Pub Coffee Hub owner Rob Credi has mixed but confident feelings about his latest decision to close the shop at 56 Harvester Ave., Batavia, after a four-year run.

Credi announced the news on social media Tuesday and talked to The Batavian about prioritizing his work and family life. Pub Coffee Hub will close on Nov. 16.

“There’s nothing wrong with the business; it’s a profitable business. I think that we really exceeded my expectations. I feel like we really hit the ceiling for as how much we can grow in this space. I was actively looking for somewhere to move the coffee shop to, which is why I was originally engaged in conversations with (realtor) Gavin when the whole Gilliana's thing came up. But there wasn’t really anything that was worth moving the whole shop into … that would give us the greatest opportunity to expand and grow. So that was my first choice was to move it somewhere … and the second option was to see if someone wanted to take it over, whether it was buying the business as a whole and continuing this Pub Hub or just buying the assets and starting their own coffee shop,” Credit said, explaining that nothing worked out for any of those options. “And ultimately, you know, my life will be so much easier if I just wash my hands and call it a day. It’s been a great run. No regrets. We did incredibly well, and I’m happy with what we were able to do.

“So 99% of me is very sad, but the 1% is like, selfishly speaking, happy to get that off of my plate,” he said. “It’s nice because my staff is great; they really do run the day-to-day for me, but there’s still so much that I still need to do that they can’t do for me. So, being able to take that off my plate, we prioritize my young son at home, more that I want to be more available for, and then with my actual full-time job and everything, it’s just going to make my life a little bit easier.”

He currently has five part-time staff, and he is very grateful to them for being dedicated workers, as he is the customers, many who were regulars and most likely will continue to get their coffee and food orders up to the last day of closing, which is Nov. 16, he said. 

Credi considered staying open a while longer, but he didn’t want to get into the holiday season, when Pub Hub sold a lot of gift cards, and then have to deal with closing later and the potential for issuing refunds and unused cards. So, mid-November would give a couple of weeks’ notice to everyone and not get into that, he said.

An entrepreneur at heart, Credi bucked the odds by opening the coffee shop on the east end of town, moving into the Harvester Center complex formerly occupied by Moon Java and building up a business frequented not only by coffee lovers but by folks who enjoyed mingling and meeting and conducting business and arts events. He served as a spokesman of sorts when the avenue was torn up and parking became an issue, advocating for better communication between small businesses and municipal leaders. 

Credi also opened the Crapshoot Kitchen & Commissary and Xavmen Ramen just down the street in the same complex, closing them after a stint of finding some success with the takeout ramen place and hosting a Puerto Rican takeout restaurant for a short time. 

He continues to serve as business manager for Shush Wine Bar LLC (the actual name will change once opened next spring 2025) at 41 Jackson St. in the former Gilliana’s restaurant, in downtown Batavia, and looks forward to that venture owned by Bonnie Woodward and family. 

Throughout all of his endeavors, Credi understands and appreciates the patronage of loyal customers. On social media, he expressed how “incredibly grateful” he is for the support of his family, wife, customer base, and “trustworthy” staff.

“I couldn’t have taken it on without them,” he said,” “for making Pub Hub what it was.”

Isabell Herdlein, a 1st grader at Jackson Primary School, rode to school today in City Fire's ladder truck as her prize for winning the department's annual coloring contest at her school.  Joining her in the photo with the firefighters is her teacher, Lexi Wahr.

It's Election Day 2024 across the nation, and all polls are open in Genesee County. 

As one voter noted this morning, with the good weather, there's no excuse not to vote (if you haven't already).

Polls close at 9 p.m.

Lagging sales tax growth was the biggest challenge in drafting a proposed Genesee County budget, Matt Landers says. For 2025, the budget has tacked on $6.2 million more from this year’s total to accommodate several cost increases.

The county manager has carved out a budget of $189,249,435, which includes a tax rate of $7.57 — a 51-cent decrease from the current rate of $8.08 due to increased property assessments, he said this week.

“Large drivers of the increased budget were New York State retirement increases, health care cost increases, jail operating cost increases, preschool supportive health services program cost increases, assigned counsel cost increases, just to name some,” he said Monday to The Batavian. 

