Friends -Please find a full report of the Van Voorhis environmental study. I've included a nice image from page 2 of the document that shows the improvements proposed for the entire length of the project. It seems a lot of new sidewalk for peds and shoulders/climbing lanes for bicycle riders have been included. I greatly appreciate that ALL public comments and responses to them are included in Appendix B of the online report. I am most excited by this response to numerous, numerous comments …
[View More]requesting additional sidewalk:"UPDATE - Following the virtual public meeting, DOH has re-evaluated the proposedsidewalk design and intends to modify the plans to include a sidewalk on one side of the roadfrom WV 705 to the northern end of this project just south of West Run Road."
Despite difficult topography, a more complete street is being created for all users.Thank you all for your continued dedication to multimodal travel! It is rewarding to see the impact of our collective input, and DOH should be commended.
Be well,Christiaan
----- Forwarded Message ----- From: Bill Austin <baustin(a)plantogether.org>To: "statler4board(a)hotmail.com" <statler4board(a)hotmail.com>; Tom Bloom <tbloom(a)moncommission.com>; Patty Lewis <gmmayor(a)wvgranville.com>; michaellkellywv <michaellkellywv(a)gmail.com>; Sean Sikora <ssikora(a)moncommission.com>; Ed Hawkins <dr.hawk(a)comcast.net>; William Kawecki (C.C. Ward 2) <wkawecki(a)morgantownwv.gov>; Jenny Selin (C.C. Ward 4) <jselin(a)morgantownwv.gov>; Dave Harshbarger <dharshbarger(a)morgantownwv.gov>; Lilly, James <jlilly(a)icmarc.org>; Steven Blinco <sblinco(a)k12.wv.us>; David Bruffy <bruffy(a)busride.org>; Carr, Brian E <brian.e.carr(a)wv.gov>Cc: Rennetta McClure <rmcclure(a)moncommission.com>; Emily Muzzarelli <emuzzarelli(a)morgantownwv.gov>; Andrew Gast-Bray <agastbray(a)moncommission.com>; John Whitmore <jwhitmore(a)morgantownwv.gov>; Christiaan Abildso <cabildso(a)yahoo.com>; Damien Davis <ddavis(a)morgantownwv.gov>; Drew Gatlin <jgatlin(a)morgantownwv.gov>; Jing Zhang <jingzhangaicp(a)gmail.com>; Jessica Shuey <jshuey(a)plantogether.org>Sent: Wednesday, December 9, 2020, 10:49:26 AM ESTSubject: Van Voorhis Road Environmental Study
MPO Policy Board Members,
This email is to let you know that the WVDOH has finalized the design and environmental documentation for the Van Voorhis improvement project. The project includes partial widening to three lanes in the vicinity of Burroughs Street, and improved drainage and shoulders as well as wider lane width the length of the project. It also now includes sidewalk on one side of the road essentially the entire length of the project. (The sidewalk is on the east side of the road from West Run to Newbury Lane and on the east side of Van Voorhis from Newberry Lane to Burroughs Street. The project also includes the relocation of the driveway at Advantage Health. A map showing the improvements is attached to this email.
You can access the entire document from the WVDOH website at the link below:
https://transportation.wv.gov/highways/engineering/comment/closed/VanVoorhi…
Please let me know if you have any questions in this matter or if we may be of any assistance.
Respectfully,
Bill Austin, AICP
Executive Director
Morgantown Monongalia MPO
243 High Street Room 110
Morgantown, WV 26505
304-291-9571 Office 304-692-7225 Mobile
“Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.” John F. Kennedy
“In any given moment we have two options: to step forward into growth or step back into safety.” Abraham Maslow
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Hello Bike Board + new faces!
Thank you kindly for your emails a couple weeks ago on the various topics I raised. First thing - I will be down on the Riverfront* Wednesday afternoon (looks like decent weather) to have a look-see and continue fleshing out our bicycle parking inventory. If any of you are available Wednesday afternoon / early evening and would like to join, socially distanced, please reach out!
Secondly, please click here<https://doodle.com/poll/svhprhw3kyqgkahc?utm_source=…
[View More]poll&utm_medium=link> to indicate your availability for a virtual meeting. Options on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday.
Thirdly, and finally, on the draft agenda, which must be published tomorrow if we are to have a meeting on Monday, I have:
1) Election of interim leadership team
2) E-bikes: incorporating recently passed WV state laws into our municipal code
3) Riverfront bike parking assessment
Maybe also -
4) Website plans
5) Bicycle Friendly Community + Bicycle Network Analysis applications
That's a lot to fit in 1.5 hours, so make sure to come prepared! Minimal read-aheads will be sent out tomorrow.
