From: "Jim Rye" Jim.Rye@mail.wvu.edu
Date: October 29, 2011 4:36:55 PM EDT
To: "Frank Gmeindl" frank.gmeindl@comcast.net
Cc: "Hugh Kierig" Hugh.Kierig@mail.wvu.edu
Subject: Re: [Bikeboard] comments on WVU parking and transportation plan
Oops, sorry Frank. They are pasted below. I already sent them directly to the email provided..
I am so pleased to see the incorporation of bicycling for transportation in your plan, which is available for comment at http://transportation.wvu.edu/trans_and_park_plan. Bicycling represents not only a means to reduce motor vehicle congestion and concomitant emissions (e..g, carbon dioxide), but it helps to prevent and mitigate obesity (WVU often is #1 or "close" among all states on the rate of obesity). As a state leader in medicine and as an institution that offers the doctorate degree in public health, WVU should be a major player in reducing air pollution and mitigating the obesity epidemic.
As a WVU employee who regularly commutes via bicycle to work (Evansdale campus), I believe the single most important action you can take to enhance bicycling as an alternative form of transportation is under assumption 10, item b. (pasted at the end of this message). The last sentence in item b. needs clarification and elaboration. It is critical that "spokes" be established that connect the Caperton/Deckers Creek trails with the WVU campuses. Tremendous progress can be made on this endeavor without laying more asphalt for new trails/infrastructure. It would, however, necessitate signage that would designate certain existing roads as bike routes, and ideally, these roads would also have Sharrow signs on the road surface ( http://tp.osu.edu/sharrows/ ) and "share the road" and "bike route to _______" signs along the roads. Additionally, although motorists are required by law to share the road with cyclists, many novice cyclists will not perceive that they are safe in using bicycles for transportation without some type of physical separation from motorists. Accordingly, where space allows (e.g., Mon Blvd between Coliseum and Seneca Center), bike lanes should be established and maintained. Finally, for any infrastructure that attempts to increase bicycle use for transportation, every effort should be made to make such infrastructure safe for the bicyclist, e.g., removing such obstacles as road indentations from sewer grates and sewer grates running parallel to the roadway, and providing adequate space between parking and a designated bike lane to prevent bicyclists from getting "doored" (http://www.labreform.org/pretending.html).
Additionally, as part of Assumption 11, once the bicyclist is on a WVU campus, the above mentioned signage needs to continue, and one campus needs to be connected to another (e.g., Evansdale and Health Sciences--especially Mountaineer station) with such signage. In reference to connecting Evansdale campus to Mountaineer station, the sidewalk that runs between the Alumni Center and Mountaineer Station is one place that some additional asphalt could be used: It could be widened and converted to a trail/route that accommodates cyclists and pedestrians.
Thank you for the opportunity to comment.
PASTED FROM ASSUMPTION 10 IN THE 2011 PLAN:
b. Bike trails begin and end at several accessible locations around
Morgantown. Particular attention should be paid to creating accessible
locations that will lead between the Caperton Trail, Decker's Creek Trail
and campus. Additional transit may be required between those locations
and campus to encourage bike use.
James A. Rye, Professor
West Virginia University
Department of Curriculum & Instruction/Literacy Studies
PO Box 6122
604 Allen Hall
Morgantown, WV 26506-6122
jim.rye@mail.wvu.edu
Phone: (304) 293-4416
Fax: (304) 293-3802
Web:
http://depts.hre.wvu.edu/c&ils/currinst/rye.html
"The first wealth is health." -Ralph Waldo Emerson
Frank Gmeindl frank.gmeindl@comcast.net 10/29/2011 4:29 PM >>>
Jim,
Please see my October 19 message to the BB:
From: Frank Gmeindl frank.gmeindl@comcast.net
Date: October 19, 2011 9:43:04 AM EDT
To: Bicycle Board bikeboard@cheat.org
Subject: Fwd: Draft WVU Transportation and Parking Plan
Bicycle Board Members,
By November 16, please send your comments on the WVU Transportation and Parking Plan to me w/cc to Hugh. I will compile them and send them to Nancy Lohman.
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
Begin forwarded message:
From: Nancy Lohmann nlohmann@wvu.edu
Date: October 19, 2011 8:11:39 AM EDT
To: Tom Arnold tarnold@cityofmorgantown.org, Morgantown Parking Authority parking@morgantown.com, Morgantown City Council citycouncil@cityofmorgantown.org, Terrence Moore tmoore@cityofmorgantown.org, Chris Fletcher cfletcher@cityofmorgantown.org, Asel Kennedy MonCom@aol.com, Bill Austin info@plantogether.org, Roy Nutter rnutter@wvu.edu, Frank Gmeindl frank.gmeindl@comcast.net, Christiaan Abildso Christiaan.Abildso@mail.wvu.edu, David Bruffy bruffy@busride.org
Cc: Narvel Weese narvel.weese@mail.wvu.edu, Randal Hudak randy.hudak@mail.wvu.edu, Hugh Kierig Hugh.Kierig@mail.WVU.edu
Subject: Draft WVU Transportation and Parking Plan
Good morning.
West Virginia University is in the process of revising its Transportation
and Parking Plan, which was last revised in 2007. I wanted to share a copy
of the draft plan with you and also invite your comments on it. A copy is
enclosed. Today or tomorrow the Plan will also be accesible through
http://transportation.wvu.edu/ http://transportation.wvu.edu/
We are inviting comments until NOVEMBER 18. After that date, the
Transportation and Parking Advisory Committee will begin to modify the plan
considering the feedback received.
Comments may be forwarded to TransParkPlan@mail.WVU.edu
mailto:TransParkPlan@mail.WVU.edu or TransPark Plan, P. O. Box 6205, WVU,
Morgantown, WV 26506-6205.
I know this is a busy time of the year but we would welcome any advice that
you may be able to offer. Thanks.
Nancy
Nancy Lohmann, Ph.D.
Senior Advisor to the Vice President
for Administration and Finance
Professor of Social Work
101 Stewart Hall
P.O. Box 6205
West Virginia University
Morgantown, WV 26506-6205
Phone: 304-293-9200
Fax: 304-293-3493
So far, Ryan Post has submitted comments that you should have received. Are you not receiving messages to bikeboard@cheat.org mailing list?
Thanks for the reminder!
Frank
On Oct 29, 2011, at 4:02 PM, Jim Rye wrote:
Hi Jeffrey, Bill, and Morgantown Bike Board Members,
You likely know that a draft transportation plan that would cover transportation and parking efforts by WVU between July 1, 2012 and June 30, 2017 is now available through Nov 18 for public comment at http://transportation.wvu.edu/trans_and_park_plan.
Bikeboard mailing list
Bikeboard@cheat.org
http://cheat.org/mailman/listinfo/bikeboard
Frank Gmeindl