Business owners warn West State reconstruction designs could block truck access to local firms

A local business owner told the City of Olean council on March 25 that design features proposed for the West State Reconstruction Project could prevent tractor-trailers from accessing his driveway and would substantially harm his family business.

Nate Smith, reading remarks into the meeting record, said his family operates a business at 1624 West State Street and that two versions of the reconstruction plan he has seen include a center-street impediment — either a median or a pedestrian island — that would block eastbound trucks from entering his driveway. "These impediments ... will prevent eastbound traffic from entering our driveway entrance at 1624 West State Street," Smith said in his submitted letter, which he read aloud.

Smith estimated his business receives two to five tractor-trailer deliveries per day and said rerouting deliveries onto local side streets would create safety and congestion issues, particularly near an elementary school on Washington Street. He noted West State Street is a designated truck route, and said the design should accommodate, not hamper, truck traffic.

Smith also compared proposed roundabout dimensions to existing examples elsewhere in the city, saying West State curb-to-curb width is narrower than North Union and that smaller-radius roundabouts could be "not truck friendly." He asked the city to keep affected businesses informed and to include them in further planning.

Ending: The speaker asked to be kept informed about developments and meetings regarding the West State project; the transcript does not record council reply or a formal action on the street design in the provided excerpt.