Re: [Bikeboard] [Fwd: RE: rail trail closed for a year?]

30 May 2009

      I agree that we need to be considered in this discussion.  A year or two is a long time to shut the trail down without consultation including the Bike Board.  I rarely ride on that portion of the trail, but I think it's important for the hundreds of people who do.  I imagine some folks use it as a means to get to work.  I like some of the ideas listed below.  So, the next meeting is the June 8th one at 4pm with BOPARC? I work during that time, but I think we definitely need to be involved.  
Thanks, 
~Derek
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Date: Sat, 30 May 2009 14:02:15 -0400
From: wreger@hsc.wvu.edu
To: vernon.mail@gmail.com; fgmeindl@verizon.net
CC: bikeboard@cheat.org; kapartners@aol.com
Subject: Re: [Bikeboard] [Fwd: RE: rail trail closed for a year?]
Folks,
We all definitely need to be part of the dialogue.  Most recently I heard (third hand info) the closure was to be for two years. The Bike Board and the Pedestrian Safety Board need to meet with MUB and Boparc to determine what is being proposed.
Bill
WV Walks - 30 minutes or more daily
Feel the power of half an hour!
Bill Reger-Nash, Ed.D
Professor of Community Medicine
West Virginia University School of Medicine 
Morgantown WV 26506-9190
Phone: 304/293-0763
Fax: 304/293-6685
Dept. web page: http://www.hsc.wvu.edu/som/cmed 
BRN's web page: http://www.hsc.wvu.edu/som/cmed/wreger/
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vernon.mail@gmail.com 5/30/2009 1:56 PM >>>
I think the bicycle board should be involved as it has to do with bikes as  
well as other users. I also feel a whole year is too long and should be in  
short sections.
Alice
On May 28, 2009 12:58pm, Frank Gmeindl fgmeindl@verizon.net wrote:
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Bicycle Board,
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What, if anything, does the Bicycle Board want to do about this?
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Closing the rail-trail between Deckers Creek and the Star City bridge
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for a year to install a second sewer line.
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Frank
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Cyclists fare best when they act and are treated as drivers of
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vehicles
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-------- Original Message --------
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Subject:
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RE: rail trail closed for a year?
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Date:
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Thu, 28 May 2009 10:42:47 -0400
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From:
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Christiaan Abildso edu>
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To:
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Don Spencer
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,wileya120@gmail.com>, 'Robert
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Anderson' , 'Bill Reger-Nash'
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CC:
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Mark Wise , Daniel Boroff
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, ,Frank
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Gmeindl , Jon Weems
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References:
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newgwia.hsc.wvu.edu>
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D602B22211244ACE9DC5DB24C73F01B8@donhome>
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Thank you for the update, Don. I look forward to discussion of this  
matter, hopefully with BOPARC, MUB, and Arboretum representatives at the  
next Pedestrian Safety Board meeting, Monday June 8 4-5:30 at the Public  
Safety Building. I think the Board should get accurate project  
information before making any public comment.
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Have fun. Be active.
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Christiaan
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"Don Spencer" 5/28/2009 10:30 AM >>>
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Hi, All - Just to bring you up to date on this issue a bit...City Council  
is
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requesting that there be a community meeting on this issue sometime during
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the month of June. It will be important that Christiaan's views and the
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views of others on how the construction plan should be formulated can be
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expressed and perhaps discussed. I suspect that the date for the meeting
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will be announced on by June 2 at the Council meeting.
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Also, MUB announced that coordination of some concerns about the trail  
will
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be handled by BOPARC. It is hoped that BOPARC will put together a meeting  
to
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discuss trail construction which will include the MRTC, the WVU Arboretum,
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as well as the Pedestrian Safety Board and perhaps the Bicycle Board as
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well.
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Don
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-----Original Message-----
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From: Robert Anderson [mailto:randerson@hsc.wvu.edu]
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Sent: Tuesday, May 26, 2009 7:52 AM
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To: wileya120@gmail.com; Bill Reger-Nash; Christiaan Abildso
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Cc: dspencer36@comcast.net; ella@montrails.org
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Subject: Re: rail trail closed for a year?
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I am in Chas today and tomorrow so I will miss tonight as well. Christiaan
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has a great point, namely that shutting down the entire length of trail  
for
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a year is not acceptable. Instead, one section at a time. Just like is  
done
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when a road has to be repaired or expanded. Bob
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Robert H. Anderson
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Deputy Director
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Prevention Research Center
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PO Box 9190
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3820 HSC South
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West Virginia University
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Morgantown, WV 26506
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304-293-1828
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304-293-8624 (fax)
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304-376-5299 (cell)
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"Christiaan Abildso" edu> 05/25/09 10:36 PM
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Sorry all, have an afternoon meeting in Charleston tomorrow so I probably
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won't be back in time.
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I do not have a formal letter, but I suggest we ask MUB to approach the
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trail improvements as if they are working on a road...working one section  
at
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a time and offering detours. For example, work on the following segments
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with detours:
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Decker's Creek to Stansbury with a detour out to Beechurst and back on

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behind Stansbury
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Stansbury to 8th St...again detour out onto Beechurst

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8th St to Arb service entrance...detour to service road along river?

