Small businesses feeling impacts of increased traffic caused by Buc-ee’s
PASS CHRISTIAN, Miss. (WXXV) — “The roundabout stops the traffic from seeing what other businesses can be provided for the community here in Pass Christian,” Michelle Englett explained frustratedly.
It’s been one month since Buc-ee’s opened in South Mississippi, and it’s food options, themed merchandise and gifts have been popular.
But the traffic? Not so much.
There’s one main entrance to the gas station giant, with the flow of traffic controlled by a single roundabout.
Englett, the owner of Firetower Express Mail and Ship at Oak Square Shopping Center, said she has felt the impact of this traffic on herself and her business for weeks.
“The roundabout… it’s just stopping the traffic flow,” Englett said. “You would think that it would be easy, but it’s not. People are just at a dead halt, and also coming from the north side of Buc-ee’s, people are not being able to move. I mean, it’s just a congestion, it’s like a block, it’s like a — no one’s traveling, and it’s just because they don’t know how to use this roundabout.”
According to Englett, the roundabout also diverts drivers towards the store, taking away from local businesses.
“Once they come into the roundabout, it directs them straight to Buc-ee’s, and so when people are in Buc-ee’s, they do their shopping, and then they leave,” Englett said.
Not everyone has seen problems with the roundabout. One group of friends on a mission trip from Massachusetts shared that it seemed easy to navigate.
“Our driver person, she kind of just was vibing with it, so it was easy to get through,” visitor Vivian Pujo said.
At the same time, the teenager hasn’t tried to venture past it to the local businesses down the road.
“We wouldn’t have come here if she didn’t need something,” Pujo said, referencing their mission trip leader. “We only went to Buc-ee’s.”
Those at Oak Square are asking for a solution, and some, like Bunn Coffee employee Taylor Tinsley, already have plenty of ideas.
“I know some of the other Buc-ee’s do have that employee parking, but having one big parking lot is kind of difficult,” Tinsley explained. “I know when they change from shift to shift. But also having a couple entrances — I know we have two — but I think it would be a lot easier if we had some kind of service road or something that went from I-10 or even on this road, on Menge right here. It’s just one very large entrance and exit, so it does get a little backed up, and I think that is one of the problems.”
