Pedestrian Safety Board

Morgantown Pedestrian Safety Board Meeting Agenda Public Safety Building – Training Room 1 4:30 – 5:30 PM August 29, 2016 The Morgantown Pedestrian Safety Board’s mission is to promote a walkable environment throughout the City by developing safe, attractive, and accessible walkways that connect neighborhoods and destinations. 4:30 pm Call meeting to order I. Introductions: Members – Chair Matt Cross, Dwight Harshbarger, Jan Deery, George Lilley, Lt McCabe, Bill Reger-Nash, Jay Redmond, Guest: Drew Gatlin (johngatlin@gmail.com), Evan Hansen, Gabe Goudy, Amy Boggs, Jessica Bladow, Jen McDonald, Absent: II. Approval of August 1, 2016 Minutes. Motion by Dwight, Second by George Lilley, Passed by unanimous voice vote. III. New Business -New sidewalk is being installed at Suncrest Middle School -Letter Timberline Apt Complex Owner. Matt Cross will draft letter will be sent out in subsequent communication expressing appreciation for their support for the installation of a sidewalk in the area of Suncrest Middle and the access to the Rail Trail. -Educational Campaign. Info published in Dominion Post, see http://www.thedpost.com/Safety- tips-for-pedestri--ans,-d and attached, courtesy of House of Delegates candidate Evan Hansen. -Bicycles on sidewalks. For youth 15 years of age and older, this is illegal. Chief Preston is also concerned and has alerted downtown officers. Drew Gatlin recommended bicycle safety flyers be distributed. Kids under 15 can legally ride on sidewalks in the downtown. -Sharrows (A representation of a bicycle with two chevrons above it, marked on a roadway as a symbol to indicate that motor vehicles and bicycles are to share the lane) are being installed in the downtown. - Safe Communities projects; Dan Shook update (see two-page WVU Safe Communities attachment) regarding Safe Communities projects. -City Manager Candidates: Chair Cross suggested writing a letter to city council requesting meeting with City Manager candidates to discuss our pedestrian and bicycle priorities. Councilman Redman indicated that such a meeting would be appropriate. -WVU education campaign – Jen McDonald suggested contacting SGA rep about doing Twitter / Instantgram regarding ped safety. -Drew Gatlin indicated that Walnut / Spruce intersection is the worst in the city. Jen McDonald indicated that the walk light button has not been working. Jen Mcdonald walks to work daily through this area. Curbs are low from Walnut on to Spruce. When pedestrian safety related issues arise, please contact the city of Morgantown at http://com3.govtsystems.com/MorgantownWV/Request/AnonRequests/Requests.aspx?TopicId=4 2 and the state of WV at http://dotftp.wv.gov/cra/ 1 Morgantown Arts Walk: Oct. 7th . See http://www.downtownmorgantown.com/msm_events/arts‐ walk/ IV. Old Business -City Code enforcement – Attorney Simonton will be invited to provide a Complete Report at our regular meeting on Oct 3. -Northwestern Ave Pedestrian Crossing. This is a very dangerous intersection. There is a traffic signal but no cross walk. This intersection is outside the city of Morgantown. Since there is no sidewalk here, the state feels constrained and will not install a cross walk or crossing light. However, we need advocate with the Mon County Commission to install a sidewalk here in order to reduce this HUGE Safety HAZARD. -WVU fall semester, engaging students for pedestrian awareness. Jen McDonald will work with Student Government to determine their interest in advocating for pedestrian safety using Twitter and InstaGram. -Region 5 Grant provided us additional Pedestrian Safety Flyers. Thank you. - Superintendent Dr. Devono. Matt will do this and also invite him to November meeting. Suncrest Elementary to come online in 2017. Nice opportunity to work closely with the Bike Board. -New WVU Parking Sign on Mon Blvd is an obvious impediment to pedestrians and bicyclists climbing the hill in that area. WVU is exhibiting a lack of sensitivity to Ped issues and the work of the Ped Safety Board. There has not been a WVU representative at our meetings