Lemme know if you have any questions, and thank you all for your service to Morgantown!
-Drew
*When I say Riverfront, I mean the entire stretch of the Mon within Morgantown city limits
J. Drew Gatlin
Staff Engineer
389 Spruce St., Rm. 24
Morgantown, WV 26505
Office: (304) 284-7411
Cell: (304) 719-7900
Fax: (304) 284-7409
[cid:a7b86905-19a4-495a-bde4-b6f30e5f4bae]<http://www.morgantownwv.gov>
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Hello everyone,
I hope this finds you all well.
As you know on July 20, 2020, at 3:30 p.m. we held our very first City of Morgantown Board and Commission “All Hands” Overview. After the event Ryan and I received positive comments from board members and they were much appreciated. Our plan is to hold an overview once a year, but we can hold them more frequently if folks feel there is a need. For tracking purposes, if you did participate in the July overview please complete the participation …
[View More]form via the link here https://www.morgantownwv.gov/FormCenter/Boards-and-Commissions-Application-… by COB Wednesday, November 11, 2020, to receive credit for attending. We welcome your comments, feedback, suggestions, etc., so please be sure to include them when completing the form. If you were unable to attend please respond to this email and I will be sure to include you in our next invite.
On behalf of the City of Morgantown, thank you once again for all that you do, and for your service to our amazing city, it has not gone unnoticed.
Stay well.
Christine M. Wade
City Clerk
City of Morgantown
389 Spruce Street
Morgantown, WV 26505
Office 304-284-7434
cwade(a)morgantownwv.gov<mailto:cwade@morgantownwv.gov>
[cid:image001.png@01D6B2D1.271ED790]
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Hello Bike Board,
Please excuse this second email in as many days - we need your input! DOH has asked us for comment, due at the end of this week. We are trying to get that deadline extended, but, in any case, please expedite your review if possible. Attached you'll find various documents related to the DOH's project to widen sections of Beechurst and redo some of the intersections between Fayette and Campus Dr. They include:
1. A document I prepared ('Beechurst Plans Review Notes') that …
[View More]contains two lists under the following headings
* “A few things to note as you look through this voluminous document”
* “City administration has noted the following, which would be helpful to know if you agree with”
2. A full plan set (the 15MB file)
3. An abbreviated plan set if you are rushed on time
I highly recommend viewing these plans on a large screen monitor if you have access to one.
Finally, please excuse if you get multiple copies of this email (you will if you also serve on the Ped Board and/or the Traffic Commission).
Best,
Drew
J. Drew Gatlin
Staff Engineer
389 Spruce St., Rm. 24
Morgantown, WV 26505
Office: (304) 284-7411
Cell: (304) 719-7900
Fax: (304) 284-7409
[cid:c8916f68-3f65-41d1-b128-7e162015ad19]<http://www.morgantownwv.gov>
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Friends -I've been involved in discussions by email & Zoom with multiple groups interested in this topic the last few days. If I may, while we may differ on some specific details of the engineering and the location of the roundabout at Dorsey, I think we are all likely to agree that this is a major opportunity to redesign a corridor to meet the interests of safe ped/bike transportation, connections with recreation assets, and improved vehicular safety & movement.
Based on recent …
[View More]experience with Van Voorhis, I have come to understand that the volume of submissions in support for ped/bike infrastructure is critical. The comments all go to the FHWA, who may then make recommendations to the WVDOH if the volume of comments is overwhelming.
The link was actually fairly well hidden. There's a link to an online form at this page: https://transportation.wv.gov/highways/engineering/comment/greenbagroadimpr…
The direct link to the form is https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=As8mikpDHkOMrX6u-X70hP1…
Project details are available here and here.
I've pasted my submission below (and attached a text file). Feel free to use any or all of it (or none of it). I hope it helps.
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE submit comments even if it's a very short "we need a safer way to walk and bike to school"!Thank you all for taking time to submit comments!Christiaan----
I appreciate and applaud everyone's hard work balancing the many interests on this project. It is a very important one for the future of the Morgantown region! As noted in the main page for this project: "Community involvement in the development of the Morgantown Monongalia Planning Association (MMMPO) Greenbag Road Corridor Study (2015) identified pedestrian facilities to connect the neighborhood schools with the commercial and residential areas as a key issue for community safety and access." While I applaud the DOH's work to include pedestrian infrastructure and some bike accommodations on the western half of the project, to not connect hundreds of residents and multiple businesses on the east side of Mountainview is contrary to that statement, and I hope the DOH will strongly reconsider the design from the Dorsey intersection eastward.
