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| L-R:Olean Common Council Paul Gonzalez, NYCOM President Thomas Roach, Mayor of the City of White Plains, and Olean City Attorney Nicholas DiCerbo, Jr. |
The New York State Conference of Mayors (NYCOM) selected the
City of Olean as a first place winner of NYCOM’s Local Government Achievement
Awards. The awards program, in its 30th year, recognized Olean for its North
Union Complete Street Transformation.
In commenting on the award, NYCOM President Thomas Roach,
Mayor of the City of White Plains, stated: “The City of Olean is to be
commended for its desire to improve the City through innovation, partnerships
and hard work. This North Union Complete Street Transformation will benefit
Olean for years to come and is just one example of how local officials continue
to work diligently to enhance their communities and the quality of life for
their residents. I would like to congratulate Mayor Aiello on this tremendous
accomplishment.” “On behalf of the City of Olean, I thank the New York State
Conference of Mayors for selecting Olean as the first place winner of NYCOM’s
Local Government Achievement Award,” said Mayor William J. Aiello. “The North
Union Street project put Olean on the map. Our City, the residents and the
business owners have rightfully gained the reputation of being innovative,”
said Mayor Aiello. “By working together with both State and Federal agencies,
North Union Street has not only been transformed into a beautiful street, but
the aging infrastructure has been upgraded. We are more than pleased with the
results as we witness new investment and construction on the street.”
The North Union Complete Street Transformation converted a
four-lane automobile-oriented arterial roadway into a two-lane “complete
street” with five roundabouts, six-foot wide bicycle lanes, bicycle racks, rain
gardens and the restoration of Santa Claus Lane. The City was awarded $7.5
million in federal and state grants for this $11 million project, which was
completed in December 2016.
The award was presented on May 7, 2017 at NYCOM’s Annual
Meeting in Saratoga Springs. NYCOM represents nearly 600 cities and villages in
New York State and has been in existence since 1910. Olean Common Council
President Paul Gonzales, City Attorney Nicholas DiCerbo, Jr. and Community
Development Director Mary George were present at the meeting to receive the
award. Mayor Aiello was unable to attend the meeting; he was attending the
Confirmation of his twin granddaughters, Hannah and Sophia, at the Basilica of
St. Mary of the Angels in Olean.
