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Comprehensive Plan(s) Fair: Tonight! 5-7pm, Mountaineer Station
by Drew Gatlin 09 Sep '22

09 Sep '22

All, Hoping this is just a reminder for you and that you've heard about this fair already, but in case you haven't, please see a flyer attached. Tonight will be a great opportunity to give feedback on early drafts of the comprehensive plans being concurrently developed for the County, the City of Morgantown, and the Cities of Westover, Star City, and Granville. Representatives of all these planning efforts will be in attendance and the format should make it easy for area residents to check in with several project teams. You will be able to see what has been accomplished, ask questions, and provide feedback on policy directions and recommendations to date. The City's booth will have four informational boards people can comment on, and will also be asking folks to give feedback on how to present (roll out) the plan draft later this fall. Everyone is welcome to stop by! We collectively appreciate the Mon County Planning Commission’s efforts to organize the fair. Best, Drew J. Drew Gatlin (he/his) Staff Engineer 200 M-Tec Drive Morgantown, WV 26501 Office: (304) 284-7411 Cell: (304) 719-7900 Fax: (304) 284-7409 [cid:24222ba1-0f41-41c2-b03d-5884cf42e525]<http://www.morgantownwv.gov> Notice: Email is an inherently insecure means of communication. Any message sent or received by this email address is subject to regular review by third parties and, further, may be publicly disclosed through Freedom of Information Act<https://www.foia.gov/> requests.

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Bike Board Listserv Changes
by Drew Gatlin 20 May '22

20 May '22

All, Just a quick note - www.bikemorgantown.com is no longer (more on that later if you wish), and, an unfortunate byproduct of that is the deactivation of our original listserv mailing address (bikeboard(a)bikemorgantown.com). If you wish to send messages to the listserv, the new address is: bikeboard(a)lists.bikelover.org Best, Drew J. Drew Gatlin (he/his) Staff Engineer 200 M-Tec Drive Morgantown, WV 26501 Office: (304) 284-7411 Cell: (304) 719-7900 Fax: (304) 284-7409 [cid:14bc2a02-8e8f-47dd-9e8e-c91526160f3c]<http://www.morgantownwv.gov> Notice: Email is an inherently insecure means of communication. Any message sent or received by this email address is subject to regular review by third parties and, further, may be publicly disclosed through Freedom of Information Act<https://www.foia.gov/> requests.

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Bike to Work Week Events!
by Drew Gatlin 19 May '22

19 May '22

Bike Board! Long time no chat - hope you all are doing great. Wanted to make sure you got notice of this year's Bike to Work Week celebrations - there are several! First, many appreciations to our friends at WVU who are providing heavy lifting on logistics, support, and organizing this year. None of these events would be happening without their initiative! Events are as follows: * 7:30 – 9am: Bike to Work Day Celebration and Commuter Pit-Stop at Hazel Ruby McQuain Park Amphitheater. Coffee from Mountaineer Roasters, water, and grab-and-go breakfast treats (including brownies from the Seneca Center's new Brownie House!) will be available for cyclists. Maybe also some cold drinks. Look for the WVU pop-up tent along the rail trail near the amphitheater. * 12:00pm, Lunch Ride Option 1: Adventure WV West Run Woods Flow Trail Preview. Meet at the WVU Student Recreation Center flagpole for an out-and back ride to Morgantown’s newest trail. Link to Facebook event<https://www.facebook.com/events/688073988919757/>. * 12:15pm, Lunch Ride Option 2: Adventure WV Casual Rail-Trail Ride. Meet at Hazel Ruby McQuain Park Amphitheatre. Link to Facebook event<https://www.facebook.com/events/2981161448841611/>. * 4:00 – 7:00pm: Join Ascend WV for an After-Work Cycling Social at Mountain State Brewery. Link to Facebook event<https://fb.me/e/2qLHFV2hL>. Finally, I'll be hosting another social ride this Thursday evening, starting at 7:00pm under the Spruce Street Farmer's Market Pavilion. Here's one last link to the Facebook event<https://fb.me/e/3BnbjyiRd>. Hope to see some of you out there and reconnect. Ride on, Drew J. Drew Gatlin (he/his) Staff Engineer 200 M-Tec Drive Morgantown, WV 26501 Office: (304) 284-7411 Cell: (304) 719-7900 Fax: (304) 284-7409 [cid:912ab85e-b377-400c-adcc-0d9a6594c45c]<http://www.morgantownwv.gov> Notice: Email is an inherently insecure means of communication. Any message sent or received by this email address is subject to regular review by third parties and, further, may be publicly disclosed through Freedom of Information Act<https://www.foia.gov/> requests.

