Bikeboard January 2013

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12 participants
24 discussions

Crossroads 1/14 7-9 pm
by Frank Gmeindl 15 Jan '13

15 Jan '13

Please see attached flier for the subject public meeting. Crossroads is the comprehensive plan that will determine the future direction of Morgantown's land use and transportation.

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PBIC - New White Papers available
by Jonathan Rosenbaum 13 Jan '13

13 Jan '13

“An Overview of Automated Enforcement Systems and Their Potential for Improving Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety” http://katana.hsrc.unc.edu/cms/download/WhitePaper_AutomatedSafetyEnforceme… <http://katana.hsrc.unc.edu/cms/downloads/WhitePaper_AutomatedSafetyEnforcem…> “Using Health Impact Assessments to Evaluate Bicycle and Pedestrian Plans.” http://katana.hsrc.unc.edu/cms/downloads/WhitePaper_HIA_PBIC.pdf PBIC News Brief -- News from the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center /Jan. 11, 2013/ PBIC Launches New White Paper Series** CHAPEL HILL, NC — The Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (PBIC) announces the creation of a new white paper series to expand access to the latest pedestrian- and bicycle-related research, resources and tools. The white paper series is intended to provide a broad array of information about some of the most commonly requested topics of interest among engineers, public health officials, planners and advocates. The papers feature the most up-to-date research, resources and tools on a variety of topics. PBIC already has completed the first two papers in the series: “An Overview of Automated Enforcement Systems and Their Potential for Improving Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety” and “Using Health Impact Assessments to Evaluate Bicycle and Pedestrian Plans.” Those papers can be found at www.walkinginfo.org/library, and copies of the papers also will be available for review during the Transportation Research Board’s annual conference. Future topics include high visibility crosswalks, road diets and cycle tracks. *About PBIC* Since its inception in 1999, PBIC's mission has been to improve the quality of life in communities through the increase of safe walking and bicycling as a viable means of transportation and physical activity. The Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center is maintained by the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center with funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration. *Media Contact:* James Gallagher, PBIC, 919.843.7007, james(a)hsrc.unc.edu <mailto:james@hsrc.unc.edu>. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Since its inception in 1999, PBIC's mission has been to improve the quality of life in communities through the increase of safe walking and bicycling as a viable means of transportation and physical activity. The Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center is maintained by the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center with funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center* 730 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd Campus Box 3430 Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3430 Phone: 1.888.823.3977 Fax: 919.962.8710 www.walkinginfo.org www.bicyclinginfo.org

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MAP 21 money for Mon County
by Frank Gmeindl 10 Jan '13

10 Jan '13

This morning's DP reported that the state granted $200,409 for the rail trail. See http://ee.dominionpost.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=RFBvc3QvMjAxMy8wMS8wOSNBcj… http://www.statejournal.com/story/20523389/tomblin-announces-millions-in-tr… lists MAP 21 projects around the state. Looking at the list shows the kinds of projects getting the funding and levels of funding. Three of them are those reported in today's DP. Monongalia County: Decker's Creek Trail Resurfacing, $80,000; Westover Park Loop, $28,800 Monongalia/Marion/Preston counties: Mon River Trails Dump Truck, $56,000 Monongalia/Preston counties: Decker's Creek Trail Undercut Repair, $115,609.33 More MAP 21 $ could come to Morgantown/Monongalia Co. if someone applied for the grants. Frank

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Toward Zero Deaths Webinar 1/31 2-3:30 pm
by Frank Gmeindl 10 Jan '13

10 Jan '13

We might learn something from this. PBIC Announces Free Webinar on Toward Zero Deaths Strategies CHAPEL HILL, NC — The Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (PBIC) announces the next free Webinar in its Livable Communities Webinar Series: Toward Zero Deaths: Strategies for Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals Thursday, January 31, 2013 2:00 p.m. — 3:30 p.m. EDT To register, please visithttps://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/860927866. The vision of "Toward Zero Deaths" (TZD) is predicated on the assumption that no traffic death or serious injury should be considered to be acceptable. Launched as a plan for highway safety in Europe, the principle has gained popularity in the U.S. in recent years, and some state and local agencies have adopted TZD language among their agencies' safety goals. Researchers at the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center have developed a list of key TZD strategies that are considered to be among the most effective in reducing pedestrian- and bicycle-related deaths and serious injuries on our nation's streets and highways. Presenters Charlie Zegeer, PBIC director, and Carl Sundstrom, PBIC program manager, will discuss a wide range of engineering, education, enforcement, policy, and funding strategies that are the most promising in in reaching TZD successes for non-motorized travelers. PBIC offers free, public Webinars approximately every other month. To register for upcoming Webinars and to access archived presentations, please visit www.walkinginfo.org/webinars. Since its inception in 1999, PBIC's mission has been to improve the quality of life in communities through the increase of safe walking and bicycling as a viable means of transportation and physical activity. The Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center is maintained by the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center with funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration. Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center 730 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd Campus Box 3430 Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3430 Phone: 1.888.823.3977 Fax: 919.962.8710 www.walkinginfo.org www.bicyclinginfo.org ---