A budget presentation will be held at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Courthouse Chambers of the Old County Courthouse, 7 Main St., Batavia. 

The budget increase is 3.4% more than from the 2024 adopted budget due to those increases and a lack of sales tax growth “to help offset the various cost increases,” Landers said.

If this budget is adopted by the county Legislature, it would mean an annual bill of $757 for a property assessed at $100,000, versus this year's tab of $808, for a decrease of $51 if a homeowner has not had a property assessment increase.

However, if a home's value went up from $100,000 to $125,000, it would mean that home that cost a yearly $808 would now cost $946.25, for an overall yearly increase of $138.25 due to that increased assessment. 

A brand new $70 million county jail on Route 5 has meant a debt service for several years to come, and those payments began in 2023. However, there are other considerations to go along with the larger size and responsibilities of the facility, Landers said. 

“The proposed budget has ten new correction officer positions created for the new county jail,” he said. “The medical costs at the jail are increasing due to the utilization of an additional contracted nurse in the 2025 budget.”

Which department raised the most concern in terms of cost?
“Jail, preschool supportive health services cost increases in which the county Public Health Department oversees, assigned counsel cost increases and 730 mental health restoration costs are all areas that continue to be closely monitored,” he said.

As an example of the increases, preschool program costs have gone from the 2024 budget of $2.7 million to the proposed 2025 budget of $4.6 million due to the program's rising demands and related costs of transportation, personnel, and benefits.

During his annual report to the Legislature in February, Public Health Director Paul Pettit discussed how transportation, in particular, was driving up pre-school costs, projecting a tab of nearly $1 million for busing alone in 2024.

Transportation and center program costs have been rising as an "underfunded mandate," Pettit had said.

“One of the drivers that’s really expensive is that more kids get referred.  You probably saw on the governor's proposal she's proposing a 5 percent rate increase across the board. And then there's a 4 percent rider for rural counties, which we would fall under that bucket. So that'd be a 9 percent rate increase for early intervention,” he said. “And this is one of those programs that, again, we don't have a lot of control over the services that are provided.” 

Landers has earmarked $1.14 million for preschool transportation in 2025. Mental health court is slated for an extra $200,000 in 2025, for a total of $500,000.

How is the water project fitting in -- debt service, the planning for work to be done this next year? 
“Besides the annual $515,000 General Fund contribution to water from sales tax, which has been taking place for 20+ years, all operations of the water fund continue to be paid for out of operating revenues of the water fund,” he said. “Planning continues for Phase 3 of the water system.”

Circumstances may not have been perfect, but Landers is pleased with what he plans to present on Wednesday, he said.

“I am happy with the efforts made by my department heads and staff to deliver responsible budget requests that meet the demands of the community while providing quality service and do so in an efficient manner,” he said. “I would say the reduction in sales tax is a challenge that doesn’t present itself very often, which makes this budget a little more unique.” 

The Legislature will meet on Nov. 13 to discuss the budget and include any public feedback to make further recommendations if necessary. The Ways & Means Committee will then review the budget and refer it to the full Legislature for vote. A vote to adopt the budget is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Nov. 25 in Courthouse Chambers. 

Not pictured:

Top 10 Responders were Alex Summers, 90; Ryan Thompson, 85; Todd Thompson, 85; James Nichols, 83; Rob Crossen, 78; John Summers, 67; Johsh Mullen, 65; Terry Thompson, 61; Max Maerten, 35; and Gary Patnode Jr., 28.

10 Years of Service - Leah Thompson and Jamie Belluscio.

15 Years - David Kinney and Gary Patnode Sr.

35 Years - Rick Brunea and Alison Thompson

70 Years - Hank Mudrzynksi

Press Release:

As the holiday season approaches, the Salvation Army in Batavia is excited to announce the launch of its annual Red Kettle Campaign, set to begin in November 2024. 

This initiative aims to raise funds to provide warm clothing, holiday meals, and gifts to families in need, as well as to support year-round family service programs. The campaign presents an opportunity to spread joy and make a meaningful impact in our community.

