Frank, that's longer than all my communities put together!! Thanks so much for getting this to me.
Hi Kasey,
Here's the State of Cycling and Walking in Morgantown. Since this is the first State of Cycling and Walking report, there are some items accomplished prior to the past year. I can pare the list down to a time frame if you like. I can also provide images for many of these accomplishments if you like. I look forward to the complete State of Cycling and Walking report.
State of Cycling and Walking in Morgantown May 2015
Bike commuting "tripled" in Morgantown 2007-2012, albeit from 0.1% to 0.3%. (National rate for the same time frame is 0.6%.)
Walking to work 2007-2012 increased from roughly 12% to 18.6%. (18.6%, is among the top 10 for similarly sized cities in the U.S.)
The League of American Bicyclists designated Morgantown Bronze level Bicycle Friendly Community 2012-2016.
Morgantown Mayor featured in Pro Walk Pro Bike video along with mayors other seven cities such as Pittsburgh and Philadelphia testifying that great biking means great cities.
Municipal Bicycle Board established 2006 and Pedestrian Safety Board established 2007.
Positive Spin cooperative established in 2005 to support citizens who choose to walk, bike, bus and carpool for a more livable Morgantown. Refurbished and distributed thousands of bikes to people who need them for transportation and teaches bicycle maintenance and safe bicycling.
BikeMorgantown brand established with website and social media primarily for education.
City Council adopted comprehensive bicycling plan and Morgantown Monongalia MPO established distinct bicycle plan in Long Range Transportation Plan
City budgeted $100,000 (20%) of this year's paving budget for sidewalks.
City budgeted $5,000 for Shared Lane Markings and Bicycles May Use Full Lane (R4-11) signs throughout the City.
Received $96,000 Transportation Enhancement Grant to install Shared Lane Markings and Bicycles May Use Full Lane (R4-11) signs throughout the City and provide sheltered bicycle parking at bus stops.
Received $7,200 grant from Allstate to certify League Cycling Instructors and deliver Confident City Cycling classes; one new instructor certified.
WVU PE 212 Confident City Cycling class on-going since 2013.
Received $2,000 grant from Allstate and produced a mailer on safe cycling and safe driving around cyclists and distributed 25,000 copies to all Morgantown Utility Board customers in their bills.
Received $58,000 Transportation Enhancement Grant and established Confident City Cycling education program recognized by LAB.
Developed 5 League certified Cycling Instructors.
Delivered 25 Confident City Cycling classes to more than 150 students.
Developed 7 15-second educational TV spots and broadcast them on 6 TV networks, the Citys public access TV station and WVU information kiosks.
Created and displayed educational billboards on 7 strategic arterials.
Developed Commuter bicycling class.
Developed Traffic Skills class tailored for experienced cyclists.
Delivered lunch-and-learn cycling classes to Morgantown Multi-Sport groups.
Deliver annual Morgantown Bicycling invited lecture to WVU Sustainable Living class.
Developed driver education module and trained Morgantown High School driver education instructor to deliver it.
Wrote and published in the Morgantown Dominion Post and on BikeMorgantown.com monthly topic-specific education articles.
Developed a 10-minute educational video for cyclists under 12-years of age.
Collaborated with WVU bicycle police in their completing International Police Mountain Bike Association training.
Created, printed and gave Morgantown and WVU police, cards that describe bicyclist rights and bicyclist and motorist duties for police to give to bicyclists and motorists.
Created and distributed educational bumper stickers.
Created and distributed business cards that contain education program contact information and tips for better bicycling.
Established bicycling information booth at WVU Employee Fest.
Provided educational materials to MPO transportation fair.
Purchased Bicycling Street Smarts books and provided them to local bike shops to give with the purchase of every new bike.
Developed and published a bicycling education community page in the Mountaineer Yellow Pages.
Under Farmer, Cline, and Campbell Law Office sponsorship gave and fitted hundreds of helmets over 3 consecutive years of the Todd May First Responders Fair. Completed MOU with City, WVU and WVDOT and City budgeted $22,500 budget to install bicycle climbing lane on Monongahela Boulevard.
Bike routes throughout the City classified and mapped.Conducted Bike To Work Day for 3rd consecutive year with local merchants providing support, Mayor leading ride and 25 participants.
Conducted Walk To School Day at Brookhaven Elementary School.
Monongahela Rail Trail Conservancy conducted Rail-Trail Sojourn to bring national attention to our rail trail system and to get support for filling the gaps between Parkersburg, Clarksburg, Bridgeport and Morgantown to the Great Allegheny passage to Pittsburgh, Maryland and DC.
Post-and-Ring secure bicycle-parking rings installed in downtown business district.
Secure bicycle parking, lockers and shower installed at WVU Mountaineer Station multi-modal transportation facility.
Hundreds of stainless steel inverted U racks locally designed, fabricated and installed throughout WVU campus.
Bike lockers installed at 2 city parking garages.
Bike racks installed at two middle schools.
Open streets event 2 consecutive years.
Maxs Challenge initiated by 10 year-old brought tens of youth and parents out to ride over Monongahela Boulevard major hill from downtown to Star City.
Home of Appalachian Bicycle Racing Association that conducts many nationally famous, best attended and competitive road, mountain and cyclocross races in the country.
Frank D. Gmeindl
LCI #1703
491 Wilson Avenue
Morgantown, WV 26501
304-376-0446
Cyclists fare best when they act and are treated as drivers of vehicles
Hi Frank, have you had a chance to get something together for the State of Cycling and Walking publication? I'd like to get this done this month if possible. I'm hoping for a paragraph or two highlighting successes in Morgantown.
Thanks, Kasey