Traffic Commission

The City of Morgantown 389 Spruce Street Morgantown, West Virginia 26505 (304) 284-7412 Fax: (304) 284-7409 www.morgantownwv.gov Traffic Commission November 11, 2020 Traffic Commission Minutes Matt Cross – Introduction Role Call – Matt Cross Frances Brownfield Toni Tarantini Sharon Patrick Danielle Trumble Martin Dombrowski William Blosser Dave Harshbarger Chip Wamsley Public Comment – None Bike Board – Chip Wamsley Reconvened after two years. Embark upon interim period to help define the structure and mission of Bike Board. Anticipating new elections and defining roles in Bike Board, changes to bylaws. Meet Every two weeks, to shorten meetings. If anyone is interested in participating contact Drew Gatlin to be put in touch with Chairman. Pedestrian Board – Matt Cross Greenbag road project, multiuse trail, public input extended. Engineering Reports – Drew Gatlin Eighth Street sidewalk – second week in December – Eighth Street Trail Head – End of November – Eighth Street at University Avenue – HRG work on design, we will have draft plans for review. White Avenue Slip – relocating utilities, no delays expected. Killarney Drive – Open – Bridge replacement completed; sidewalks added to bridge. Crosswalk installation – prioritized list has been installed as well as themed crosswalk. Found additional materials so more are going to installed. Frances requested crosswalk on Mississippi at Madison. Discussion Ensued. Equipment Acquisition – channelizing cones for temporary “pop up” curb extensions. Demonstration’s for the neighborhoods. Grand and Ross Corridor main place to experiment. Sam Zizzi, maybe the five- way intersection at the top. Discussion ensued. WVDOH Transportation Alternatives Program Awards – TAP Grants – Award for construction funds for the Pleasant Street Streetscape – Design nearing completion. Sidewalks out of the airport – Mileground to Airport. MMMPO – UPWP and TIP Updates – Burroughs Street – resurfacing and updates to curb cuts Brockway and Powell Ave – Mill and Resurface at the least. Matt Cross – will this fix the water drainage in the area? Drew Gatlin – we requested to make comments on the plans, but we do not generally have access to them prior to construction. Possible cost sharing opportunities if it is the budget. University Ave – Patteson Drive to Star City. Collaborative comprehensive traffic plan between Star City Westover Morgantown If you want to participate go to these websites to view future plans for the communities in our area. https://www.plantogether.org/ https://www.plantogether.org/copy-of-agenda-minutes https://www.plantogether.org/plans-studies Unfinished business Sidewalk Ordinance – Drew Gatlin – Has not come up to City Council. City Attorney is out of the office for and extended amount of time. Ped Board and Bike Board have had lengthy discussions and made suggestions. Danielle Trumble – Requesting comments from Ped Board Sam Zizzi – I also would like the comments. Matt Cross – you can read the minutes on the City Page. Morgantown Healthy Streets - Beth Welliard, I Live at Four 436 Western Avenue, and I appreciate this opportunity to express my concerns about Western Avenue and Healthy Streets. When we first heard about Healthy Streets it was easy to feel that it would be a real positive change for the community. I do believe it was initiated with good intentions by all involved. However, after living in the middle of a healthy street for several months, I would like to share some of my observations. Prior to the Healthy Streets barricades going up Western Avenue was shared safely by all. Personally, I love to walk and have used Western, plus many other streets in the neighborhood real often for exercise without problems. I've also driven on Western going and coming from our home without incident for years with others who share the roads. However, since the healthy street signage, I've noticed behaviors that I find very unsafe and granted my life work has been a child advocacy so child safety is always foremost in my mind, a publication on child pedestrian safety education distributed by the United States Department of Transportation offers insight into the phases of the developing brain, while modifying pedestrian education programs and the author's states: “In order for our children to develop the necessary skills to cross the street, parents must encourage and foster safe pedestrian skills and these skills, must also be regarded as important among society”. There are many theories discussed throughout the article of the variance of children's cognitive ability and the ages they are able to determine car speed and street safety, the publication continues to explain that there are many complicated skills, which must be learned by children to safely cross the street and I believe safe pedestrian skills are important to our children. I hope our community does too. We should not risk, teaching them unsafe practices as they imitate behavior on a healthy Street. The other day I was near the barricade by the Western/Somerset intersection and there was an adult pedestrian walking on the street portion of Western Avenue directly in the middle of the road with a UPS truck following, and then cars following directly behind like a parade. The traffic could not get past the pedestrian, but as a pedestrian reached the barricades, the pedestrian walked to the left side of the Barricade and then continue down the rest of Western, that's not part of Healthy Streets stayed on the left side and the traffic went through the barricades and flowed normally, while the pedestrian was still able to walk safely on the side of the road. It seemed very apparent that the only part of the road the pedestrian decided to walk directly in the middle of and block traffic was on the western portion that's labeled as Healthy Streets. I do not know if that is what you intended as part of Healthy Streets, but It certainly appears as a message you find