Moving Coeymans forward with Truck Traffic

Next Steps for the Town of Coeymans
The Supervisor’s Office of the Town of Coeymans is encouraged to see Albany County formally step up
to address the long-standing issue of truck traffic in our community.

With the involvement of the Albany County Executive’s Office and the Advance Albany County Alliance,
there is now a clear recognition that this is not just a local issue, but a regional one. That understanding
is critical to moving real solutions forward.

The Town of Coeymans appreciates Albany County’s engagement and wants to be clear in our hope that
this study will do more than simply define the problem we have. Instead, this study should further
position the Town of Coeymans and Village of Ravena to advance with requested action from the State
Department of Transportation, to implement long-term solutions to this problem, consistent with the
joint municipal letter we have sent to our State Senators.

We expect that the County’s study will generate data that can be used to develop necessary truck
routing and truck volume solutions. In addition, the study may unlock grant funding opportunities for
both the Town and the Village to repair and replace infrastructure that has been impacted by the severe
increase in heavy truck traffic.

In the meantime, the Town of Coeymans will continue to look at tools that it already has available to
begin addressing this issue. And in that regard, we note the proper Site Plan Review Law is likely our
most immediate and effective option.

Through proper enforcement of Site Plan Review, the Town of Coeymans can review and assess and –
where appropriate – impose reasonable limits on the volume of truck traffic associated with certain
industry and businesses that operate within our town.

Used correctly, this process allows the Town – and its residents – to protect the unique character of the
community, and the interests of the residents who live here, while still recognizing the important role
that industry has played in our history; and will continue to play in our future.

And this is where local involvement and responsibility comes in.
We urge residents to support this effort as we work to apply these tools more deliberately and
consistently.

Please attend the Town Meetings (next one March 26) to show your support for undertaking proper
oversight of the industry and businesses that generate truck traffic. Your voice matters; it is relevant,
and it is needed.

We are hopeful that the County’s study will provide data and a long-term framework for the State to
act. Until then, we will continue at the Town level to seek to use any and all authority that we already
have to protect the Town of Coeymans and its residents.

Working together, we can move toward solutions that are both practical and protective of our
community.

Stephen Donnelly
Supervisor, Town of Coeymans