Nice work everyone! "When the spirits are low, when the day appears dark, when work becomes monotonous, when hope hardly seems worth having, just mount a bicycle and go out for a spin down the road, without thought on anything but the ride you are taking.” -Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
From: Frank Gmeindl via Bikeboard bikeboard@bikemorgantown.com To: Drew Gatlin johngatlin@gmail.com Cc: Bicycle Board bikeboard@bikemorgantown.com Sent: Wednesday, September 7, 2016 9:20 AM Subject: Re: [Bikeboard] City Council Meeting Tonight! - Bicycle Storage
FYI, below and attached is the statement I made to City Council and all those watching on TV. Frank
September 6, 2016Public comment to Morgantown City Council on Bicycle Storagezoning text amendmentMy name is Frank Gmeindl. I live at 491 Wilson Avenue. I am a Morgantown bicyclist, a member of the MorgantownMunicipal Bicycle Board, former chairman of the Bicycle Board, former member ofthe Metropolitan Planning Organization Citizen Advisory Committee and formermember of the Morgantown Traffic Commission. I am also a certified bicycling instructor. I am here today to provide some context that will hopefullyencourage you to vote yes on the Bicycle Storage zoning text amendment. Nationwide, making communities bicycle friendly has beendemonstrated to improve the communities’ safety, health, property values,business climate and social climate. For the past 4 years, Morgantown has been the only WestVirginia community recognized by the National League of American Bicyclists asa Bicycle Friendly Community. Over the past 4 years, Morgantown has made progressimplementing the Greater Morgantown Bicycling Plan that City Councilunanimously adopted in 2012. Clearly, more people of all ages and appearances are ridingbicycles in Morgantown today. Last month, the Bicycle Board submitted a Bicycle FriendlyCommunity award renewal application. We are moderately confident that we will at least keep our bronzestatus. Last week, I attended the new I-79 exit 123 ribbon cuttingceremony. Eldon Callen; UniversityTown Center developers; Governor Tomblin; Oliver Luck and WVDOH CommissionerPaul Maddox all stated that the success of that $22M project was the result of continuousleadership and communication, coordination and collaboration among all keystakeholders. From the beginning of that project, the Bicycle Board wasrepresented on the MPO CAC and accommodating bicyclists was in the project planpractically from the beginning. Now, there are Shared Lane Markings, Share the Road signs and a BikeLane over there.The same kind of leadership and communication, coordinationand collaboration that realized that new bicycle friendly interchange will berequired in any development and any transportation project in Morgantown. The leader and the key stakeholdersmust be able to see their project with a cyclist’s eye view.·Is there a safe and convenient place to store mybike? ·Is there a quick, easy and safe route to mydestination on which I won’t get harassed? ·Is there a safe and convenient place that I can parkmy bike when I get there? ·Is there a place that I clean up before mymeeting or my class or shopping? If a cyclist doesn’t have positive answers to questions suchas these, he or she will probably not ride the bike but rather choose a meansof transportation that provides positive answers. Today, in Morgantown, it looks like the single occupancymotor vehicle provides the best solution. However, we are gradually making strides towards making bicyclingmore attractive. ·We have short-term bicycle parking throughoutthe WVU campus and on High Street and Walnut Street. ·All our busses have bike racks. All the PRT stations have bike racks.·We have a grant for applying Shared LaneMarkings and Bicycles May Use Full Lane signs throughout the City and forproviding sheltered bicycle parking at bus shelters.·Bicycle storage is required for developments ofsignificant impact in the downtown business area. Passing the Bicycle Storage zoning text amendment will moveus one step closer to making bicycling irresistible in Morgantown. Frank Gmeindl
On Sep 6, 2016, at 8:47 PM, Drew Gatlin johngatlin@gmail.com wrote: All, Congratulations! After an 11th hour clarification request from Council member Nugent, and some extremely compelling oratory from Mr Gmeindl and Mr. Fletcher, the ordinance passed unanimously. Can't say how proud I am of everyone on this board and in the city who helped with this project. Time for a party!!
On Tue, Sep 6, 2016 at 8:44 PM -0400, "Christina Hunt via Bikeboard" bikeboard@bikemorgantown.com wrote:
Hi all - I was traveling back from South Carolina, didn't make it back to town until now. What was the result?? Did this pass? Thanks,Christina On Tue, Sep 6, 2016 at 6:29 PM, Frank Gmeindl via Bikeboard bikeboard@bikemorgantown.com wrote:
The City Council meeting begins at 7:00 pm, not 6:30 so maybe you have time to come on down and join me, Chip and Drew. Frank
On Tuesday, September 6, 2016, John Whitmore via Bikeboard bikeboard@bikemorgantown.com wrote:
Good afternoon, I wanted to remind everyone that tonight is the second and final reading of the Bicycle Storage zoning text amendment. The meeting starts at 6:30 P.M. and the item’s public hearing will be heard right after the approval of minutes and correspondence (there is a proclamation for Constitution Week), and it is the first item of the Unfinished Business portion of the meeting. The agenda is online at this address:http://www.morgantownwv.gov/wp -content/uploads/9.6.16-Regula r-Mtg.-Packet-Reduced.pdf This is great opportunity to provide additional comment regarding the text amendment, and cycling in general. Thanks! John Whitmore, AICPPlanner III <image001.png> City of Morgantown, West Virginia389 Spruce StreetMorgantown, WV 26505E: jwhitmore@morgantownwv.govP: 304-284-7431www.morgantownwv.gov
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