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Expanded bike and pedestrian plan gets local, state, federal support.
“With the recent fatality and other concerns the city has had with their pedestrian issues like sidewalk maintenance and other things … the consensus of the policy board was that we should move forward with an enlarged bicycle and pedestrian plan,” Austin said.
The plan comes at a cost of approximately $266,000, with 90 percent of that covered through federal and state highway funds. The remaining 10 percent comes by way of a local match.
The Monongalia County Commission provided a total of $9,900 to that end. Morgantown City Council approved $8,510. Austin said there are also financial commitments from WVU and Westover.
Austin said the plan will include a full inventory of all the sidewalks in the urban area as well as a demand model indicating where people are walking and biking to and from.
I cannot wait for this report. The MPO and the City have done internal reports and plans, which are mostly good, but I've been curious as to what external perspective a consultant would bring for bike/pedestrian issues in the city. Morgantown has both stellar cycling and pedestrian amenities (rail trails, campus paths, short blocks) and staggering challenges (topography, missing connections/few arterials, crumbling/missing sidewalks, unmanaged pedestrian and vehicle conflict points, etc.), and a thorough analysis of what can and should be done in the city is sorely needed.
I cannot wait for this report. The MPO and the City have done internal reports and plans, which are mostly good, but I've been curious as to what external perspective a consultant would bring for bike/pedestrian issues in the city. Morgantown has both stellar cycling and pedestrian amenities (rail trails, campus paths, short blocks) and staggering challenges (topography, missing connections/few arterials, crumbling/missing sidewalks, unmanaged pedestrian and vehicle conflict points, etc.), and a thorough analysis of what can and should be done in the city is sorely needed.
I wouldn't ride a bike on Morgantown's streets even if you paid me. Either get injured by falling into a pothole or get run over by a motorist thinking they're on the Beltway.
I wouldn't ride a bike on Morgantown's streets even if you paid me. Either get injured by falling into a pothole or get run over by a motorist thinking they're on the Beltway.
The 57 miles of connected rail trails are excellent. The streets, not so much, especially at night since our state government has totally neglected their responsibility to provide adequate lighting in urbanized areas in our city and environs.
In my six years in Morgantown, I rarely commuted by bike. And this is coming from someone who has ridden on 705, Mon Boulevard, Beechurst, and the Mileground. When I lived off Pineview, I usually drove to the Coliseum and walked to Engineering. During grad school, I lived behind the Starbucks off Van Voorhis, so it was usually convenient for me to walk to the PRT or just walk to Engineering (though I rode my bike some). For the former location, topography was the main barrier. I lived on the downhill side of Pineview towards West Run; that's quite the grade to overcome either way. In both locations, I had to cross 705. That doesn't seem like much until you are actually in the thick of impatient drivers catching lights buzzing next to you because there's little or no shoulder to provide riding room. I bit it on 705 past Sheetz once and almost got ran over. Even if it's for just 10-15 seconds, navigating those intersections and that traffic is high stress and will deter most casual riders.
Counter-intuitively, getting downtown actually wasn't that bad, all things considered. Once I got past that intersection, going uphill on University towards downtown was easy because there's a very generous shoulder. Once you get to the top it gets a little hairy, but after you start downhill it's much easier. But I was (relatively) fit and could overcome both the stress and the climb; most people won't opt for that. Short of giving everyone electric bikes with pedal-assist, the best thing to do to promote biking in town is to give cyclists room and/or separation from cars. I never minded taking my time going uphill on University from Evansdale because I never felt like I was holding anyone up or that I was going to get run over at a moment's notice. If you can't lower the grade, lower the stress.
That's in-town riding. When it comes to recreational, then Morgantown residents don't have an excuse to not ride if they're willing and able. The rail trails in town are some of the best quality with close proximity and relatively easy access. They're absolutely perfect for taking a couple of hours and unwinding on a leisure roll or dedicated exercise. Other than camping out at Blue Moose or with my friends at BCM, my sanctuary - in every sense - was riding along the Deckers Creek Trail. I don't know if you can ask for a better trail than that one.
There's so much more to consider: road conditions, bike accessibility, WVU influence, connections between bike facilities/cycling routes, etc., etc. I could go on and on and on about this stuff, but I'll spare you all.
The 57 miles of connected rail trails are excellent. The streets, not so much, especially at night since our state government has totally neglected their responsibility to provide adequate lighting in urbanized areas in our city and environs.
The state's ROW through urban areas is generally curb to curb. Therefore, it would be the responsibility of municipalities to provide adequate lighting. In all actuality, the state should not even be dealing with roads within city limits as they should be the responsibility of the city. The state has way too many roads to be taking care of and not nearly enough money or manpower. Slides alone have gotten way out of hand all over the area and it is enough for the state just to try and keep up with fixing those.
The state's ROW through urban areas is generally curb to curb. Therefore, it would be the responsibility of municipalities to provide adequate lighting. In all actuality, the state should not even be dealing with roads within city limits as they should be the responsibility of the city. The state has way too many roads to be taking care of and not nearly enough money or manpower. Slides alone have gotten way out of hand all over the area and it is enough for the state just to try and keep up with fixing those.
Honestly, if the City has the funds to do it (they have to have plenty extra since they tried to buy that Forest for like $4 million...) then they should just go ahead and pave the roads. Earl L Core, Powell/Brockway, Pleasant, Walnut, and Spruce all need it.
Which brings me to another question... I feel as if we didn't do nearly enough roads during this year's paving plan. Did that stupid forest cut into the funds available for infrastructure when they were crunching numbers this spring?
Bid awarded for Mileground Road update in Morgantown
Kingwood-based Mountaineer Contractors will be paid more than $8.7 million to take the Mileground Road from two-lanes to four-lanes from the Route 705 intersection to Airport Road.
According to the governor’s office, “Initial work will consist of utility relocation and continued acquisition of right-of-way and is scheduled to begin later this year. Major construction work is expected to start in the Spring, 2019.”
I believe Mountaineer Contractors also did Easton Hill.
Still wish they were burying the power and cable lines along there and building a roundabout at the airport road intersection, that way there would be no center turning lane.
This will be so great when finished. I don't see a estimated completion date but if it starts next spring I would think by late 2020 they can have it done. I'm sure the businesses along the mile ground and Northpointe Plaza will be glad when construction is done. I'm sure it affects their business.
This will be so great when finished. I don't see a estimated completion date but if it starts next spring I would think by late 2020 they can have it done. I'm sure the businesses along the mile ground and Northpointe Plaza will be glad when construction is done. I'm sure it affects their business.
Going on concurrently with this will be the complete re-working of 705. When it's all done it will be so much nicer.
The article about the mileground work left out a couple things apparently. First the road will in fact be five lanes, four for travel and one center turning lane. The second thing left out is that originally finishing Easton Hill up to the traffic light was it’s own project and would be done before the mileground but now they have combined it all into one project. There will also be a new traffic light installed at the airport road intersection, the five lanes will continue down to the plaza and then turn into a four lane road and the FAA has given their blessing for the Easton Hill section of work (I guess this was a big hurdle).
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