Excellent, great feedback Frank! Thank you for the detailed responses. I will address some of them in tonight's meeting. 

All - the link for our meeting at 6:30p can be found below:

https://meet.google.com/sus-mvmc-ccu

Agenda:
1) Election of interim leadership team, scope of that team defined 
2) E-bikes: incorporating recently passed WV state laws into our municipal code / commenting on draft edits
3) Riverfront bike parking assessment - part 1 review
4) Youth cycling initiatives
 
Maybe also -
 
5) Website plans
6) Bicycle Friendly Community + Bicycle Network Analysis applications

We will need a secretary that is ready to start coordinating communications (and taking notes!) tonight - and, ideally, people who are willing to serve as chair and vice-chair if we vote to continue the existing structure. These will be short-term appointments, I'm guessing two-three months, with relatively intensive focus on defining the structure and scope of the bike board's composition and activities in 2021 (and perhaps beyond). You'll need to commit to at least a few working meetings beyond the regularly scheduled monthly meetings.

Thank you all!
Drew


From: Frank Gmeindl <fgmeindl@gmail.com>
Sent: Monday, November 2, 2020 2:25 PM
To: Drew Gatlin <jgatlin@morgantownwv.gov>
Cc: Bike Board <bikeboard@bikemorgantown.com>; Eeobrien88@gmail.com <Eeobrien88@gmail.com>; Koelj3@gmail.com <Koelj3@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Bikeboard] Bike Board: General Meeting Time - You Pick 'Em + Draft Agenda + Riverfront Bike Parking Inventory Wednesday Afternoon
 
Comments on proposed amendments to Article 311 permitting Special Uses of Streets:

I LOVE the idea of Healthy Streets: public right-of-way where motorized vehicular access and movement is restricted and where preferred access and movement is granted to pedestrians, bicycles, and other Light Individual Transport!  

Let’s get to work actualizing which of our streets will be Healthy Streets.  The Morgantown Regional Bike and Pedestrian Plan adopted last year would be a good starting resource.  Let’s form a team; prioritize the streets; plan implementation activities; estimate a budget; create a schedule.

One criterion that I think we should consider for Healthy Streets is that every Healthy Street be CONNECTED to other Healthy Streets so that a pedestrian or user of Light Individual Transport be able to travel safely between any two locations in the City.

For some context, and FUN, watch at least 11:30 - 14:00 of Ruta Cingaza, https://tinyurl.com/y3tzxvrs .  Since 1974, every Sunday, 7 am - 2 pm the City of Bogota, Columbia, population 7.4-million, closes 120km (75 miles) of main streets to motor vehicles. Up to 1,500,000 people on bikes participate in Cyclovia.  Today, 450 cities around the world emulate Bogota’s signature activity.  We can do this!


Here are some specific comments on the document Section 311.03 Alternative Vehicles on Streets, paragraph (a) 
No person may travel on the public right-of-way by skateboard, roller skates, sled, or similar device on roller skates or riding in or by means of any sled, toy vehicle, skateboard or similar device shall go upon any roadway except while crossing a street in a manner permitted for pedestrians or on a designated Slow Street.

1. Skateboards and similar devices are currently being used  in significant numbers as practical transportation on City of Morgantown streets.  I disagree with banning them from public rights of way.  I think it’s time we shift our paradigm from serving vehicles to serving people.  By definition, public rights of way are for all people, i.e. the public and most of our streets should be Healthy (healthful?).  

