New York sees record tourism numbers for eclipse

Apr. 15—State officials are reporting record-setting tourism numbers in New York this past weekend and Monday as visitors arrived for the total solar eclipse.

Nearly one million people visited New York State Parks from April 6 to April 9 — an increase of 45% compared to last year.

The New York State Thruway Authority and New York State Department of Transportation recorded significant increases in vehicle travel, and the New York Power Authority provided nearly double the charging miles for electric vehicles when compared to the previous week. Gov. Kathy Hochul was one of 45,000 visitors who experienced Monday's celestial event at Niagara Falls State Park.

"From majestic Niagara Falls to the mighty Adirondacks, New York was one of the best places on earth to witness this once-in-a-generation celestial event," Hochul said. "We planned for more than a year to welcome a record number of visitors during the total solar eclipse, and those preparations helped this event go off safely and successfully."

Nearly one million visitors showed up to New York State Parks to witness and celebrate the total solar eclipse. On April 8 alone, New York State Parks welcomed more than 326,500 visitors, an over 52% jump in attendance compared to last year. Twelve state parks reached full capacity on April 8:

—Cayuga Lake (Seneca County)

—Chimney Bluffs (Wayne County)

—Crown Point (Essex County)

—Cumberland Bay (Clinton County)

—Fair Haven State Park (Cayuga County)

—John Brown Farm (Essex County)

—Point Au Roche (Clinton County)

—Robert Whele (Jefferson County)

—Selkirk (Oswego County)

—Seneca Lake (Seneca County)

—Southwick Beach (Jefferson County)

—Stony Brook State Park (Steuben County)

Hochul opened campgrounds at state parks within the path of totality early to accommodate visitors for the total solar eclipse, which were 100% booked the night of April 7 and 93% booked the night of April 8. To welcome visitors, New York State Parks and Historic Sites hosted numerous eclipse-viewing gatherings on April 8. Additionally, scientists, subject matter experts and astronauts from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) provided programming and exhibits at Niagara Falls State Park through April 8.

On April 7 and April 8, the New York State Power Authority reported that EVolve Stations dispensed over 260,000 miles of driving, which is over 115,000 more miles dispensed than the same days the previous week.

New York Power Authority President and CEO Justin E. Driscoll added, "(NYPA's Niagara and St. Lawrence hydropower plants were both within the solar eclipse path of totality and their visitors centers served as prime viewing locations. We at NYPA were pleased to offer visitors a place to watch this once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon with us — as well as a way to get there! The Power Authority's Evolve NY network of EV charging stations helped ensure that EV drivers could reliably travel to Western New York and the North Country for the exciting occasion."

New York State Department of Transportation staff and resources were fully engaged up to and through the eclipse monitoring traffic conditions, responding to emergencies and helping motorists get to their destinations safely and with as few delays as possible. As expected, New York State experienced moderate to heavy traffic volumes in certain areas along the path of totality, especially in the North Country and Adirondacks, and aside from a few crashes that were addressed quickly, there were no major reported incidents.

During the five-day period from Friday, April 5 to Tuesday, April 9, over 5.5% toll transactions were recorded. The peak day was Tuesday, with more than 1.2 million toll transactions, a 21% surge over the previous year. Gas sales and overall sales at the service areas almost doubled during the eclipse weekend, with the peak day being Tuesday, similar to a summer travel weekend. In addition, charging sessions at the EV charging stations increased by over 111% compared to weekdays in March.