Erie Canal Revival?

Just today, I was commenting to a colleague at a conference in Norfolk, Virginia about commercial traffic on the Erie Canal.  Ironically, my comment was that commercial traffic was nigh near non-existent and that traffic consisted primarily of recreational or chartered canal boats.  Fortunately, Ryan Delaney of WRVO Public Media has set me straight.  His piece on increasing traffic along the Erie Canal – primarily Canadian grain imported through the port of Oswego, NY – was noted in the New York Times and The Maritime Executive.   See link below :

Barge Traffic Increases Along Erie Canal

We have commented on Erie Canal shipping previously, with the link below :

New York State Canals and Commercial Shipping

The increased use of a waterway such as the Erie Canal and connecting waterways is a sign that the fuel savings of shipping by water may finally be recognized.  With the U.S. highway infrastructure deteriorating and fewer federal dollars available for its repair, the more traffic we take off the highways, the longer they will last.  Hopefully, the public will take note of the ways in which this mode of shipping can benefit them aside from the novelty of seeing commercial traffic on the venerable Erie Canal.