Bill
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suggested this may be a possibility with funds for crushed stone???
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Arb service road to Star City sewage treatment plant...again, service

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road usable?
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Nothing formal yet, but that's my initial thought for discussion of
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feasibility. Let's treat the trail as if it's a road...not revolutionary,
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but beneficial for the community.
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I'm including Ella. I'm sure she's interested/better informed than we are.
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Christiaan
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Angela Wiley 5/25/2009 9:53 PM >>>
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I know Don will obviously be there tomorrow; but I think I am free -- so I
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will try and attend in order to represent us.
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Christiaan -- if you typed something up to send by now, could you forward  
it
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to me, so I have consistent talking points? Or maybe I'll see you there!
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Let me know.
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On Mon, May 25, 2009 at 4:07 PM, Bill Reger-Nash wrote:
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Don,
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As always, I appreciate your input. Thank you.
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I appreciate that this is an important and major project for the
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community,
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but there is a service road (between the trail and the river) that might
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be
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put into service during the rail trail down time.
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Bill
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WV Walks - 30 minutes or more daily
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Feel the power of half an hour!
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Bill Reger-Nash, Ed.D
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Professor of Community Medicine
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West Virginia University School of Medicine
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Morgantown WV 26506-9190
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Phone: 304/293-0763
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Fax: 304/293-6685
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Dept. web page: http://www.hsc.wvu.edu/som/cmed
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BRN's web page: http://www.hsc.wvu.edu/som/cmed/wreger/
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"Don Spencer" 5/25/2009 12:35 AM >>>
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Bill - The MUB planning will be discussed at City council on Tuesday,
May
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The information that I have received on the trail closing thus far

is
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even more disturbing than what Jon has reported. I am sure that there
will
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be some negotiation in the planning which will result from the City
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Council
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Review. This is a major project for the community.
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Don
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-----Original Message-----
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From: Bill Reger-Nash [mailto:wreger@hsc.wvu.edu]
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Sent: Friday, May 22, 2009 10:25 AM
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To: dspencer36@comcast.net; Angela Wiley; Robert Anderson; Christiaan
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Abildso
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Subject: Re: Fwd: railtrail closed for a year?
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Christiaan et al,
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I suggest we invite MUB and Boparc to our June meet to discuss this
issue.
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They are scheduled to begin on Jan 1, 2010 and finish by Dec 31, 2010.
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There is a service road between the rail trail and the river. Perhaps
that
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could be covered roughly with fine gravel.
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Bill
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WV Walks - 30 minutes or more daily
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Feel the power of half an hour!
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Bill Reger-Nash, Ed.D
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Professor of Community Medicine
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...
West Virginia University School of Medicine
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Morgantown WV 26506-9190
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Phone: 304/293-0763
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Fax: 304/293-6685
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Dept. web page: http://www.hsc.wvu.edu/som/cmed
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BRN's web page: http://www.hsc.wvu.edu/som/cmed/wreger/
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"Christiaan Abildso" edu> 5/22/2009 10:13
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AM >>>
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All -
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I'm going to craft a response that I hope will stimulate a discussion
with
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us, the Bike Board, MUB & the Arb.
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Events that will be affected: Moutaineer Triathlon, Sprint Splash & Spin
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Triathlon, Twilight 5-miler...they all use that section of the trail.
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"Robert Anderson" 5/22/2009 9:08 AM >>>
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Very bad. For some people near one end or the other they can manage, if
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not
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as well as they like. But for many, many others, this ruins things for
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them.
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What is the position of the rail trail people. Does MUB have the legal
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authority to do this without getting anyone's OK?
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Bill Reger-Nash 5/21/2009 4:03 PM >>>
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The following message comes from Jon Weems of the WVU Arboretum. It
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appears
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to me that pedestrian advocates should express displeasure for this
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proposed
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lack of accommodation. If they were to close a street down for a
year, ...
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well, it just would never happen.
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Bill
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Subject: Arboretum sewer line
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Date: Thu, 21 May 2009 10:19:52 -0400
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From: "Jonathan Weems"
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I met with three MUB engineers this Monday and learned more about
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the new sewer line going through the Arboretum. It will be a 36 inch
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diameter pressure line, installed along the ditch line on the uphill
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side of the rail-trail. It will supplement but not replace the old
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gravity line along the downhill side of the rail-trail.
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This is to be built with stimulus money during the calendar year
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The rail-trail will be closed from Decker's Creek to the

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sewage treatment plant by the Star City bridge for the year. After
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the sewer line is complete MUB will repave the rail-trail, widening
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it to 12 feet where possible and installing some paved turnouts on
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the downhill side of the rail-trail. The turnouts will be places
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where folks can get out of the flow (sorry, accidental bad pun) if
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they want to stop for a while.
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This new line will be well within the old railroad right-of-way and
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also within the MEA power line right-of-way. It will be within the
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area the railroad used to brush-hog and spray with herbicides. Lots
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of saplings, a few trees up to 6 inches in diameter, and no larger
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trees will need to be removed.
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I told the engineers I didn't know of any current research projects
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that would be disturbed by the work planned. They said they thought
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they would be able to keep the three Arboretum trail crossings (of
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the rail-trail) open during construction. We all identified the flat
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place below the old landslide as an obvious spot for a turnout. I
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also suggested one near the bottom of the Service Road where the
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bike rack is located. Some turnouts outside the Arboretum will be
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landscaped, but evidently not within the Arboretum. I said we
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wouldn't want exotic plants used in any event.
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Overall, I see this sewer line construction as a major disruption
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for rail-trail users but less of a disruption for Arboretum
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visitors. If we get a turnout with benches and a bike rack at the
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bottom of the Service Road I think we should install an interpretive
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sign inviting rail-trailers to explore Arboretum trails on foot.
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They agreed we should have an on-site meeting later this year, once
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detailed specs have been developed and locations staked out.
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This is a rush job, the time line driven by the stimulus money. If
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we have major concerns or suggestions it would be good to
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communicate them early on.
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Thank you,
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Jon Weems
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Arboretum Specialist
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WVU Department of Biology
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Morgantown, WV 26506-6057
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304-293-5201 ext. 31547
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jweems@wvu.edu
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Re: [Bikeboard] [Fwd: RE: rail trail closed for a year?]