In light of declining contributions in recent years, we are actively seeking support from local businesses and organizations to help achieve our campaign goals. This year, we aim to raise $100,000, with a target of securing $50,000 before the bell ringing begins outside select locations. 

We are inviting local partners to join us in this effort through:

Donations: Financial contributions, gift items, or resources that directly benefit those we serve.

Volunteers: Individuals or teams willing to assist with bell ringing at various locations during the campaign.

Christmas Partnerships: Sponsorship opportunities at different levels, including Press Release sponsors, T-shirt sponsors, and Social Media sponsors.

For more information contact Bradley Moore at 585-343-6284.

Press Release:

This year EMTs, Laura Platt and Tatum Higby from Byron Fire Department’s Rescue Squad, took first place in the NYS Basic Life Support competition. 

The EMS Games held this year at the Riverside Convention Center in Rochester on October 16-20 brought together teams of EMTs and Paramedics from across New York State for an exciting competition sponsored by Aura Prep and the BMCC Paramedic Program. The event featured a series of challenging, real-world scenarios designed to test participants' clinical skills, quick thinking, and teamwork under pressure.

Teams demonstrated their expertise in emergency response, patient care, and problem-solving, vying for top honors and recognition. The sponsorship by BMCC and Aura Prep highlighted their commitment to advancing EMS education and fostering a robust and skilled community of first responders across the state.

The workshop is designed to help first responders hone their knowledge and collect CME credits to maintain their license with the state. The last one held in Rochester was in 2017.

Besides Platt and Higby, Brad Nickerson, Squad Captain attended. Higby is an energetic 17-year-old who recently completed her Basic EMT Training in March of this year while attending Byron-Bergen High School as a junior.

Higby currently has completed all her CME credits for recertification, which is 3 years away. Higby was so excited when she learned that Vital Signs was being held in Rochester; she was eager to learn even more.

This year the council added a new twist for all attending. The games were held at the Strong Museum of Play on Saturday, October 19 in the morning. Each company was encouraged to sign up a team that would then participate in a “real life scenario.” Higby urged her mentor, Platt, to team up and compete. Higby created the team’s name, “Lil Legs of Byron.” 

Just before the “call” the teams consisting of two people were given a few minutes to familiarize themselves with the equipment available for them to use; and they were allowed 20 minutes to complete the call. 

The scenario that the Byron team was in a restaurant setting where an employee was having trouble breathing. The team accessed the scene and the patient, who was alone in the restaurant. The team used all their skills as they treated the patient with oxygen, EpiPen and albuterol to keep the patient alive because they were notified that the ambulance was 40 minutes away. 

The two teams that were in first place in both categories, EMT and Advanced, received medals. Both winners were also awarded a large trophy cup that they can keep and display for the year. It will eventually have their names and date engraved on it.

Team Lil Legs of Byron took the EMT first place. Second place went to Wayne County and third place to Madison County. The Byron Fire Department will proudly display their trophy in their hall.

Jon H. Bush, 41, of Batavia, is charged with menacing a peace officer, criminal possession of a weapon 3rd, and obstructing governmental administration 2nd. Bush is accused of threatening two probation officers with a knife at an unspecified location and preventing them from arresting another person during a home visit on June 28. He was arrested on Oct. 18. He was arraigned in City Court and jailed. Cindy L. Bush, his mother, was also charged with obstructing governmental administration and issued an appearance ticket.

Shawn P. Wolcott, 42, of Batavia, is charged with burglary 3rd, criminal possession of stolen property 5th, and petit larceny.  Wolcott broke into a building on Harvester Avenue and stole property on Oct. 12.  He was arraigned and released.

Carolyn L. Kurek, 82, of Batavia, is charged with unlawful imprisonment 2nd and harassment 2nd. Kurek is accused of blocking another person from leaving a room at an apartment building on West Main Street, Batavia, on Oct. 16. She allegedly struck a person with her cane. She was issued an appearance ticket.

Kamau S. Freeman, 30, of Buffalo, was arrested on Oct. 15 on a warrant. Freeman was previously arrested on July 23 and charged with robbery 3rd, grand larceny 4th, criminal contempt 1st, and criminal mischief 3rd. The warrant was issued after he allegedly failed to appear in court. He was arraigned and released.

