Scott,
The article "MUB work to delay traffic" on page 7-A of today's Dominion Post prompted me to write this message.
I realize that you're just replacing water lines on Beechurst but I would like you to consider taking this opportunity to begin replacing the in-line drainage grates that run up Beechurst, beginning with the two in front of the new WVU gateway before some cyclist breaks his or her neck. (See attached photos.)
Frank D. Gmeindl Chairman, Morgantown Municipal Bicycle Board LCI #1703 491 WilsonAvenue Morgantown, WV 26501 304-376-0446 Cyclists fare best when they act and are treated as drivers of vehicles
On Aug 23, 2010, at 11:54 AM, Scott Copen wrote:
Dear Mr. Gmeindl:
I apologize for the lateness of this reply. The extraordinary workload related to our current capital improvements has unfortunately slowed our responses to such correspondence. And as you previously surmised, the June/July rains (and the subsequent flooding investigations prompted by them) have further compounded this.
MUB is very sensitive to the need to properly orient storm inlet grating for improved protection of bicyclists. Please be assured that we have trained our maintenance and construction staffs to be aware of the need for proper orientation, and that any inlet installed or re-installed (through reconstructive maintenance activity) within our service area is now designed and specified to be oriented perpendicular to the traffic direction.
Unfortunately, most of the existing facilities are actually cast into the surrounding roadway materials. For this reason, they may not be simply rotated and re-set, but instead must be excavated and re-cast, with corresponding repair to the surrounding pavement. This significantly increases the difficulty and expense of re-orientation, and thus, is the reason that we have not already preemptively re-oriented all such faculties in our service area.
Please note that many of the roadways (and the related stormwater facilities) in the Morgantown area are not under our control. The specific areas cited in your correspondence are good examples. Patteson Drive and Monongahela Blvd are owned / maintained by WVDOT, while Evansdale Dr (from CAC to Towers) is owned/maintained by WVU. We have good working relationships with both entities, and will be pleased to forward your comments along with our own request that such improvements be made.
We share your concern, and within the constraints described above, are working continuously to improve these conditions. If you find any other specific areas within our service area that appear to be capable of re-orientation without excavation, please let us know and we will be happy to do so promptly.
Thanks for your concern and input.
Scott Copen, P.E. Senior Engineer Morgantown Utility Board 278 Greenbag Road Morgantown, WV 26507 Phone: 304-292-8443 Fax: 304-292-1526
From: Frank Gmeindl [mailto:frank.gmeindl@comcast.net] Sent: Sunday, June 27, 2010 4:59 PM To: Scott Copen Cc: Tim Ball; Damien Davis; Ryan Post Subject: Fwd: Unnecessary Road Hazards-Drainage Grates
Scott,
I'm sure you get floods of e-mail as well as floods of rainwater and sewage to deal with so I can understand not hearing for you for a while after I sent you the message below. Eventually, some cyclist is going to sustain a lot more damage than shown in the photos that I sent you with the message below. I'd like to at least know that there's a plan to replace those in-line grates.
Frank D. Gmeindl Chairman, Morgantown Municipal Bicycle Board LCI #1703<image001.jpg><image002.jpg> 491 WilsonAvenue Morgantown, WV 26501 304-376-0446 Cyclists fare best when they act and are treated as drivers of vehicles
Begin forwarded message:
From: Frank Gmeindl frank.gmeindl@comcast.net Date: May 27, 2010 4:50:34 PM EDT To: scopen@mub.org Cc: Damien Davis ddavis@cityofmorgantown.org, Ryan Post rpostwvu@gmail.com Subject: Fwd: Unnecessary Road Hazards-Drainage Grates
Scott,
Could you advise me on how to get Morgantown area in-line storm grates corrected so that bicycle tires don't fall into them? Below is a letter that I received from a cyclist. It includes some gruesome photos of a cyclist that rode into one of these grates and landed on his face and shoulder. His injuries could have been much worse, even fatal.
Frank D. Gmeindl Chairman, Morgantown Municipal Bicycle Board LCI #1703 491 WilsonAvenue Morgantown, WV 26501 304-376-0446 Cyclists fare best when they act and are treated as drivers of vehicles
Begin forwarded message:
From: "Ryan Post" rpostwvu@gmail.com Date: May 26, 2010 8:47:03 PM EDT To: "'Frank Gmeindl'" frank.gmeindl@comcast.net, "'Gunnar Shogren'" gshogren@gmail.com Subject: Unnecessary Road Hazards-Drainage Grates
How do you feel about this email? Also, who should I send it to?
I would like to point out a hazard and liability that unnecessarily exists on the roads, only because maintenance workers are unaware.
There are older style square drainage grates on many shoulders of the roads which have been installed with the grooves running parallel to traffic. These grooves pose a serious hazard to bicycle tires which can slip into them causing the rider to be flipped with accelerated speed into the ground* most likely causing injury to the rider, as well as the bike. In addition, the sudden stop poses an issue to following cars who may then have to avoid whatever pile of man in machine is now laying in the roadway.
This occurred today, in on Mon Blvd in front of the coliseum by an experienced cyclist who did not see the grate as it was covered with debris. Image1 shows how the hazard exists, and Image2 shows the injuries sustained. These injuries were quite minor as he knew how to position his body to minimize impact on his face. The bicycle also received damage, exceeding $200.
The simple fix is to rotate the grates so the grooves are perpendicular to travel direction.
After the incident, I noticed every grate along Evansdale Drive from the CAC to Towers was hazardously installed.
Ryan Post
*If you consider the physics of it, a bike traveling at 15mph (which is actually a slow speed-equivalent to falling from 7.5’), will have 100% of that travel velocity converted into downward velocity as the bike pivots on the stuck front wheel, in addition to the speed grained by falling from a standard riding height of about 5’. The impact will be directly onto the front of the cyclist, involving the face, and possibly breaking bones in the arms, wrists, hands, shoulders, and collarbones, as well as a possible concussion.
Images are attached, but can also be found at: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/463685/Image1.jpg http://dl.dropbox.com/u/463685/Image2.jpg
<image001.jpg><image002.jpg>