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FY2013-2014 budget
by Frank Gmeindl 10 Jan '13

10 Jan '13

Attached is the budget that I propose to discuss with City Councilors and Terrence. Damien reviewed an earlier version and made comments and adjusted cost estimates. The attached includes his revised cost estimates but the amounts to include in the budget and the comments are mine. Frank

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WVDOH proposed Two-Way Left Turn Lane (TWLTL) on Mon Blvd. between Boyers Av. and Patteson Dr.
by Frank Gmeindl 10 Jan '13

10 Jan '13

Dear Mr. Austin: The Morgantown Municipal Bicycle Board is disappointed that the WVDOH apparently did not consider bicyclists in their proposed Mon Blvd. TWLTL and recommends that the MPO encourage the WVDOH to amend their proposal to include (in accordance with the 2009 MUTCD and the 2011 AASHTO Guidelines for the Development of Bicycle Facilities) · a minimum 8-foot wide bicycle-climbing lane on the uphill side of Mon Blvd. between Boyers Av. and Patteson Dr.; · R4-11 Bicycles May Use Full Lane signs every 250 feet on the downhill side, and · an 8-foot wide smooth paved shoulder on the downhill side. The WVDOH proposed Mon Blvd. TWLTL conflicts with the Greater Morgantown Bicycle Plan that the WVDOH helped to create. WVDOH proposes to narrow the shoulders to 4-feet. Narrowing the uphill shoulder to 4-feet will preclude making it a bicycle-climbing lane. The Greater Morgantown Bicycle Plan Engineering Action #17 is to install a bicycle-climbing lane on Monongahela Boulevard between Boyers Avenue and Patteson Drive. AASHTO recommends a minimum 5-foot width for bike lanes or wider when the bicycle lane is adjacent to high-speed motor traffic. The proposed TWLTL will likely increase average motor vehicle speed. Narrowing the shoulders and increasing the speed in the travel lanes will increase risk to bicyclists and pedestrians who still choose to use the shoulders. Many will avoid this route altogether due to safety concerns. The proposed TWLTL will increase safety for Type A[i] cyclists if motor vehicle speed remains the same or decreases. The proposed TWLTL will increase Type A cyclist safety and convenience for the same reasons that the TWLTL would increase safety for motorists. Unfortunately, most Morgantown area cyclists are Type B[ii] cyclists that use the shoulders rather than the travel lanes. Narrowing the shoulders on either side of Mon Blvd. can be expected to discourage the few Type B cyclists that use them now. Knowing that they have the same right to the travel lanes as motorists, Type A cyclists ride in the rightmost travel lane that serves their destination. However, even among Type A cyclists, few will ride the travel lane up the hill on Mon Blvd. because they are scared by motor vehicles passing them closely at high speeds. Even Type A cyclists can be expected to prefer a bicycle-climbing lane on the uphill side of Mon Blvd. More Type A cyclists and perhaps even some Type B cyclists could be expected to use the downhill travel lanes if R4-11 Bicycles May Use Full Lane signs were erected in the corridor but most Type B cyclists would still prefer a wide smooth paved shoulder despite the increased risks of right hook, left cross and drive out crashes (especially at Chipps Hollow where a cyclist could easily be travelling in excess of 40 mph) at crossings. Therefore, the Bicycle Board recommends that the downhill shoulder of Mon Blvd. be smoothly paved to a width of 8-feet but NOT marked as a bike lane and that R4-11 signs be erected every 250-feet along the downhill side of Mon Blvd. Last year, the wide uphill shoulder was smoothly paved. All that remains is to stripe it as a bike lane. A bicycle-climbing lane on the uphill shoulder: · would provide an attractive bicycle route from Star City to Evansdale, a destination for many Morgantown area students and cyclists; · would provide an important connection from the Mon River Trail to Evansdale; · could be part