Morgan A. Schoonmaker, 28, of Perry, and Jaqulyn A. Dueppengiesser, 40, of Perry, are charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th. Schoonmaker and Dueppengiesser are accused of possessing narcotics during a traffic stop on Pearl Street on Oct. 15. They were issued appearance tickets.

Emily D. Shea, 29, of Batavia, is charged with DWI. Shea was stopped on Oct. 10 on East Main Street by a Batavia patrol officer for allegedly driving putout headlights. She was issued tickets and released.

Ryan A. Decillis, 32, of Batavia, is charged with DWI. Decillis was allegedly caught speeding after Batavia PD received a traffic complaint on Oct. 5 (location not disclosed). He was issued tickets and released.

Kristen L. Kocent, 36, of Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th. Kocent allegedly passed narcotics during an investigation on Oct. 13 at an undisclosed location. She was issued an appearance ticket.

Douglas G. Goodwin, Jr., 33, of Alabama, is charged with petit larceny. Goodwin is accused of stealing a gold chain from another person on Sept. 19. He was arrested on Oct. 21. He was arraigned and released.

Alicia M. Lyons, 45, Batavia, is charged with resisting arrest. Lyons is accused of resisting police on Oct. 17 when they attempted to take her into custody on multiple warrants. She was arraigned in City Court and was released.

Tek B. Giri, 46, of Scottsville, is charged with DWI. Giri was stopped on Clinton Street on Oct. 17 after Batavia PD received complaints of an erratic driver. Giri was issued tickets and released.

Mark J. Schultz, 38, of Batavia, is charged with DWI. Schultz was stopped on Oct. 20 on West Main Street by a Batavia patrol officer who reportedly observed him driving without tail lights. He was issued traffic tickets and released.

Francis A. Coombs, III, 57, of Batavia, was arrested on Oct. 16 on a warrant. Coombs was initially arrested on Aug. 25 and charged with criminal mischief 4th. He was issued an appearance ticket but allegedly failed to appear in court. Coombs was arraigned in City Court and released. 

Carolyn L. Kurek, 82, of Batavia, is charged with unlawful imprisonment 2nd and harassment 2nd. Kurek is accused of blocking another person from leaving a room at an apartment building on West Main Street, Batavia, on Oct. 16. She allegedly struck a person with her cane. She was issued an appearance ticket.

Arnold B. Colopy, 67, of Batavia, is charged with criminal trespass. Colopy is accused of unlawfully entering an apartment on School Street on Oct. 19. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Kelly Marie Zwolinski, 45, of Broadway Road, Darien, is charged with criminal mischief 3rd. Zwolinski is accused of damaging the property of another person at 5:30 p.m. on Oct. 29 at a location on Broadway Road, Darien. The value of the property is reportedly in excess of $250. He was held pending arraignment.

Harold Phillip Duell, 62, of Perry, is charged with felony DWI, open alcohol container, license restricted, driving on shoulder, and aggravated unlicensed operation. Duell was stopped at 1:24 a.m. on Oct. 28 on Richmond Avenue by Deputy Matthew Wesolowski. He was released on tickets.

Paul William Zeches, 36, of Liberty Street, Batavia, is charged with sex offender failure to report a change of address. Zeches was arrested on Oct. 30. He was jailed on the charge.

Nathaniel Ashton Finta, 20, of North Main Street, Oakfield, is charged with assault 2nd and criminal mischief 4th. Finta is accused of burning another person's clothing and of striking that person in the face with an open hand causing an injury. Finta was held pending arraignment.

The Byron-Bergen Bees lost a hard-fought match against East Rochester in a bid to reclaim their sectional title.

The Bees final score was 3-2.

Colin Rea scored both Bees' goals.

Photos by  Jennifer DiQuattro

Cheerleading squads from Batavia, Oakfield-Alabama/Elba, and Le Roy competed in sectionals at Gate-Chili High School on Saturday.

