Mr. Radabaugh,
Thank you for your positive and constructive reply. Your plan is likely to remove these in-line grate hazards to bicyclists in a timely manner. Not to make work for you but to ensure mutual understanding, could you send me or point me to your "current urban standard"?
In response to your request about the drain grates on the Westover and Walnut St. bridges, they have not yet been addressed.
To answer your question about other issues, I will query the members of the bicycle board and provide you a response soon. Our next meeting is December 2.
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 Nov 11, 2010, at 8:29 AM, Radabaugh, Bryan L wrote:
Mr. Gmeindl,
Terry Hough had sent me a copy of the previous correspondence concerning the drainage grates in the City of Morgantown on August 10th. I had not totally forgotten about this issue and had kept it in my inbox to ensure I replied to it, I had just not been able to get to it. Scott Copen had described very well the circumstances involved modifying these grates. This is a very time consuming repair and it requires a substantial amount of traffic control. Our forces are also not that well equipped to perform this work at night and on most of the routes previously referred to, we prefer to do any significant maintenance work on them during nighttime hours. That being said, we fortunately do have work scheduled in several of the areas that you referred to for the 2011 construction season. This work will be performed by contract forces and in some cases that work will be performed at night. The first area we plan to work is the Beechurst project that you referred to in your email below. On this project several of the inlets are set up to be adjusted, which will require that the height be modified on them. This would be the most opportune time for WVDOH to address the grates on these inlets. We will work with our construction personnel and ensure that any of the grates in this area that are not up to our current urban standard, will be replaced with one that is. WVDOH also plans to resurface Monongahela Blvd. from just south of the intersection of WV 705 and continuing to Boyers Avenue. Our District 4 design staff will be preparing the plans for this project and I will ensure that any grates in this area that do not meet urban standards will be replaced with one that does.In reviewing the previous correspondence, I also noted that you had requested that the grates on the Westover Bridge and Walnut Street Bridge be addressed. Has this been done? Outside of the areas I have described in this email, are there other areas that you feel are in WVDOH jurisdiction that we need to take a look at?
Thanks,
Bryan Radabaugh WVDOT - Division of Highways District 4 Design Engineer 304-842-1579 (O) 304-669-0599 (C)
From: Frank Gmeindl [mailto:frank.gmeindl@comcast.net] Sent: Monday, November 08, 2010 11:30 AM To: Scott Copen Cc: Terry Hough; Roy Nutter; Radabaugh, Bryan L; Damien Davis; Jeff Mikorski; Bill Austin; tball@mub.org; Ryan Post; Morgantown Bike Board Subject: Re: Unnecessary Road Hazards-Drainage Grates
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