conveyed to this pedestrian. Children imitate behavior are examples of walking, running, or any other activity on Western Avenue, following safe practices or will our children be imitating unsafe actions and perhaps making deadly choices. They Healthy Street signs appear to convey that bicyclists could use that portion Western Avenue, as they desire, without any rules and again, I'm not certain of your attempt but it appears as though many bicyclists are not following the fundamental rules of bicycle safety, including following the speed limit. Even in the official recreational areas like the rail trail, there are rules to help all of us use this space safely. in the Healthy Streets section of Western, there seems to be no rules now, but rather a dangerous mix of usage and a poor example to our children of sharing the road, your data shows automobile speeds have been reduced on Western Avenue and while I agree it's very helpful to have traffic move at a slower speed pedestrians and bicyclists on the street in an unpredictable and unsafe manner could still be injured. A car simply backing up from a stopped position and moving at a very low speed can cause fatal injuries. Perhaps the slower speeds can be accomplished without making Western Avenue a recreational area, such as using speed bumps, similar to the ones throughout Morgantown and Star City. Residents who live on Western need to use the streets have access to their homes. Even with careful attentive, low speed driving, I'm concerned that the unsafe practices of recreational users make it much more likely there will be an accident. I believe if you ask, ask the residents of Western Avenue, especially those who actually lived on the street, you will find much concern. There has not been an accident on Western Avenue as a regular residential for as long as I can remember, and it was a safe, calm Street, but now that you turned it into a recreational area I feel it is much more unsafe. Please reconsider the Healthy Streets program, especially on Western Avenue. Thank you for your time and considering my request. Drew Gatlin listed some improvements to the sawhorses, challenges, successes, issues and complaints. Sam Zizzi, stated that the Healthy Street initiative is a success in Second Ward, however has noticed similar behaviors to that which Beth Welliard spoke of during her call. Martin Dombrowski, people are still going to walk on Western Avenue regardless of the barricades or speed humps. Danielle Trumble: we don’t have a Healthy Street in 5th Ward. I wish we did. I take responsibility to teach my young child the rules and how what is ok in some places is not ok in others. Saba Ashfaq: I live in 4th ward, I understand children psychology, I tell my kids which streets are busier, safe, unsafe, and when we can just enjoy the walk. Matt Cross: Thank you for those observations, I agree with what you have said. Please remember it gets dark earlier this time of year, please remember your reflective gear if you are out walking or biking. Danielle Trumble: I am also the president of the Woodburn Neighborhood Association, so I will bring this up with them and ask for recommendations. Drew Gatlin: In Jerome Park we have had several requests to implement the Healthy Streets Initiative. I want to meet with that neighborhood to do walk throughs to determine what will fit where. I would like to hold a public meeting for the neighborhood as well. The Traffic Light at Richwood and Darst was involved in an accident and is now non-operational. We are not going to replace the light immediately. A four-way stop has been installed as a temporary measure and we will study the area to see if a new traffic light is warranted. Willey Street entrance to College Park Drew Gatlin: We have not been able to obtain any crash data at this time. New Business Citizen Requests Munsey Street and Intersection Roads: Signs, speed humps, parking Drew Gatlin: Shared the request for speed control and suggestions. Discussion ensued. Martin Dombrowski requested that the Engineering Department perform a traffic study on the area. Discussion ensued. Matt Cross requested a list of the traffic studies to prioritize them. Discussion ensued. Aspen Street – Speed Hump Matt Cross: would that be between Collins Ferry and the old Suncrest Elementary School? The Grade might prevent the speed hump. Drew what is the Grade of Aspen Street? Drew Gatlin: Yes. The Grade is 7.5% to 7.9%, and the cut off for speed humps is 8%. Speed humps is not recommended for streets that have a grade of 5% or greater. Matt Cross: Martin do the Mountain Line busses use this route? Martin: No. Matt Cross: Is this still a school bus route? Martin: no. Drew Gatlin reviewed the request for the speed hump and the location. Martin Dombrowski: is this a request for a traffic study or a speed hump? Drew Gatlin: It is a request for a speedhump, but a traffic study would be needed to justify the speed hump. Discussion ensued. Drew Gatlin: I do not recommend speed humps be installed because of the noise level and the length of the block, and the grade of the roadway. Please come up with other recommendations for this street. Discussion ensued. Spring Street/Hoffman Avenue/Randolph Road – Traffic Calming/one-ways Jeremy O’dell: My recommendation was at least some speed humps on both streets. I would also suggest making Spring Street One-Way heading toward Hoffman and Randolph One-Way heading toward Willowdale. There is a lot of Speeding, although having a police officer slows them down, because he has to sit in plain sight. Matt Cross: You can see cars parked on the shoulder; it is extremely narrow. Discussion ensued. Brownfield moved to send request to council – Two one-way traffic roads, Spring Street One-Way heading toward Hoffman and Randolph One-Way heading toward Willowdale and speed humps as needed. Cross seconded it. Motion passed 6-1 Frances Brownfield moved to adjourn. Sam Zizzi Seconded. Motion passed.