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Morgantown to consider stop as yield
by Jonathan Rosenbaum 07 Dec '21

07 Dec '21

https://www.dominionpost.com/2021/12/02/morgantown-to-consider-stop-as-yiel… MORGANTOWN TO CONSIDER ‘STOP AS YIELD’ FOR CYCLISTS AMONG TRAFFIC CODE CHANGES December 2, 2021 by Ben Conley, The Dominion Post [1] MORGANTOWN -- A cyclist with no helmet cruising through a four-way stop. Today, that scenario represents multiple violations of city code. That may be about to change. Morgantown City Council is preparing to take up numerous amendments to the city's traffic code, including implementation of a "stop as yield" provision that would essentially allow bicyclists to treat stop signs and traffic lights as yield signs. The reasoning for this is simple, according to Staff Engineer Drew Gatlin. "Intersections are dangerous places," he said, particularly for cyclists. He said such laws are colloquially known as "dead red laws," meaning "You don't want to get caught dead at a red light." "In layman's terms, if it's your turn and it's safe to do so, you may roll through the intersection," Gatlin explained, emphasizing the word "if." "This does not allow cyclists to be reckless and it does not allow them to consider the right of way differently. If there's another vehicle in the intersection, they must come to a complete stop." Such laws were first implemented in the early 1980s. Gatlin said comparative data shows cities that implement "stop as yield" see considerably fewer cyclist-involved crashes. Under the proposed changes, adult cyclists could also choose whether or not to wear a helmet. It's currently illegal for anyone to ride in the city without a helmet. The change would align the city with state law, making helmets mandatory only for those 15 and under. "Nobody is arguing that you shouldn't wear a helmet when you ride a bicycle, but mandatory helmet laws are not effective. They are, in fact, very negative in their effects," he said, claiming such laws encourage a perception of cycling as inherently dangerous. Further, he said, helmet laws discourage ridership and utilization of bike-share programs "which we may end up seeing deployed here given certain changes that you might make in the next few weeks …" The changes would also eliminate the city's prohibition on riding what it currently considers "toy vehicles" -- things like skateboards, scooters and skates -- on city streets and sidewalks. Gatlin said the laws banning these uses are simply not enforced and not in line with how people get from one place to another, both in Morgantown and across the country. "The vast majority of both the world and the rest of the country has moved on and recognized that these things are actual forms of transportation for many people," he said, pointing out that vehicles utilizing sidewalks must yield to pedestrians and will remain prohibited in the downtown business district. The proposed traffic code changes would also: * Expand the power of the city manager, and by extension, city administration, to act without a vote from city council to do things like install stop signs and traffic control signals/devices and otherwise restrict traffic or different uses of city streets. "These changes do require us to deliver written orders to [council]. So anything we do, we'll tell you about it," Gatlin said. "And they allow you to reject or overturn any administrative action. They also maintain your ability to do this stuff on your own." * Codify the city's Healthy Streets program and add language explaining "motorists must always yield to other uses on these types of streets." Through the use of signage and other traffic calming measures, the Morgantown Healthy Streets program restricts through traffic on selected routes in order to give residents more space to recreate and use non-motorized means of transportation. Jackson Avenue, Western Avenue, Demain Avenue and Wagner Street have been designated as such. * Eliminate Article 315 regarding parades, placing it under Article 311 "special uses. Links: ------ [1] https://www.dominionpost.com/author/benconley/

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White Park XC race tomorrow!
by Christiaan Abildso 05 Oct '21

05 Oct '21

All -Please spread the word - the South MS XC team is hosting its Stallion Stampede tomorrow (Oct 5). There should be course markings up later today and there will be a lot of pre-teen running madness out there beginning at about 4pm tomorrow (Tuesday). If anyone is planning to MTB ride tomorrow - the course does NOT touch the reservoir side of Mississippi Street. The course uses main trails between Hite & Dorsey, and meanders along singletrack between Hite & Mississippi. Course map: https://www.mapmyfitness.com/routes/view/4629577834 Please help spread the word!ThanksChristiaan

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Bicycling Instructor
by Frank Gmeindl 02 Aug '21

02 Aug '21

Who can teach 2 girls to ride bikes? Steven Cook in Fairmont is looking for someone to teach his daughters to ride bikes. He says he and his wife are struggling with it. He found my info on the League of American Bicyclists website, bikeleague.com . I have been a League Certified Instructor. I am not able to do it but I told him I’d help him find someone who would. Any help? Frank

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Changes in the Woodlot
by Jonathan Rosenbaum 29 Jul '21