for five months. V. Reports -Jan Deery Building Code Enforcement regarding ADA in November. Kirk Paisley is the speaker, WV Fair Housing has a website that will post info when they have all the info available. -Mountain Line Maria Smith - Absent -WVU Kim Hartsell - Absent -Rail Trail Ella Belling - Absent -MPO Bill Austin – Absent -City Engineer Damien Davis - Absent -Police Lt. McCabe – was to present the names of the three new Ped Safety Board members to the Traffic Commission. However, there was no Traffic Commission meeting last week. The names will be presented this week. -Amy Boggs Ped Safety Flyers available on September 9. Will be circulated to SGA. Jessica suggested that the flyers be distributed at the Arts Festival Walk. -Traffic Commission Matt Cross – No meeting held -Jay Redmond reports for City Council: Paving is scheduled to be finished by end of Oct and Curb cuts are being installed. Weeds on Willey Street are being addressed by the property owner, User fee funds used for police officers, which can help with ped issues downtown, (We should be advocating that the Downtown become its own patrol zone) All should comment on State transportation plan until Sept 19 Collins Ferry and Univ Ave. Input needed: 2 As received from Christiaan Abildso, “Public comment on the University Avenue/Collins Ferry intersection redesign in Suncrest. You can comment directly to DOH online or submit to Bill Austin & Jing with the MPO, www.transportation.wv.gov/highways/engineering/comment/UniversityAvenueProject/ Pages/default.aspx (there’s a link to a PDF “Alternatives” at the bottom of the page that shows drawings of each alternative) The University Avenue Intersection Project is located at the intersection of University Avenue (County Route 55), Collins Ferry Road (County Route 57), and Baldwin Street in the City of Morgantown, within Monongalia County, West Virginia. Commercial businesses with entry driveways are located in each quadrant around the intersection. The West Virginia Division of Highways (WVDOH) is evaluating alternatives for the most cost effective solution to increase the level of service for this intersection. Five alternatives are being evaluated for this project. •Alternative #1- Proposes constructing a single roundabout in the intersection. •Alternative #2- Proposes constructing an oval roundabout in the intersection. •Alternative #3- Proposes a traffic signal and added additional turning lanes at the existing intersection. •Alternative #4- Proposes a traffic signal at the intersection with Collins Ferry Road and Baldwin Street then realign to form a plus style intersection. •Alternative #5- Proposes to construct a single lane non-traditional shaped roundabout. You may comment online or in writing. Comments are due by Monday, September 19, 2016. Those wishing to file written comments may send them to: Mr. RJ Scites, P.E. Director, Engineering Division, WVDOH 1334 Smith Street Charleston, West Virginia 25301 3 Action Items 1) Matt Cross: Will draft letters to: a. WV DOH regarding Suncrest University Avenue/Collins Ferry intersection redesign in Suncrest. b. City council regarding new City Manager candidates and ped issues. 2) Bill Reger-Nash to chat with WVU public health folks regarding pilot study of bicycles on sidewalks in downtown. 3) Drew Gatlin will ask Ron Eck about same. 4) Jen McDonald will check with SGA on their willingness to communicate ped safety issues via Twitter/Instagram 5) Matt Cross to invite Attorney Simonton to our Oct 3 meeting. 6) Jessica Bladow will: a. draft a letter to the Secretary of DOH/Commissioner as well as local legislators regarding lack of responsiveness on the part of the state. b. send Bill a link to the state DOT regarding pedestrian safety issues. 7) All: Contact Mon County Commissioners about installing a sidewalk along Northwestern Avenue, as it abuts Don Nehlin Drive and Medical Center Drive. Next meeting: October 2, 2016, Training Room 1, Public Safety Building, 4:30 – 5:30 pm. Meeting adjourned at 5:39 pm. Minutes submitted by Bill Reger-Nash on 08-29-2016. 4