Press Release: NYS Canal Corporation, November 4, 1998

The New York State Canal Corporation announced today the completion of two major projects in Monroe County designed to attract a variety of visitors to the region and increase the number of users of the canal system.

A seven-mile segment of Canalway Trail between the towns of Greece and Sweden has been reconstructed, offering hikers and bikers a smooth, relaxing and educational tour of the Erie Canal and bordering communities.

The completion of the improved trail segment comes on the heels of another recently finished project at Spencerport Canal Park designed to attract more boaters to the area. The new dock site faces the improved trail segment and is linked to the segment by the Spencerport lift bridge. The bridge enables hikers and boaters to reach both attractions.

Greece-to-Sweden Trail Project

The $625,000 project was funded, in part, by the Governor’s $32.3 million Canal Revitalization Program, a five-year plan to reconstruct and increase access to the 524-mile, statewide canal system.

“This new, improved trail leads to the abundance of history, beauty and fun our canal system has to offer,” said Howard E. Steinberg, chairman of the New York State Canal Corporation. “It is bound to delight our existing users, as well as attract many newcomers to this magnificent waterway and its quaint communities.”

The improved segment, from Long Pond Road in Greece to Adam’s Basin in Sweden, is ten feet wide and composed primarily of a stone dust surface. Benches have been placed at several locations and landscaping has been added to provide visitors a place to rest and enjoy the beauty of the waterway. Interpretative kiosks will soon be installed to provide users with historical and orientation information about the Erie Canal and the towns of Greece and Sweden.

“The new trail is designed to attract both visitors and residents,” Steinberg said. “The new comforts, landscaping and improved trail surface will inspire people within the community to take advantage of the opportunities which exist in their own backyards. In addition, new, easy-to-read, interpretative kiosks will serve as a valuable guide to tourists. They will convey some history of the canal system and provide a map of the trail.”

Village of Spencerport Park Project

The $78,245 project in the village of Spencerport was funded by a $60,640 grant from the Municipal Canal Development Program and $17,605 in funding from the Village of Spencerport.

A 179-foot dock, benches, water hookups and electrical hookups have been installed at the Spencerport Canal Park to make docking more desirable and to improve access for boaters to the land and community. The work enhances improvements already made in the surrounding area by the village and local businesses.

“The Municipal Canal Development Program enables us to work in partnership with our local communities to spur economic development and build on their potential to become premier tourist destinations,” Steinberg said. “The new dock and improved amenities are an invitation to boaters to tie up and tour this wonderful region.”

The Municipal Canal Development Program was created by the Canal Corporation to encourage cooperative development in the more than 200 communities along the Canal System. Under the program, the Canal Corporation issues grants to canal communities, which receive a portion of the project funding from locally secured contributions. To be eligible for MCDP grant, the projects must meet the objectives of the Canal Revitalization Program, including preserving and rehabilitating canal infrastructure; enhancing recreational opportunities for water-based and land-side users, and promoting sustainable economic development throughout the canal corridor.

“The Village of Spencerport is extremely pleased with the financial support of the Canal Corporation as we revitalize our waterfront area,” said Spencerport Mayor Robert Kincaid.

The $32.3 million Canal Revitalization Program was designed to transform the waterway into a premier tourist and recreation destination. Under the plan, seven canal harbors will be developed as gateways and key destinations along the canal system. In addition, the program will fund a number of service ports and locks projects and add 73 miles of new or improved Canalway Trail to the existing trail system.