Editing Erie Canal (section)

===New York State Canal System===
In 1992, the New York State Barge Canal was renamed the [[New York State Canal System]] (including the Erie, [[Cayuga-Seneca Canal|Cayuga-Seneca]], Oswego, and Champlain canals) and placed under the newly created [[New York State Canal Corporation]], a subsidiary of the [[New York State Thruway|New York State Thruway Authority]]. While part of the Thruway, the canal system was operated using money generated by Thruway tolls. In 2017, the New York State Canal Corporation was transferred from the New York State Thruway to the [[New York Power Authority]].<ref name="NYPA">{{cite web|title=N.Y. Power Authority to Assume Ownwership of Canal Corporation on New Year's Day|url=https://www.nypa.gov/news/press-releases/2017/20170102-nypa-canal-corporation|website=www.nypa.gov|access-date=26 May 2018|language=en}}</ref>

In 2000, [[United States Congress|Congress]] designated the [[Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor]], covering {{convert|524|mi|km}} of navigable water from Lake Champlain to the [[Capital District, New York|Capital Region]] and west to Buffalo.<ref name=eriecanalway>{{cite web |url=http://www.eriecanalway.org |title=Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor |access-date=September 25, 2012}}</ref> The area has a population of 2.7 million; about 75% of Central and Western New York's population lives within {{convert|25|mi|km}} of the Erie Canal.<ref name=eriecanal>{{cite web |url=https://thegreateriecanal.weebly.com|title=The Erie Canal |access-date=February 20, 2025}}</ref>

There were some 42 commercial shipments on the canal in 2008, compared to 15 such shipments in 2007 and more than 33,000 shipments in 1855, the canal's peak year. The new growth in commercial traffic is due to the rising cost of diesel fuel. Canal barges can carry a short ton of cargo {{convert|514|mi}} on one gallon of diesel fuel, while a gallon allows a train to haul the same amount of cargo {{convert|202|mi}} and a truck {{convert|59|mi}}. Canal barges can carry loads up to {{convert|3000|ST|LT}}, and are used to transport objects that would be too large for road or rail shipment.<ref name="NYTimes" /> In 2012, the New York State Canal System as a whole was used to ship 42,000 tons of cargo.<ref name = "Benefit Report">New York State Canal Corporation, [http://www.canals.ny.gov/economic-benefit-report.pdf Report on Economic Benefits of Non‐Tourism Use of the NYS Canal System]</ref>