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NYPA,
Canal Corporation Announce 145 Entries
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Received
for Reimagine the Canals Competition
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Canal Directors Vote to Waive Tolls
for Recreational Vessels
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on Canal System for Second Straight
Year
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White
Plains, NY – February 2018 / Newsmaker Alert / The
New York Power Authority and New
York State Canal Corporation announces that 145 entries have been received
for a $2.5 million competition that seeks the best ideas to enable the
state Canal System to become an engine for economic growth and a world-class
tourism destination.
“I
am excited at the positive response to our Reimagine the Canals competition,”
said Gil C. Quiniones, president and CEO of NYPA, which runs the Canal
System as a subsidiary. “It’s apparent that this competition has sparked
a lot of creative thinking about how to ensure New York’s canals can prosper
today and in the decades to come.”
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Submissions
for the Reimagine
the Canals Competition came from nine states and seven nations, including
from as far away as India and Vietnam. Eight finalists are expected to
be announced in April, with the final winning entries slated to be named
in September.
The
goals of the competition include soliciting programs and initiatives that
promote the Canal System as a tourist destination and recreational asset
and as a source of sustainable economic development. Initiatives were also
sought that uphold the heritage of the Canal System, which marks its centennial
this year, as well as the long-term financial sustainability of the Canal
Corporation.
“This
is a rare opportunity to forge a new direction for an iconic asset that
shaped not only the history of this state, but the nation as well,” said
Brian U. Stratton, Canal Corporation director. “I’m confident many great
ideas will emerge from this competition that point toward a bright future
for our canals.”
Entries
were submitted on two separate tracks, one for infrastructure; the other
for programs that have the potential to increase recreational use and tourism.
A global
panel of judges will select up to eight finalists, who will receive up
to $50,000 to further develop their proposals for the final round. The
judges will then recommend two or more winners, who will receive $250,000
to $1.5 million, depending on the scope of the project.
Also,
the Canal Corporation Board of Directors, at the NYPA and Canals Board
Meeting, approved a plan to waive tolls for recreational vessels in 2018,
as the State continues to commemorate 200 years of Erie Canal history by
marking the 100th anniversary of the current 524-mile Canal System’s opening
in 1918.
This
is the second straight year that tolls—normally $25 to $100 for a season
pass, depending on the size of the vessel—have been waived. Last year,
recreational boaters traveled for free to celebrate the bicentennial of
the start of construction for the Erie Canal. This year is the 100th anniversary
of the Barge Canal’s first opening to traffic.
The
New York State Canal System, the third generation of the iconic Erie Canal
which opened in 1825, today includes the Erie, Oswego, Cayuga-Seneca and
Champlain Canals. It was formerly called the Barge Canal, which was built,
starting in 1905, to accommodate larger vessels and better enable the canals
to compete with railroads for freight traffic.
This
year’s navigation season on the Erie Canal is slated to begin May 15 and
will run through Oct. 10. The Oswego, Cayuga-Seneca and Champlain canals
are expected to be open on May 18.
For
more information about the Reimagine the Canals competition, visit www.canals.ny.gov/reimaginethecanals.
To
sign up for notices and alerts about conditions on the Canal System, go
to www.canals.ny.gov.
About
the NYPA
NYPA
is the nation’s largest state public power organization, through the operation
of its 16 generating facilities and more than 1,400 circuit-miles of transmission
lines. NYPA uses no tax money or state credit. It finances its operations
through the sale of bonds and revenues earned in large part through sales
of electricity. More than 70 percent of the electricity NYPA produces is
clean renewable hydropower. For more information visit www.nypa.gov
and follow us on Twitter @NYPAenergy,
Facebook, Instagram,
Tumblr,
and LinkedIn.
About
the New York State Canal Corporation
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 and historic communities. In 2017, New York is celebrating
the bicentennial of the start of the Erie Canal’s construction.
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Canals on Facebook at NYS Canal
Corporation
Follow
Canals on Twitter at @NYSCanalCorp
Media
Contact:
Steven
Gosset
NYPA
Media Relations Manager
914-390-8192 |