I'd like to respectfully submit these points for consideration in the design:1) sidewalk the entire length of the project on the north side of Greenbag is a good option for pedestrians, though a multi-use path would be much safer and encouraging for the average pedestrian or bicyclist2) I fully support the sidewalk as designed on the east side of Dorsey, connecting Greenbag to Luckey Lane and Mountainview ES3) I fully support the sidewalk on Luckey Lane, but would like it to extend the entire length of Luckey Lane4) I fully support the roundabouts as designed. I hate to see the loss of land for the community farm but understand why that is the chosen alternative5) <<From Dorsey intersection to the east>>: the lack of ped/bike infrastructure on this section of the project is a major concern and contrary to public feedback as noted above. Thus, I strongly recommend (a) a 5' sidewalk on the north side of Greenbag + paved shoulders or bike lanes on both sides, or (b) preferably, a 10-12' multiuse path on the north side of Greenbag from the Dorsey intersection to the eastern terminus of the project to connect the schools to hundreds of residents in the housing developments that are accessed from Jonathon Lane, Ashworth Lane, and Long Branch Drive. ---Alternatively, if the Luckey Lane to Dorsey Ave section is absolutely impossible for ped/bike infrastructure along Greenbag, at a minimum a sidewalk or multiuse path is requested from the Luckey Lane intersection w/Greenbag to the eastern terminus of the project6) <<From Dorsey intersection to the west>>: I appreciate the bicycle accommodations (3-4' shoulders), but those will be very uncomfortable for the average bicycle rider because of the proximity to high speed and volume of traffic (I've ridden that stretch with my 11 year old son, so we know). I'd ask that an alternative be considered that could support both pedestrians and bicycle riders ---> a 10-12' multi-use path, separated from the road (rather than the ~12' of paved shoulders & sidewalk that are currently proposed from the Dorsey intersection, westward)7) <<From Dorsey intersection to the west>>: I strongly recommend a safe pedestrian crossing from the western terminus of the sidewalk on the north side of Greenbag (near the Goodyear Auto building) to the south side of Greenbag (Giant Eagle/mall) - a HAWK signal is a good recommendation. This could serve significant community interest in connecting White Park by trail to Dorsey's Knob park & trails.
To summarize, pedestrians and bicyclists of all ages and skill levels should be supported along this <entire project corridor>, ideally with a 10-12' multi-use path separated from traffic on the north side of Greenbag, alternatively by using a sidewalk and two paved shoulders.
I greatly appreciate the opportunity to comment on a project that will have a major impact on our area for decades. Many of us have been working for improvements throughout the entire region for pedestrians and bicyclists, and this corridor is a critical piece of the puzzle. Thank you!---------
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Hello BikeMorgantown!
A few things:
First, I need the help of your expert minds! We need to perform a comprehensive assessment of the bike parking along the Morgantown Riverfront. A decent amount of inventorying has already been performed using RackSpotter.com. However, this did not include the following, which we need:
1. Comments on each of the existing bicycle parking locations
* Is it enough?
* Is the rack design satisfactory?
* It necessary, or is it chronically …
[View More]underutilized?
2. Identification of areas that lack any current bike parking and need installation of new parking
Please let me know if you would like to be part of this project, and if so, how you would like to be involved. Final expected product would be: a map and/or document ID'ing all existing locations and needed locations with the above information. You could probably do this entirely in RackSpotter, but we don't have easy access to the database to manipulate the presentation of the data.
Second, www.bikemorgantown.com<http://www.bikemorgantown.com> is up for renewal. You have a few options:
1. Ask the city to pay to renew the domain
2. Abandon the domain and incorporate the content onto the morgantownwv.gov website
3. Allow the domain to lapse entirely
4. Request that the city transfer the domain to some separate entity (would need to be a nonprofit, I think)
Some considerations for the website:
1.
If you wish to have the city pay to renew the domain, you need to articulate why maintaining the website is a "need" - we continue to be in a spending freeze
2.
In 2018, the board drafted a new website for BikeMorgantown but never pulled the trigger: https://bikemorgantown.wixsite.com/home
3.
During that time, they unpublished most existing content from www.bikemorgantown.com<http://www.bikemorgantown.com/>
4.
If we kept the existing domain, we would need to map the new content to it.
5.
If transferred to pages within morgantownwv.gov, it's likely that we will need to build several sub-pages.
Third, we have a few people interested in joining the bike board. We should meet. Can someone throw out a day/time as a suggestion? I would prefer by the end of next week.
Hope you're all well!
Drew
J. Drew Gatlin
Staff Engineer
389 Spruce St., Rm. 24
Morgantown, WV 26505
Office: (304) 284-7411
Cell: (304) 719-7900
Fax: (304) 284-7409
[cid:ab4984f4-0837-4c4f-90c3-8a23f215cba6]<http://www.morgantownwv.gov>
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I would be willing to help with the parking assessment along the riverfront.