29 Jul '21

Bike Board in hiatus, Morgantown Area Mountain Bike Alliance (MAMBA), mountain bikers of the woodlot .. Get the word out. I learned a few days ago that a parcel of property is now closed to people who utilize the University Farm Woodlot: http://ags.agdmaps.com/wv/mon/?parid=18-12-9.1 Technically, it was never part of the woodlot, this is the woodlot parcel: http://ags.agdmaps.com/wv/mon/?parid=13-60-1 However, a trail system was built over 18-12-9.1 that meanders towards the highwall, and then back to the woodlot. As it turns out, I was able to speak to the cordial new property owner, Pete Deal, because he was in the process of building a high barrier across the trail going into his new property, so I have the details. I was surprised to learn that 18-12-9.1 was previously the property of Monongalia General Hospital. What is a hospital property doing way out in the middle of an urban wilderness, adjacent to a property belonging to a land-grant University? Pete explained, "Mr Lynch told me that at one point Mon General hospital wanted to acquire a piece of property near the hospital that was owned by WVU. It is not possible to buy property from the state but I understand it is possible to trade sometimes. So, the Lynch family donated the parcel up here to Mon General with the intention that Mon General could trade it to WVU for the parcel Mon General wanted and WVU owned that was near the hospital. This trade never transpired so the property has been owned by Mon General since the early 1980's." Pete won this property in a recent auction. His main motivation for purchasing the property, adjacent to his own property, is to provide a safe space for his riffle range (he designs riffle parts, machines, and tests them), as well as to go hunting. Essentially, the area on the top going to the highwall is absolutely off-limits for mountain bikers and other users, including the construction of new trails. As you may observe, the property is only about 200 ft wide, although it stretches all the way to Point Marion Road. This means people who have been riding the connector trail below the highwall to get over to the University High side will be passing through Pete's property. However, Pete was not too concerned with this because he recognizes the situation, although, again, no new trail building on his property. Most of the land in this area is Lynch property (shows as ABJ LLC on the parcel viewer). I feel like this is a situation where the new Multi County Trail Network Authority legislation, https://www.wvlegislature.gov/wvcode/code.cfm?chap=20&art=17 , could be a solution to explore, after all it protects property owners, while allowing access to trail user. However, Pete, didn't seem interested because he doesn't think it is such a big deal (sorry for the play on words). The good news is this change doesn't affect the majority of the awesome riding in the woodlot, which we are really fortunate to have! -Jonathan

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MMMPO's 2050 transportation plan - public input needed
by Christiaan Abildso 17 Jul '21

17 Jul '21

Friends -I strongly encourage all of you to take 10-15 minutes of your time to complete the survey and/or interactive map to provide input into the 2050 transportation plan for the region. The survey is intuitive and well designed. The map takes some time to figure out but allows the user to add details...beware, you could end up down the rabbit hole!!! This is a critical moment where our feedback can be integrated into planning for how federal & state highway expenditures are prioritized!More info at https://www.mmmpo2050.com/outreachBe well,Christiaan

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BIke to Work Day Friday
by Christiaan Abildso 20 May '21

20 May '21

I saw something about a ride Friday morning from Sabraton to WVU Evansdale campus for Bike to Work Day.Any details?I hope everyone is out enjoying this beautiful weather.Thanks! Christiaan

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Fw: Join Us for Infrastructure Week - May 10-14, 2021
by Christiaan Abildso 12 May '21

12 May '21

Interesting to see a community survey link from econ development group for input re: infrastructure...good opportunity to give feedback.Christiaan ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Morgantown Area Partnership <info(a)morgantownpartnership.com> Date: Mon, May 10, 2021 at 6:59 PM Subject: Join Us for Infrastructure Week - May 10-14, 2021 To: <laurie(a)ycfwv.org> | | | | | View this email in your browser | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Interested in learning more about the future of our local infrastructure? Join us for a week-long celebration of Infrastructure in the theme of: "Planning for the Future" Infrastructure Week is a national week of events; media coverage; and education and advocacy efforts to elevate infrastructure as a critical issue impacting all Americans. | | | | Learn More... | | | | We want to hear from you! You can voice your opinion on Infrastructure in Greater Morgantown in the Community Survey below. | | | | Community Survey Link | | | | | Public Events Be Sure to Register & Attend our Public Infrastructure Panels to Talk to the Experts. | | | | | | | | Critical Infrastructure Update Wednesday May 12, 2021 12:00 PM - 1:15 PM EDT Have you ever wondered how infrastructure projects get done and who is responsible? Join our public and private sector panelists to discuss transportation, broadband, sewer and water, and how they all tie together to make a better community. Panel will be followed by Q&A. Learn more & Register... | | | | | | | | | | | | Comprehensive Plan PanelFriday May 14, 2021 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM EDT What impact does the comprehensive planning process have on our community? Why is public involvement important? Why are comprehensive plans important for economic development? County Commissioner Sean Sikora hosts a facilitated conversation with entities engaged in comprehensive planning this year. The session will be followed by Q&A. Learn more & Register... | | | | | Learn More... | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Copyright © Morgantown Area Partnership (2020) All rights reserved. www.morgantownpartnership.com Our mailing address is: 265 Spruce Street, Suite 100 Morgantown, WV 26505 Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. Contact Us: 304.292.3311 | info(a)morgantownpartnership.com | | | | |

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