The champion teams were:

• Class A - Hilton
• Class B - Webster Thomas
• Class C - HFL
• Class D - Gananda
• Class COED - Greece Arcadia

Also participating were Alexander/Attica, Byron-Bergen, and Pembroke

Photos by Debra Reilly

Press release;

Team Results: 1. Fairport: 136.5, 2. Penfield-Webster: 132.85, 3. Rush-Henrietta: 131.85, 4. Pittsford: 124.9, 5. Gates-Brighton: 121.85, 6. Genesee: 119.025, 7. Mercy: 99.675, 8. HFL: 51.525, 9. Newark: 34.875, 10. Charles Finney: 20.475

All Around: 1. Kalliste Brandon (Mercy): 35.125, 15. Roan Finn (Batavia): 31.85, 26. Sophia Matthews (Genesee): 28.65

Vault: 1. Stephanie Gulvin (Penfield-Webster): 9.375, 13. Mikayla Yohon (Genesee): 8.0, 15. Roan Finn (Genesee): 7.9, 16. Carsyn Good (Genesee): 7.85, 24. Edison Betances (Genesee): 7.7, 27. Sophia Matthews (Genesee): 7.65, 34. Kendall Chase (Genesee): 7.35

Uneven Bars: 1. Evelyn Buttaccio (Rush-Henrietta) & Kalliste Brandon (Mercy): 8.55, 24. Sophia Matthews (Genesee): 6.4, 26. Edison Betances (Genesee): 6.35, 28. Roan Finn & Emma Cooper (Genesee): 6.15, 35. Kendall Chase (Genesee): 5.7, 37. Carsyn Good (Genesee): 5.4

Balance Beam: 1. Ashlyn Pettee (HFL): 9.15, 5. Roan Finn (Genesee): 8.9, 27. Nee'Kay Smith (Genesee): 7.5, 33. Sophia Matthews (Genesee): 7.1, 34. Kendall Chase (Genesee): 7.0, 35. Mikayla Yohon (Genesee): 6.9,  40. Emma Cooper (Genesee): 6.3

Floor Exercise: 1. Sarah Lago (Fairport): 9.45,13. Roan Finn (Genesee): 8.9, 28. Mikayla Yohon (Genesee): 7.95, 36. Carsyn Good (Genesee): 7.625, 37. Emma Cooper (Genesee): 7.55, 38. Sophia Matthews (Genesee): 7.5, 42. Lei St. Clair (Genesee): 6.85

Notre Dame won its 100th sectional block on Saturday with a Cross Country championship at Letchworth State Park.

The team received an escort through the city of Batavia by City of Batavia Fire Department.

Byron-Bergen won its fourth consecutive Section V Class C2 Girls' Soccer championship on Friday, beating Kendall 1-0.

Mia Gray scored the lone goal for the Lady Bees with 8:25 left in the second half.  

Photos by Jennifer DiQuattro

The Oakfield-Alabama/Elba Aggies beat York/Pavilion on Friday in the Class D quarterfinal, 26-14.

OAE Statistics:

• Senior RB/LB Avery Watterson - 16 Carries, 115 Yards, 1 TD,  7 Tackles, 1 INT, returned 46 yards for a TD.
• Senior RB/LB Jack Cianfrini - 14 Carries, 102 Yards,  3 Tackles, 1 TFL, 2 INTs on Defense
• Junior RB Hunter Tobolski - 5 Carries, 35 Yards, 1 TD
• Sophomore QB Brayden Jachimowicz -  7/13 Passing, 100 Yards, 1 TD
• Junior TE/LB Nicholas Scott - 2 Receptions for 30 Yards and 1 TD, 4 Tackles and 1 TFL on Defense
•  Senior DL Ryan Stymus - 5 Tackles and 3 TFLs

"It's always good to win when the game's name is 'survive and advance,'" said Coach Tyler Winters. "Hats off to some of our senior leaders who made big plays when the game was on the line.  Also, I can't say enough about the job some of the underclassmen up from JV did when they were asked to step up in a big way tonight.  Anyone who watched this game would agree that it was not a perfect performance on our end, and we know that.  However, we are excited to dive into the film, clean up the things that we can control, and see how long this group can continue to play football with one another."  