As for the website, incorporating it as part of the city website would be a lot easier for maintnenance since we now have a dedicated communications person on staff at the city. The reason the board developed our own website 10+ years ago was that we had some grant money and there was no dedicated person at the city. The revamp of the website came about due to running out of grant money and wanting to streamline …
[View More]the content after living with the original version.
Chip
---- Original Message ----
From: "Drew Gatlin" jgatlin(a)morgantownwv.gov
Sent: 10/5/2020 4:49:30 PM
To: "Bike Board" bikeboard(a)bikemorgantown.com
Subject: [Bikeboard] Help! Website + Riverfront Bike Parking - Assessment + Meeting?
P {margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;}
Hello BikeMorgantown!
A few things:
First, I need the help of your expert minds! We need to perform a comprehensive assessment of the bike parking along the Morgantown Riverfront. A decent amount of inventorying has already been performed using RackSpotter.com. However, this did not include the following, which we need:
Comments on each of the existing bicycle parking locations
Is it enough?
Is the rack design satisfactory?
It necessary, or is it chronically underutilized?
Identification of areas that lack any current bike parking and need installation of new parking
Please let me know if you would like to be part of this project, and if so, how you would like to be involved. Final expected product would be: a map and/or document ID'ing all existing locations and needed locations with the above information. You could probably do this entirely in RackSpotter, but we don't have easy access to the database to manipulate the presentation of the data.
Second, www.bikemorgantown.com is up for renewal. You have a few options:
Ask the city to pay to renew the domain
Abandon the domain and incorporate the content onto the morgantownwv.gov website
Allow the domain to lapse entirely
Request that the city transfer the domain to some separate entity (would need to be a nonprofit, I think)
Some considerations for the website:
If you wish to have the city pay to renew the domain, you need to articulate why maintaining the website is a "need" - we continue to be in a spending freeze
In 2018, the board drafted a new website for BikeMorgantown but never pulled the trigger: https://bikemorgantown.wixsite.com/home
During that time, they unpublished most existing content from www.bikemorgantown.com
If we kept the existing domain, we would need to map the new content to it.
If transferred to pages within morgantownwv.gov, it's likely that we will need to build several sub-pages.
Third, we have a few people interested in joining the bike board. We should meet. Can someone throw out a day/time as a suggestion? I would prefer by the end of next week.
Hope you're all well!
Drew
J. Drew Gatlin
Staff Engineer
389 Spruce St., Rm. 24
Morgantown, WV 26505
Office: (304) 284-7411
Cell: (304) 719-7900
Fax: (304) 284-7409
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Drew,
Sounds good, the virtual meetings work good if there are people who might be out of town, that might be before Harry's hip surgery and Marilyn might be back. I can send out a summary of the new bike friendly app, it is different from the last one with a slightly different slant and the info from the alta and stantec studies should help supply some of the metrics.
Chip
---- Original Message ----
From: "Drew Gatlin" jgatlin(a)morgantownwv.gov
Sent: 7/20/2020 6:34:34 PM
To: "Bike …
[View More]Board" bikeboard(a)bikemorgantown.com
Subject: [Bikeboard] Potential Meeting: Next Wednesday, July 29th, 2020
P {margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;}
Previous members of the bike board,
There's been some discussion about trying to meet over the past few months, and a few items that have come by my desk that would benefit from citizen review. One more came up today, so I'd like to propose either a virtual or a socially distanced outdoor meeting on Wednesday, July 29th from 4:30-5:30pm. Open to other suggestions for time.
On the potential agenda:
1) A comprehensive and holistic assessment of all bike parking facilities along the Riverfront. Objective is to provide assessment to Mon River Revitalization Task Force and suggest desires for consistency or diversity, where to install new ones, where to remove / relocate ones that aren't working, and which to replace with better designs. Goal of assessment is to help task force maximize the ability of cyclists to use Riverfront amenities while minimizing damage to trees and other infrastructure that might come from unplanned bike parking.
2) The People for Bikes city scores / Bicycle Network Analysis: Review of 2020 rating and plan to update open street map with current data to better inform 2021 analysis
3) Expiration of Morgantown's Bronze level BFC award this fall, and decision whether / plan to re-apply.
Thoughts? We could call this a temporary working group if you'd like to not commit to re-starting the bike board. Might help calm the nerves!
-Drew
J. Drew Gatlin
Staff Engineer
389 Spruce St., Rm. 24
Morgantown, WV 26505
Office: (304) 284-7411
Cell: (304) 719-7900
Fax: (304) 284-7409
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