October 7, 2019
On May 17, 2019, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the Reimagine the Canals Initiative, which seeks to strengthen the Erie Canal for the 21st century. Engagement with the public and community stakeholders is a critical component of this initiative. As such, the Reimagine the Canals Task Force commissioned the Rockefeller Institute of Government, a SUNY-affiliated public policy think tank, to collect data from Canal-area residents on how this historic waterway can better serve their communities. The Rockefeller Institute held five community engagement sessions over three weeks in July 2019. The goals of these meetings were to (1) socialize the idea of revitalizing the waterway, (2) better understand the concerns and needs of Canal users, (3) identify projects likely to increase Canal engagement, and (4) maximize outreach and press coverage to encourage participation
going forward.
