The powerful revitalization work to extend ‘Walkable Olean’ from North Union Street to Olean General Hospital was always intended to contribute to an economic renewal for the bustling city of Olean.
As the largest city in Cattaraugus County, Olean is home to over 13,500 residents as well as a variety of major employers including the Upper Allegheny Health System, Cutco Corporation, and Dresser-Rand A Siemens Company. Quaint and beautiful, the city also draws thousands of students seeking quality education at top schools like CA BOCES and St. Bonaventure University.
To better serve the influx of downtown traffic and offer solutions for enhanced pedestrian walkability, CPL worked with city officials to provide impactful transit upgrades on Front Street from the North Union Street Extension to First Avenue and on Main Street from North Union Street to Front Street.
Significant improvements included a landscaped median on the Front Street Extension; new curbing and pavers; medians on Barry Street; wider, shared-use sidewalks and bicycle lanes; upgraded traffic and pedestrian signals; new street lighting; and milling and resurfacing of the streets.
Walkable Olean’s scope also included a significant amount of architectural landscaping to incorporate details that would emote a refreshing, park-like setting for the community to enjoy.
“We were proud to work with the city to deliver this vibrant downtown transformation and provide safer transit connections for the public,” said CPL Project Manager, Jennifer Michniewicz, P.E., PTOE. “When you drive downtown, so many people are now walking and riding their bikes. That was never the case before.”
Walkable Olean has recently earned several notable awards, including:
- “Transportation Project of the Year” by the New York Upstate Section of the Institute of Transportation Engineers (2021).
- “Western New York Transportation Project of the Year <$5 million” by the American Public Works Association (APWA) New York Chapter, Western Branch (2021)
- “New York State Transportation Project of the Year <$5 million” by the APWA New York Chapter (2021)
At the project’s inception, Walkable Olean was always about providing options for a variety of transportation modes that would fit into the character of a growing community. Whether by car, truck, bicycle or on foot, these thoughtful engineering solutions significantly enhanced the city of Olean’s livability, mobility, and of course, walkability.
