LOCKPORT, N.Y. — The City of Lockport will be one of three locations along the Empire State Trail that will be a part of the Empire State Trail Town program.
Last year, the program started with Brockport as the pilot community. Lockport, the Village of Newark, and the City of Rome will partner with Parks & Trails New York (PTNY) to develop ways for the communities to benefit from the visitors the trail draws. These communities were selected because of their commitment to amenities at the trail as well as policies geared for trail users.
“Stewardship of the Erie Canal is rooted in Lockport’s heritage and is essential to our community’s future economic growth. We are proud to be selected by Parks & Trails New York to work towards being designated as an Empire State Trail Town, and are thankful to the PTNY team for this opportunity. As a community, the Trail Town designation will help us create new ways to present Lockport as an Erie Canal gateway, to visitors and local residents alike,” City of Lockport Mayor, Michelle Roman stated in a press release.
The nine-month program will include research, creation of an action agenda guide, and adoption of those actions to guide the future of Trail Town work. At the end of this program, the three communities will be recognized as certified Empire State Trail Towns.
The Empire State Trail was completed in 2020 and has since grown in popularity. A 2022 estimate of trail use is that it draws over 3.3 million visits per year, according to a release for Lockport Main Street.
Throughout the program, residents will be able to participate with workshops held in June.
“The Canal Corporation looks forward to working with the City of Lockport to bring New Yorkers a revamped Empire State Trail experience,” said New York State Canal Corporation Director Brian Stratton in a press release.
“Home to the celebrated Flight of Five locks, the city welcomes hundreds of tourists, cyclists, and pedestrians from across New York State each year. We’re excited to support Lockport in their ongoing commitment to the historic preservation and economic investment in their iconic canals lock district. As a provisional Empire State Trail town, Lockport will be elevated as a tourist destination, building networks that preserve the future of the trails, as well as driving support to the businesses anchored along the Erie Canal. We are eager to see the opportunities to experience our beautiful canals and trailways that await incoming visitors.”