Photos by Debra Reilly

Alexander, the #2 seed, plays home vs. #3 seed Oakfield-Alabama/Elba. The date and time TBD

To view or purchase photos, click here.

The Elba Lancers beat Pavilion three sets to zero in the D2 Section V quarterfinal on Friday.

Sets: 25-10, 25-15, 25-16

Elba:

• Mariah Ognibene: 6 kills, three digs, seven aces
• Alexa Ocampo: 11 kills, two blocks, two kills, two aces
• Jada Fite: 19 assists, three digs, two aces

Pavilion:

• Severyn Winters: 3 blocks, two kills
• Cori Gardner: eight assists, 11 digs
• Cricket Coots: three kills, five digs
• Peyton Gay: five digs

Next up for Elba, at the #3 seed, Arkport-Canaseraga, the #2 seed.  

 Photos by Kristin Smith

Press Release:

The Kiwanis Club of Batavia will be hosting its annual Free Thanksgiving Morning Community Skate on Thursday, November 28, from 9 to 11 a.m. at the David McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena on Evans Street in Batavia. 

Admission and skate rentals are free (while supplies last). There will also be free hot chocolate. 

The Kiwanis Club of Batavia is thankful for the local community's support of their fundraisers. It’s through their fundraisers that events such as this can be provided for the children of Batavia and surrounding communities. Please come out and enjoy this free event!

Anyone who has walked or cycled down a city street may have experienced some trepidation when dealing with automobile traffic on major routes and wished there were more options for pedestrians and bicyclists to get from home to shopping, recreation, work and appointments.

City management is hoping to do just that with a citywide transportation study, with the eventual goal of improving transportation options and safety for people who use modes of transportation other than motorized vehicles. 

City Council has tentatively approved the study for $80,000, which will be paid for with a $70,000 federal grant and $10,000 from the city, and City Manager Rachael Tabelski briefed council members about the study during this week’s conference session.

“The corridors we've identified that we really want to focus on include downtown Batavia, the Uptown Connection, which would be connecting transportation options from downtown to the Harvester campus, the Healthy Living triangle that connects the McCarthy Ice Arena, Austin Park and Ellicott Trail with the newly constructed Healthy Living campus, improving the Ellicott Street corridor — that's one of our main focuses of the study is to look at the traffic in that corridor and look at any type of traffic calming measures that help it help pedestrians and bicyclists feel safer in the Ellicott Street corridor — the West Side commercial corridor, and then parks and recreation areas and how they connect to neighborhoods,” Tabelski said. “So those would be the goals and the focus of the study. Once the study is done, you can then apply for grant funds using the study in the future.”

The city has been awarded a $70,000 grant from the Genesee Transportation Council. It will match the funding with $10,000 of committed funds and establish a steering committee to work with a consultant to complete the project.

The study will identify opportunities for enhanced connectivity between neighborhoods, reduce reliance on single-occupancy vehicles, and ensure that all residents, including those in underserved areas, have access to safe and efficient active transportation options, according to the plan. It will also aim to bolster the use of non-motorized transportation, such as walking, cycling, and multi-modal transportation options, which align with the goals of the city’s 2017 Comprehensive Plan.

The city has already made progress on improving pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure through various initiatives, Tabelski said, including the Transportation Enhancements/Alternatives Program, Healthy Schools Corridor, approximately $5 million in sidewalk investments over the past decade, and the creation of the Ellicott Trail that winds throughout the city. However, officials believe there remains a need to identify and implement further improvements to create a more connected and accessible transportation network and a healthy living corridor.

Once the final plan is adopted, it should provide a framework that will help the city achieve the following:

Create a citywide transportation plan as a guide for implementing and enhancing safety, access, and connectivity for all modes of transportation.

Provide opportunities to promote healthier, more active lifestyles for city residents by improving mobility and connections to jobs, shopping, and recreation in the downtown area, focusing on the "Healthy Living Triangle."

Improve access to the South side of Batavia through improvements to the Ellicott Street corridor, including pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure.

