FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 23, 2007
CANAL CORPORATION ANNOUNCES NEW TRANSalert EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION SYSTEM
Free Service Will Notify Customers of Canal Emergencies Via Email, Text Messages
The New York State Thruway Authority/Canal Corporation today
announced it is offering a new email service called Canal TRANSalert to boaters
and other customers, including residents of communities along the Canal, to
inform them of major incidents and emergencies that may affect navigation on the
New York State Canal System.
The Canal TRANSalerts, offered as part of the Thruway Authority’s Transportation
Regional Advisory Network System (TRANSystem) that provides free email alerts to
customers to inform them of major unscheduled incidents that may affect their
travel on the Thruway, are now being offered to canal users and residents along
the Canal System. This tool, designed to help motorists, boaters and residents
alike to plan ahead, is also being offered in response to last year’s
devastating floods which closed major portions of the Canal System during the
height of the summer boating season.
Carmella R. Mantello, Director of the New York State Canal Corporation, said,
“Similar to the Thruway Authority’s successful highway TRANSalert service, the
Canal TRANSalert system will allow boaters and residents along the Canal System
to be informed of major incidents and emergencies that affect navigation on the
Canal System so that they can make preparations or avoid impacted areas of the
Canal. This important customer service tool will allow better communication with
our customers and ensure that those utilizing the system, as well as those
living along the canal, are aware of major incidents and emergencies that may
affect travel on the System.”
The Canal TRANSalert service is free and allows subscribers to select during what months and on what Canal section they want to receive Alerts. Canal TRANSalerts can be sent to any device capable of receiving email or text messages, including personal computers and mobile devices (cell phones, PDAs and text pagers). For cell phone/wireless users, the TRANSalert system utilizes commercial cell phone/wireless systems in place across the State, which could impact service to customers depending on the carrier’s coverage area.
The Canal TRANSalert email service will also be used to
disseminate real-time AMBER Alerts to promptly alert Canal System users of child
abduction cases.
Customers can begin signing up for the new service immediately. The system is
scheduled to go into operation on Friday, April 27. For more information about
this new customer service option and to sign up for the Canal TRANSalerts,
customers can visit the Corporation’s website at
www.nyscanals.gov/tas/.
Customers will be asked to select the format in which they wish to receive the
information - either via a standard email that is sent to a personal computer or
compatible mobile device. A text message can be sent to a PDA or Blackberry
device that is capable of handling messages larger than 160 characters. A short
verbal message may also be transmitted to a mobile device such as a cell phone
or pager.*
Subscribed customers can also place the alerts on hold at any time. This useful
feature will allow users to suspend the alerts while on vacation or allow
travelers to only receive alerts when planning and/or taking a trip on the Canal
System.
The Canal Corporation will continue to issue regular Notices to Mariners to
provide boaters and community residents with important information regarding
emergency and non-emergency incidents and events on the Canal System. Notices to
Mariners are available by calling 1-800-4CANAL4 or on the Canal Corporation
website at www.nyscanals.gov. To receive Notices via email or fax, call the
Canal traffic agent at 518-471-5016.
The Thruway Authority offers a free email service called TRANSalert to its
customers via email or text messaging to inform them of major unscheduled
incidents that may affect their travel on the Thruway. To sign up for the
TRANSalert service, customers can visit the Authority’s website at
www.nysthruway.gov/tas/.
* Fees for text messages may apply depending on the subscriber’s text messaging
provider. Customers are encouraged to contact their mobile service providers to
find out how text messaging works with their personal mobile devices.