Monday, 8-June 4:00 PM at the Morgantown Public Safety Center (corner Spruce & Walnut diagonally across from Blue Moose) representatives of BOPARC and MUB will attend the regularly scheduled Morgantown Pedestrian Safety Board meeting to discuss MUB plans to close the rail trail to upgrade the water treatment system and install a new sewer pipe.  The meeting is open to the public. 

At last night's Traffic Commission meeting, I learned that City Council directed BOPARC to work with the relevant parties to develop a plan.  Perhaps Monday's meeting is one step that BOPARC is taking to make that plan.  To my knowledge, BOPARC has not contacted anyone on the Bicycle Board.  (Remember the trail stripe?)

At last night's Traffic Commission meeting, the Bicycle Board presented the following recommendations:

  1. Establish cycling detours around the trail but as close to the trail as reasonable.  
  2. Complete the work in sections to minimize the impact on cyclists and businesses.

At least 6 months before the trail is closed:

  1. Install “Share the Road” and “Bike Route” signs every 250 feet on Beechurst Ave., Mon Blvd., Don Knotts Blvd. and University Ave.
  2. Install a bike lane going up the hill on Mon Blvd. between Eighth St. and Evansdale Drive.  Keep the bike lane free of debris.  The current shoulder is not properly paved and it certainly is not clean.
The Traffic Commission unanimously voted to recommend to the City that the City request the WVDOH to implement recommendations 3 and 4 ASAP. 

(The way has already been somewhat cleared for implementing Share the Road signs since the WVDOH has already said that they will install them at their expense.  In May 2008, the DOH approved the Share the Road signs on Mon Blvd and Don Knotts Blvd. as well as other Bicycle Board  recommended Morgantown-area state-maintained roads with speed limits at or above 40 mph.  However, the signs weren't installed because they were part of a greater package that included Shared Lane Markings and Bicycles May Use Full Lane signs that the DOH also approved in May 2008 but then reconsidered in October 2008 because the new Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices that defines SLMs and BMUFL signs hasn't been adopted by the state yet.  The Share the Road signs was the WVDOH's idea in the first place so getting them to install them should not be difficult if they are requested as a separate stand-alone project.)

At last night's Traffic Commission meeting, some of the commissioners were not aware of MUBs plan to close the trail.  One commissioner, John Martis, vehemently objected to closing the trail and insisted that MUB accomplish the work without closing the trail.  He will attend Monday's meeting. The Traffic Commission decided to hold Bicycle Board recommendations 1 and 2 in abeyance until after Monday's meeting. 

On July 16, City Council will decide whether to accept BOPARC's plan. 
On July 21, City Council will make its final decision on whether to approve MUB's project.

Frank Gmeindl
Chariman, Morgantown Municipal Bicycle Board
Cyclists fare best when they act and are treated as drivers of vehicles - John Forester, Effective Cycling