Oops, sorry Frank. They are pasted below. I already sent them directly to the email provided..
I am so pleased to see the incorporation of bicycling for transportation in your plan, which is available for comment at
http://transportation.wvu.edu/trans_and_park_plan. Bicycling represents not only a means to reduce motor vehicle congestion and concomitant emissions (e..g, carbon dioxide), but it helps to prevent and mitigate obesity (WVU often is #1 or "close" among all states on the rate of obesity). As a state leader in medicine and as an institution that offers the doctorate degree in public health, WVU should be a major player in reducing air pollution and mitigating the obesity epidemic.
As a WVU employee who regularly commutes via bicycle to work (Evansdale campus), I believe the single most important action you can take to enhance bicycling as an alternative form of transportation is under assumption 10, item b. (pasted at the end of this message). The last sentence in item b. needs clarification and elaboration. It is critical that "spokes" be established that connect the Caperton/Deckers Creek trails with the WVU campuses. Tremendous progress can be made on this endeavor without laying more asphalt for new trails/infrastructure. It would, however, necessitate signage that would designate certain existing roads as bike routes, and ideally, these roads would also have Sharrow signs on the road surface (
http://tp.osu.edu/sharrows/ ) and "share the road" and "bike route to _______" signs along the roads. Additionally, although motorists are required by law to share the road with cyclists, many novice cyclists will not perceive that they are safe in using bicycles for transportation without some type of physical separation from motorists. Accordingly, where space allows (e.g., Mon Blvd between Coliseum and Seneca Center), bike lanes should be established and maintained. Finally, for any infrastructure that attempts to increase bicycle use for transportation, every effort should be made to make such infrastructure safe for the bicyclist, e.g., removing such obstacles as road indentations from sewer grates and sewer grates running parallel to the roadway, and providing adequate space between parking and a designated bike lane to prevent bicyclists from getting "doored" (
http://www.labreform.org/pretending.html).
Additionally, as part of Assumption 11, once the bicyclist is on a WVU campus, the above mentioned signage needs to continue, and one campus needs to be connected to another (e.g., Evansdale and Health Sciences--especially Mountaineer station) with such signage. In reference to connecting Evansdale campus to Mountaineer station, the sidewalk that runs between the Alumni Center and Mountaineer Station is one place that some additional asphalt could be used: It could be widened and converted to a trail/route that accommodates cyclists and pedestrians.
Thank you for the opportunity to comment.
PASTED FROM ASSUMPTION 10 IN THE 2011 PLAN:
b. Bike trails begin and end at several accessible locations around
Morgantown. Particular attention should be paid to creating accessible
locations that will lead between the Caperton Trail, Decker's Creek Trail
and campus. Additional transit may be required between those locations
and campus to encourage bike use.
James A. Rye, Professor
West Virginia University
Department of Curriculum & Instruction/Literacy Studies
PO Box 6122
604 Allen Hall
Morgantown, WV 26506-6122
jim.rye@mail.wvu.eduPhone: (304) 293-4416
Fax: (304) 293-3802
Web:
"The first wealth is health." -Ralph Waldo Emerson
>>> Frank Gmeindl <
frank.gmeindl@comcast.net> 10/29/2011 4:29 PM >>>
Jim,
Please see my October 19 message to the BB:
Date: October 19, 2011 9:43:04 AM EDT
Subject: Fwd: Draft WVU Transportation and Parking Plan
Bicycle Board Members,
By November 16, please send your comments on the WVU Transportation and Parking Plan to me w/cc to Hugh. I will compile them and send them to Nancy Lohman.
Frank D. Gmeindl
Chairman, Morgantown Municipal Bicycle Board
LCI #1703
491 WilsonAvenue
Morgantown, WV 26501
304-376-0446
Cyclists fare best when they act and are treated as drivers of vehicles
Begin forwarded message:
Date: October 19, 2011 8:11:39 AM EDT
To: Tom Arnold <tarnold@cityofmorgantown.org>, Morgantown Parking Authority <parking@morgantown.com>, Morgantown City Council <citycouncil@cityofmorgantown.org>, Terrence Moore <tmoore@cityofmorgantown.org>, Chris Fletcher <cfletcher@cityofmorgantown.org>, Asel Kennedy <MonCom@aol.com>, Bill Austin <info@plantogether.org>, Roy Nutter <rnutter@wvu.edu>, Frank Gmeindl <frank.gmeindl@comcast.net>, Christiaan Abildso <Christiaan.Abildso@mail.wvu.edu>, David Bruffy <bruffy@busride.org>
Subject: Draft WVU Transportation and Parking Plan
Good morning.
West Virginia University is in the process of revising its Transportation
and Parking Plan, which was last revised in 2007. I wanted to share a copy
of the draft plan with you and also invite your comments on it. A copy is
enclosed. Today or tomorrow the Plan will also be accesible through
We are inviting comments until NOVEMBER 18. After that date, the
Transportation and Parking Advisory Committee will begin to modify the plan
considering the feedback received.
Morgantown, WV 26506-6205.
I know this is a busy time of the year but we would welcome any advice that
you may be able to offer. Thanks.
Nancy
Nancy Lohmann, Ph.D.
Senior Advisor to the Vice President
for Administration and Finance
Professor of Social Work
101 Stewart Hall
P.O. Box 6205
West Virginia University
Morgantown, WV 26506-6205
Phone: 304-293-9200
Fax: 304-293-3493
So far, Ryan Post has submitted comments that you should have received. Are you not receiving messages to
bikeboard@cheat.org mailing list?
Thanks for the reminder!
Frank