The Canal is Free for Everyone!

http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?category=STATE&storyID=582166&BCCode=&newsdate=4/19/2007 The canal will be free for a second straight season. “the Canal Corp., voted to extend last year's toll-lifting experiment for another navigational season in an effort to draw more tourists and vacationers to the 524-mile waterway.” (article) the rational behind this decision for a second year is the 500-year flood of June 2006 caused damage to some of the lock as well as prolonged high water. “’We were really unable to tell whether the toll removal was able to attract more boaters,’ said Canal Corp. Executive Director Carmella Mantello” (article) However the toll removal is not all positive, the state of New York will loose between $200,000 and $245,000 because of free pass on the canal (article) as well as 15 job positions being removed by the new toll free canal. One benefit that the free pass has created is shorter line at the locks, “an unexpected benefit of eliminating the recreational tolls was more efficient operations at the locks and fewer delays because lock staffers no longer needed to issue passes and accept payment.” I agree that the lack of tolls will increase recreational boaters on the canal this summer, but any time that NYS is loosing job I feel that it is no long as beneficial. If the benefit to the towns and cities that are located on the canal can see fiscal increases from the lack of a toll than the state should continue to wave the toll on the canal.