of an important bicycle corridor connecting the 916-bed Domain and the 336-bed University Commons student apartment complexes to Morgantown so some of those 1,200 students could ride their bikes instead of driving their cars; · would be an essential part of a bicycle corridor from the University Town Centre to Mileground when Bicycle Plan Action Engineering #18 bicycle lane on both sides of WV 705 from Willowdale Road to Mileground Road is completed so some of the tens of thousands of cars that travel that corridor most days could be left at home when their users choose to bike. Bicycle lanes are appropriate on roadways with speeds in excess of 25 mph and with few driveways and intersections. Bicyclists traveling in the travel lanes are more visible to motorists merging onto the roadway from businesses such as the Texas Roadhouse and from intersections including Canfield Av. and Saratoga Av. however since Type B and C cyclists will not use the roadway, the bicycle-climbing lane must maximize cyclist’s visibility. Current sightlines are excellent however at a minimum, signage should be placed at these crossings to alert merging motorists that they’re crossing a bike lane and to watch for bicyclists. In addition to contradicting the Greater Morgantown Bicycle Plan, the WVDOH proposed Mon Blvd. TWLTL conflicts with the 2040 LRTP that WVDOH also helped to create. Tier 1 project #40 Regional Bikeway Plan Implementation Program includes projects from the Greater Morgantown Bicycle plan. The WVDOH proposed Mon Blvd. TWLTL violates the Monongalia County and Morgantown Complete Streets Policies. The proposed TWLTL will make Mon Blvd. more dangerous to pedestrians and Type B cyclists. In summary, Monongalia County and the City of Morgantown are striving to achieve a modern multi-modal transportation system. The proposed TWLTL project fails to consider the needs of bicyclists and pedestrians. The Bicycle Board requests you to encourage the WVDOH to amend their proposal to include (in accordance with the 2009 MUTCD and the 2011 AASHTO Guidelines for the Development of Bicycle Facilities) · a minimum 8-foot wide bicycle-climbing lane on the uphill side of Mon Blvd. between Boyers Av. and Patteson Dr. and · R4-11 Bicycles May Use Full Lane signs every 250 feet on the downhill side · an 8-foot wide smooth paved shoulder on the downhill side. If the WVDOH will not make these amendments to their proposal, the Bicycle Board requests that the MPO deny the WVDOH proposal to amend the TIP to add the proposed TWLTL project. As you know, Morgantown achieved Bronze Level recognition as a Bicycle Friendly Community last year. The City intends to retain the award and even try for a Silver award in 2015 (see Greater Morgantown Bicycle Plan Encouragement Action #16). The WVDOH TWLTL as proposed is a step backward for a bicycle friendly community. Frank Gmeindl Chairman, Morgantown Municipal Bicycle Board Cyclists fare best when they act and are treated as vehicles [i] Type A cyclists, according to AASHTO are “advanced or experienced riders that are generally using their bicycles as they would a motor vehicle. They are riding for convenience and speed and want direct access to destinations with a minimum of detour or delay. They are typically comfortable riding with motor vehicle traffic however, they need sufficient operating space on the traveled way or shoulder to eliminate the need for either themselves or a passing motor vehicle to shift position”. [ii] Type B cyclists, according to AASHTO are “basic or less confident adult riders that may also be using their bicycles for transportation purposes, e.g., to get to the store or to visit friends, but prefer to avoid roads with fast and busy motor vehicle traffic unless there is ample roadway width to allow easy overtaking by faster motor vehicles. Thus, basic riders are comfortable riding on neighborhood streets and shared use paths and prefer designated facilities such as bike lanes of wide shoulder lanes on busier streets”.

