Bill,
I checked with the Morgantown
Municipal Bicycle Board and the Country Roads Cyclists bicycle club. Nobody
knows of any planned events that will be using any of the three bridges.
Can you say when work will be
done on these bridges? If we knew when the bridges would be unavailable,
we could plan alternative routes. I ride over the Basnettville bridge
approximately 12 times each year. Approximately, 4 times, I’m
leading a club ride that usually includes 3-8 cyclists. If I knew when
that bridge would be out, I could reschedule the rides or find an alternate
route.
Since the work summaries include
descriptions of the shoulders, I’m wondering if you wanted feedback on
that. Shoulders are important for pedestrians and the wider the
better. For cyclists, shoulders, particularly where the shoulder doesn’t
continue are typically not used. I would caution against enticing
cyclists onto the shoulder when they might have to swerve back onto the
roadway. Approximately 6.5% of all bicycle/motor vehicle crashes (http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/ped_bike/docs/ctanbike.pdf)
where caused by the cyclist swerving or turning left into the path of an
overtaking motor vehicle. If you wouldn’t send a motorcycle or
other motor vehicle down the shoulder, it’s probably a good idea not to
send a bicycle down the shoulder. Cyclists fare best when they act and
are treated as drivers of vehicles.
Is this useful to you? I
hope I was able to give you what you need. Please don’t hesitate to
contact me to discuss this or other bicycle matters.
Thank you for giving bicyclists
consideration in these projects as well as all your work.
I remain at your service,
Frank D. Gmeindl
LCI #1703
Chairman, Morgantown Municipal
Bicycle Board
491 Wilson Avenue
Morgantown, WV 26501
304-376-0446
Cyclists fare best when they
act and are treated as drivers of vehicles
From: Frank Gmeindl
[mailto:frank.gmeindl@comcast.net]
Sent: Tuesday, February 16, 2010 9:24 PM
To: Robinson, Bill C
Subject: FW: WVDOH Road projects
Bill,
Damien Davis forwarded your
message to me but even though my name appears in your address list, I did not
receive your message directly. Could you please check to see if the
address that you have is either fgmeindl@verizon.net
or frank.gmeindl@comcast.net
? Either should work.
I have forwarded your message to
the Morgantown Municipal Bicycle Board for comment. I will respond when I
get their comments.
Thanks for including me on your
list!
Frank D. Gmeindl
LCI #1703
Chairman, Morgantown Municipal
Bicycle Board
491 Wilson Avenue
Morgantown, WV 26501
304-376-0446
Cyclists fare best when they
act and are treated as drivers of vehicles
From: Damien Davis
[mailto:ddavis@cityofmorgantown.org]
Sent: Tuesday, February 16, 2010 9:55 AM
To: frank.gmeindl@comcast.net
Subject: FW: WVDOH Road projects
Frank,
FYI
J.
Damien Davis, EIT, CFM,
City of
Public Works Department - Engineering Division
Office: 304.284.7398
Fax: 304.284.7409
www.morgantown.com
From: Robinson, Bill C
[mailto:Bill.C.Robinson@wv.gov]
Sent: Tuesday, February 16, 2010 9:46 AM
To: Adam Stevens; Adventure Pursuit; Ann Conageski; Belomar MPO; Ben
Stout; Betty Carver; Bill Foster; Bill Reger; Bob Plymale; Brieanne Salmons;
Chris Craig; Chriss Gress; Christy Bailey; Connie Lupardus; Craig Lefevre;
Damien Davis; David Layman; Dennis Strawn; Diane Ludwig; Don Spencer; Donna
Printz; Doug Wayt; Drew Smithberger; Ella Belling; Eric Sandeno; Frank Gmeindl;
Gil Willis; Grant Co. Development office; Harold Simmons; Huntington MPO; Jamie
Fields; Jen Giovannetti; Jim Hudson; Joelle Ennis; John Fekete; John R.
McGarrity; Jordan Cox; Justin Gaull; Keller, Perry J; Ken Dzaack; Kim
Broughton; Kristy Blower; Laird Knight; Lewis, Ray C; Logan Mountain Bike
Association, Inc.; Marc Glass; Mark Felton; Matt Marcus; Matt Sherald; Mike
Gaspar; Mike Whitt; Morgantown MPO; Norm Bailey; Patricia Clay; Peggy Pings;
Peggy Pings; Rebecca MacLeod; Region Eight PDC; Region Four PDC; Region I PDC;
Region II PDC; Region Seven PDC; Regiona VI Planning Council; Richard Warner;
Rob Pennington; Roger Lilly ; Ron Enders; Sharon Cruikshank; Stephen Graber;
Susie Salisbury; Tim Meeks; West Virginia Mountain Bike Assoc.; WWW MPO
Cc: Boggs, Steve D; Thornton, William S
Subject: WVDOH Road projects
Everyone
–
The
following projects are upcoming WVDOH road work – please examine and let
me know of any specific bicycle/pedestrian activities that you are aware of
that would affect these projects:
Marion
Co.
Basnettville
Bridge
S225-218-10.86
Proposed
bridge carries WV218 over Paw Paw Creek and is located 0.03 miles south of the
intersection of WV 218 with marion Co. CR17. The proposed bridge is
100’ in length, two 11’ lanes, with no sidewalk and 2-3’
shoulders. To provide accessibility and better bicycle/pedestrian
accommodation, it is being discussed that the shoulders be expanded to
4’.
McDowell
Co.
Bartley
Branch Road Bridge
S324-83/3-0.02
Little
or no shoulders on road, no accommodation is being recommended.
Taylor
Co.
Bridge
Street Bridge
S246-9-0.02
Location:
carries Taylor County Route 9 over Three Fork Creek, CSX railroad and Front
Street, approximately 0.02 miles east of the intersection of US119-CR 9.
The proposed replacement bridge is approximately 450’ in length and will
have two 11’ lanes with two 5’ shoulders and a 5’
sidewalk.
Please
return any comments to me as quickly as you can to facilitate the design
schedule.
Bill
William C. Robinson
State
Trail Coordinator
Progam
Manager, Recreational Trails Program
WVDOH
Bicycle/Pedestrian Coordinator
Chairman,
West Virginia Recreational Trails Advisory Board
West
Virginia Department of Transportation
Division
of Highways
Program
Planning and Administration Division
1900
Kanawha Boulevard, East
Building
5, Room 863
Charleston,
West Virginia 25305-0430
(304)558-9615
Fax – (304)558-3783
"The life of
the artist is, in relation to his work, stern and lonely. He has labored hard,
often
amid depravation, to perfect his skill. He has turned aside from quick success
in
order
to strip his vision of everything secondary or cheapening. His working life is
marked
by intense application and intense discipline." - John F. Kennedy, 1962