From: "Dennis Strawn" <dennis.a.strawn@gmail.com>

Subject: Charleston Bikes

Date: March 19, 2015 9:57:58 PM EDT

To: "'Kasey Russell'" <russell.kasey@gmail.com>, "'Adam Angelona'" <adam@wvcompanybicycle.com>, "'Adam Flack'" <aflack@wvonthemove.net>, "'Amy Haden'" <amyhaden@gmail.com>, "'Andrea Salina'" <andreathompson31@gmail.com>, "'Anita Mayer'" <anita.mayer@mail.wvu.edu>, "'Bill Austin'" <baustin@labyrinth.net>, "'Breanna Shell'" <shellb@cityofhuntington.com>, "'Brendan Bell'" <brendanbell.bell@gmail.com>, "'Bruce Curry'" <Bruce@currydesigngroup.com>, "'Charlene Cook'" <charlenecook1955@aol.com>, "'Charles Holley'" <cholley@cityofhuntington.com>, <chip@wamsleycycles.com>, "'Christiaan Abildso'" <cgabildso@hsc.wvu.edu>, "'Connie Lupardus'" <clupardus@caez-wv.org>, "'Craig Slaughter'" <craig.slaughter@wvimb.org>, "'Dale Goff'" <Dale.goff3@gmail.com>, "'Don Spencer'" <DSpencer36@comcast.net>, "'Edgar Barrett'" <nedbarrett@bellsouth.net>, "'Ella Belling'" <ella@montrails.org>, "'Elliott Lewis'" <eelewis7@gmail.com>, "'Emily Vasile'" <emilyvasile@gmail.com>, "'Emmett Pepper'" <epepper@vt.edu>, "'Frank Gmeindl'" <frank.gmeindl@comcast.net>, "'Gail Pitchford'" <gail.pitchford@camc.org>, "'Gary Zuckett'" <garyz@wvcag.org>, "'Greg Garrett'" <gagarrett@gmail.com>, <harvey.allen@chartersites.net>, "'Isaac Forman'" <formanir@gmail.com>, "'j underhill'" <Jfunderhill@gmail.com>, "'Jeffrey Lusk'" <jlusk@trailsheaven.com>, "'Jenny Totten'" <jenny.dawn.totten@gmail.com>, "'John Francis'" <johncfrancis13@gmail.com>, "'John Manchester'" <jmanchester@lewisburg-wv.com>, "'Kate Dobson Forman'" <katedforman@gmail.com>, "'Laura M. Dice'" <Laura.Dice@camc.org>, "'Michael Loughney'" <mloughney@tioga-resources.com>, "'Michael Plante'" <mike@planteandassociates.com>, "'Mike Costello'" <costellowv@gmail.com>, "'Nate Orders'" <mail@ordersconstruction.com>, "'Park Ferguson'" <parkferg2007@yahoo.com>, "'Patricia Clay'" <trishc1@suddenlink.net>, "'Patrick Donovan'" <pdonovan@njrati.org>, "'Rahul Gupta'" <rahul.gupta@wv.gov>, "'Rich Harper'" <johnscyclery@frontier.com>, "'Richard Eichberger'" <reichberger@suddenlink.net>, "'Scott Ferry'" <scottferry@wvregion3.org>, "'Scott Sudduth'" <scottsud@gmail.com>, "'Spellman Kent'" <k.spellman@wvhub.org>, <sryder@tgkvf.org>, "'Stacy Bisker'" <selaineb@gmail.com>, "'Steve Fowler'" <smf@pffwv.com>, "'Susie K Salisbury'" <Susiesalis@aol.com>, "'Ted Armbrecht'" <eca3@suddenlinkmail.com>, "'Tom Heywood'" <theywood@bowlesrice.com>, "'Tom Wood'" <twood84@gmail.com>, <townoffayetteville@suddenlinkmail.com>, "'weber'" <xvrweber@gmail.com>, <wrnott@suddenlink.net>, "'WV Explorer'" <editor@wvexplorer.com>, "'Bill Wells'" <bwells@unitedcoal.com>

Wow!! The city just concluded 3 days of intense bicycling study on the kick off the Charleston Bicycle Master Plan.

 

Alta Planning and Design came to town Tuesday, there had a big press conference with the Mayor and a bike/car challenge to the Governor’s office.  Check out this article.  http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20150317/GZ01/150319184

 

On Wednesday, meetings were conducted throughout the day with focus groups and the general public, the noon meeting was attended by 60.  

 

Attendees on Wednesday included Federal DOT, State DOT, RTI staff, RIC staff, city staff, city council, bike shop owners and around 150 citizens stopping in at various times to listen to Alta’s ideas.  The best part was when Alta let everyone have a go and mark up 2 large maps of Charleston with their favorite route. The last group to show was the Mountain State Wheelers Bicycle club leading a ride that ended at the meetings.  Bikes were everywhere and made for an impressive site.

 

Today the city project team met with Alta to go over some preliminary findings before they left for home. 

 

This is just the start though.  The city is still encouraging your input.  If you have a great idea please visit the website to leave a comment, www.CharlestonBikeandTrail.com 

 

Visit the website often for updates on the next visit and next stage of this project.

 

This is really impressive for the city to be doing and I cannot thank the leadership of City Council President Tom Lane and City Manager Dave Molgaard enough for starting this project.  If you see them say thanks too.

 

I want to thank personally all the WVCC board members (past and present) and supporters who were able to attend and show support for this project.

 

Stay tuned.

Dennis