Connecting downtown, Ellicott Street/Ellicott Trail and the Uptown corridor (Harvester Street and Swan Street) will improve walkability, access to businesses, arts and culture, and create a feeling of safety for pedestrians and bicyclists.

Reduce the risk of traffic accidents on major routes within the city.

There are several projects underway that will have an impact on transportation in Batavia, city management says, including:

Ellicott Street Corridor -- a key route through Batavia that connects Routes 63 and 5 -- had a major overhaul several years ago to make it a two-lane highway for trucker traffic and seemed to hamper much of the traffic entering from side streets, is in need of improvement to better connect neighborhoods, key destinations, and the growing pedestrian and cyclist traffic. 

Ellicott Trail, a multi-use path that runs through the corridor, requires upgrades to enhance safety and accessibility for non-motorized users. Additional housing developments and mixed-use projects have added affordable and market-rate housing units, increasing pedestrian and bike traffic. With 38% of traffic consisting of light trucks and an active rail line crossing near downtown, the corridor faces significant challenges.

Planned upgrades will focus on improving traffic flow, ensuring pedestrian and cyclist safety, reducing speed, exploring traffic-calming measures, improving crossings, and improving signage. 

Environmental Justice and equity: the city is home to several environmental justice block groups, and the demographic composition underscores the importance of making the transportation system more accessible, inclusive and safe for all residents, especially the Ellicott Street Corridor. The transportation plan will focus on addressing the needs of these vulnerable populations, ensuring that improvements benefit all residents, particularly those in underserved communities.

Downtown/Uptown Connection: In 2017, the city began advancing downtown revitalization projects to stimulate economic growth and revitalize its downtown. To date, it has resulted in $65 million in improvements. These grant-funded improvements have enhanced the downtown, improving connectivity for residents, supporting multimodal transportation between downtown, the uptown connection of Harvester Avenue and surrounding residential neighborhoods, helping to sustain economic momentum.

Zoning code update: For the first time in more than two decades, the city is reevaluating and comprehensively updating its city code. The code update will be comprehensive, user-friendly, pro-economic development and simple to read.

The mandatory task is to form a project steering/advisory committee by identifying all applicable stakeholders, such as state transportation facilities and other infrastructure (road, bridge, bike or pedestrian facilities or transit). If stakeholders are not part of the committee, they must have the opportunity to review and comment on draft recommendations that impact their facilities.

Other tasks include publicly announcing a request for proposals, and a designated group will evaluate the responses and hire a consultant with specialized experience in active transportation planning; having the consultant collaborate with the committee, which may include representatives from the Genesee County Planning Department, town of Batavia, Batavia Development Corp., Batavia Improvement District, Genesee Community College, Chamber of Commerce, City Council, Genesee County Economic Development Center, Batavia Police Department, local business owners, GTC staff, Regional Transit Service and Office for the Aging. These entities will assist by providing relevant data, reviewing project tasks and evaluating feasible options. 

The consultant is to perform an analysis of current conditions and assess the needs of the project area, including the city’s background, historical context, planning documents, existing land use, ownership and zoning regulations; a comparison of the findings to the goals and priorities outlined in the city’s strategic plan, ensuring alignment with the vision for the community’s future development, including integration of complete street and traffic calming elements where applicable; analyzing motor vehicle traffic patterns, identifying physical and program needs; and engaging the public through meetings, surveys, stakeholder interviews and/or focus groups.

The committee and consultant will collaborate to identify opportunities to enhance active transportation throughout the city based on the needs previously identified and eventually recommend improvements to multi-modal circulation and access throughout the area, in preparation for a final report that summarizes the key findings and recommendations. 

Public participation is crucial to the study, and the consultant plans are to include and engage low-income, minority, disabled, senior and youth populations. Two public meetings will be scheduled to gather input on existing conditions, needs and goals and to then present draft findings and recommendations and obtain feedback before finalizing the study. 

A tentative schedule has been set to begin with November for scope of work approval, an RFP release in January 2025, selection of the consultant and City Council approval in March, a signed contract by April, a kickoff meeting in May, existing conditions analysis and needs assessment finalized by August, concept plans, strategies and recommendations finalized by October, a draft final report by the end of 2025, and a completed study by February 2026.