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Mon Blvd. turn lane
by Frank Gmeindl 09 Jan '13

09 Jan '13

Bicycle Board Members, At Thursday's BB meeting, I said I'd write a letter to WVDOH through Bill Austin on the WVDOH proposed TWLTL on Mon Blvd. between Boyers Av. and Patteson Dr. Attached is that letter. So that I will have your input in time to do something with it before next Thursday's MPO CAC meeting, by Wednesday, please tell me what you think of the letter or use Track Changes and Comments to change it and return it to me. Frank

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Fwd: Agenda for today's Pedestrian Safety Board meeting
by Frank Gmeindl 09 Jan '13

09 Jan '13

FYI, attached is the Pedestrian Safety Board's letter regarding the Mon Blvd. turn lane. Begin forwarded message: > From: "Christiaan Abildso" <Christiaan.Abildso(a)mail.wvu.edu> > Date: January 7, 2013 11:00:51 PM EST > To: "Maria Smith" <mariasmith(a)busride.org>, "Damien Davis" <ddavis(a)cityofmorgantown.org>, "Don Spencer" <dspencer36(a)comcast.net>, "Mary Gutmann" <maryg1010(a)comcast.net>, "Mike Breiding" <mike(a)EpicRoadTrips.us>, "George Lilley" <mgranlil(a)frontier.com>, "Dwight Harshbarger" <dwight.harshbarger(a)gmail.com>, "Frank Gmeindl" <fgmeindl(a)gmail.com>, "Michael Simms" <michael.d.simms(a)gmail.com>, "Michael Graham" <mwgraham11(a)gmail.com>, "Sarah Bias" <sarahbias(a)gmail.com>, "Angela Wiley" <wileya120(a)gmail.com>, "Matt Cross" <crossnyc(a)hotmail.com>, "James Welty" <jameswelty(a)hotmail.com>, "Debbie Cain" <dcain(a)hsc.wvu.edu>, "Ilana Chertok" <ichertok(a)hsc.wvu.edu>, "Martha Summers" <msummers(a)hsc.wvu.edu>, "Bob Anderson" <randerson(a)hsc.wvu.edu>, "Tom Bias" <tbias(a)hsc.wvu.edu>, "Bill Reger-Nash" <wreger(a)hsc.wvu.edu>, "Jeremy Harris" <jeremy(a)itmindshare.com>, "Bill Austin" <baustin(a)labyrinth.net>, "Angela Campbell" <Angela.Campbell(a)mail.wvu.edu>, "Hugh Kierig" <Hugh.Kierig(a)mail.wvu.edu>, "Jim Rye" <Jim.Rye(a)mail.wvu.edu>, "Joshua Woods" <Joshua.Woods(a)mail.wvu.edu>, "Margaret Stout" <Margaret.Stout(a)mail.wvu.edu>, "Maria Brann" <Maria.Brann(a)mail.wvu.edu>, "Mark Tinsley" <Mark.Tinsley(a)mail.wvu.edu>, "Roy Nutter" <Roy.Nutter(a)mail.wvu.edu>, "Stanley Cohen" <Stanley.Cohen(a)mail.wvu.edu>, "Courtney Pawlak" <cpawlak(a)mix.wvu.edu>, "David Small" <dsmall1(a)mix.wvu.edu>, "Melody Thomas" <mthoma29(a)mix.wvu.edu>, "Ella Belling" <ella(a)montrails.org>, "Claire Chantler" <cchantler(a)nwvcil.org>, "Jan Derry" <jderry(a)nwvcil.org>, "Lauren Frederick" <volunteer(a)nwvcil.org>, "Nick Hein" <director(a)positivespin.org>, "Regina Mayolo" <reginam(a)verizon.net>, "Jonathan Rosenbaum" <jr(a)wvcompletestreets.org>, "Kevin Leyden" <kleyden(a)wvu.edu>, "Dan Harris" <harrisda(a)wvuhealthcare.com>, "Jimmie Simmons" <Jsimmons2642(a)yahoo.com>, "Morgantown Pedestrian Safety Board" <walkmgw(a)yahoo.com> > Subject: Re: Agenda for today's Pedestrian Safety Board meeting > > All - > Please find attached a draft letter regarding the Mon Blvd project. Please provide comments/edits to me by Thursday morning so that I may present the letter at the MPO CAC meeting that evening. > Best, > Christiaan > > >>> On 1/7/2013 at 10:54 AM, <walkmgw(a)yahoo.com> wrote: > All - > Please find the agenda for today's meeting and supporting material (information about upcoming Crossroads meeting and the proposed project on Mon Blvd) attached. See you at 4:30 at the public safety building. Looking forward to a lively discussion. > See you soon. > Christiaan > > Walk more, safely > > Morgantown Pedestrian Safety Board > Christiaan Abildso, Chair > Bill Reger-Nash, Vice Chair > http://www.morgantownwv.gov/government/advisory-boards/pedestrian-safety-bo…

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Meeting and aftermath
by Gunnar Shogren 09 Jan '13

09 Jan '13

Good day everyone and welcome to another week! Thanks to everyone that came to the meeting. I thought it went well. Was quite pleased that we could accommodate Bill's time constraint and have him talk to us about the proposed DOH project on Mon Blvd, most enlightening it was. Please do take the time if you can and offer Frank some advise/critique/help on his letter. Jing certainly is enthusiastic and I'm sure we'll be seeing more from his mapping project and if anyone wants to be on the mapping committee please contact myself, Jing or Frank. Hopefully Frank and others can get a budget request together in time. I'm fairly certain it's already happening, but again, any help that you'd like to give to Frank and that group would be appreciated. I do know that Frank, myself and Jeff Mikorski chatted regarding that some last Friday and it was well received. So how are those projects coming along? Just try and tick a few things off here and there so that you'll have something to report for the February meeting. That would be swell. :) And speaking of that, Jonathan, care to share w/ us what happened at the Positive Spin meeting Friday? I'm sure I'm not the only one waiting to hear how that went down. Okay, I think that's enough for now. Take care and thanks for being involved w/ the Morgantown Bike Board, gunnar. #actingchair Strange letter huh? Well I just wanting to get something out, touch base, etc., so here it is...

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The SRTS Call-In Show Webinar
by Jonathan Rosenbaum 08 Jan '13

08 Jan '13

Does anyone have questions they want submitted to this webinar? "Here’s how it works. You register for the Webinar in advance. You submit a question about your most formidable SRTS obstacles and barriers through the registration page, or by emailing mgulley(a)americawalks.org. You attend the Webinar and listen as the experts grapple with the unique problems facing your SRTS program and others around the country. You ask questions, you get answers. Simple." https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/519304625 -Jonathan

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Bikeboard January 2013