Authority has dressed up it's Reimagine the Canals website highlighting several of the new initiatives that will be incorporated as part of the new program to breath life back into the aging Erie Canal system. 

NYPA has held meeting and open call for DESIGNS that will help to move the Erie Canal into the 21st century, fitting a new customer who is changing to human powered craft from the original mule power that made the canal what it is today.

Maybe the most important new idea is using the Erie Canal to provide irrigation water back to the areas to the north of it, that were essentially 'cutoff', when the canal bisected the state, and the natural flow of water.

Take a look at the new WEBSITE.

THE NYS CANAL CORPORATION REIMAGINE FINALIST

And the actual stewards of the Erie Canal  and the NYS Canal System, the New York State Canal Corporation, has also updated much of it's Reimagine Webpages, highlighting the plans with information and videos that detail just a bit of this canal transformation effort.

You can find a more extensive page on the BACKGROUND of the Reimagine effort, and also highlights for each of the new ideas that will become a reality soon, like improved IRRIGATION in the western canal section of the waterway.

Here's a few of the NY State Canal Corporation videos on Reimagining a better canal system. Each has a solution that will offer a different perspective for NYS Canal System use as it enters it's third century. These are all taken from the latest FINALIST page for Reimagine the Canals.

WESTERN NYS IRRIGATION

WINTER WATER WAY

UPSTATE ARCHIPELAGO

INTRA WORKS / TOURISM

GO THE DISTANCE

For more information on the Reimagine the Canals program here's a good read from the ONLY IN YOUR STATE website from last year when the new Reimagine initiative was announced by NYPA and the NYS canal Corporation