2. Piecemeal changes to code without comparing with all other parts of code leads to contradictions and conflicts within the overall code.  We must ensure that BICYCLISTS CONTINUE TO HAVE THE SAME RIGHTS TO THE ROAD AS MOTORISTS. (See Article 373, Section 373.02, Paragraph (a)).  
How will we prevent bicycles getting lumped into Article 311, Section 311.03 as it’s proposed and thereby being prohibited on public rights of way?  Perhaps explicitly exclude bicycles.  for example, “…skateboard, roller skates, sled, or similar device BUT NOT BICYCLES…"

3.   The title “Section 311.03 Alternative Vehicles on Streets” conflicts with the definition of “Vehicle" in Article 301 - Definitions, Section 301.47 -Vehicle. 
Vehicle means every device in, upon or by which any person or property is or may be transported or drawn upon a street or highway, EXCEPT DEVICES MOVED BY HUMAN POWER or used exclusively upon stationary rails or tracks or wheelchairs. (WVaC 17C-1-2) 

4.  What is a Slow Street and where is it defined?  Should it be Healthy Street as defined in the proposed amendments to Section 311.046?  If so, Article 311, Section 311.03 Alternative Vehicles on Streets, paragraph (a) should say, “Healthy Street” instead of “Slow Street”.

5.  I recommend that everybody interested in bicycling in Morgantown know Part 3 - Traffic Code, Chapter 9 - Pedestrians and Bicycles, Article 373 - Bicycles.  Perhaps this could serve as a model for a skateboard ordinance. 

Of course, everybody should be familiar with all of Part 3 - Traffic Code.  

“See” you Thursday.

Frank

On Oct 28, 2020, at 10:04 AM, Drew Gatlin <jgatlin@morgantownwv.gov> wrote:

My apologies, ordinance drafts for your review are now attached.
 
Changes to Articles 311 and 315 are beyond electric bicycles, and they reflect previous discussions of desired changes to code in this group and others. Again, I’ll send out a summary soon.
 
Best,
Drew
 
Drew Gatlin
Staff Engineer
389 Spruce Street, Room 24
Morgantown, WV 26505
Cell: (304) 719-7900
Office: (304) 284-7411 
 
From: Drew Gatlin <jgatlin@morgantownwv.gov> 
Sent: Tuesday, October 27, 2020 10:35 PM
To: Bike Board <bikeboard@bikemorgantown.com>; Eeobrien88@gmail.com; Koelj3@gmail.com
Subject: Re: Bike Board: General Meeting Time - You Pick 'Em + Draft Agenda + Riverfront Bike Parking Inventory Wednesday Afternoon
 
Hello again!
 
Gathering tomorrow at Hazel Ruby McQuain Park, 3:30pm. Goal is to survey as much of the riverfront as possible - we'll take additional days as needed. I will review our specific objectives and methods in person tomorrow. I'd recommend bringing a bike and a smartphone if possible.
 
Looks like our regular-ish meeting time will win out: let's plan on meeting next Thursday at 6:00pm. I will send out meeting details and more read-aheads as we get closer. Send me agenda suggestions before Thursday, end of business day.
 
See attached various ordinances for your review. You'll see that we may want to consider updating a variety of similar language and related ordinances at the same time. I'll provide a summary of this soon.
 
As you consider how you'd like to advise the city on its adoption of ordinances surrounding electric bikes, take a look at the People for Bikes model legislation and their general page on e-bikes.
 
Ride on,
Drew
 
 
From: Drew Gatlin
Sent: Monday, October 26, 2020 10:49 PM
To: Bike Board <bikeboard@bikemorgantown.com>; Eeobrien88@gmail.com <Eeobrien88@gmail.com>; Koelj3@gmail.com<Koelj3@gmail.com>
Subject: Bike Board: General Meeting Time - You Pick 'Em + Draft Agenda + Riverfront Bike Parking Inventory Wednesday Afternoon
 
Hello Bike Board + new faces!
 
Thank you kindly for your emails a couple weeks ago on the various topics I raised. First thing - I will be down on the Riverfront* Wednesday afternoon (looks like decent weather) to have a look-see and continue fleshing out our bicycle parking inventory. If any of you are available Wednesday afternoon / early evening and would like to join, socially distanced, please reach out!
 
Secondly, please click here to indicate your availability for a virtual meeting. Options on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. 
 
Thirdly, and finally, on the draft agenda, which must be published tomorrow if we are to have a meeting on Monday, I have:
 
1) Election of interim leadership team
2) E-bikes: incorporating recently passed WV state laws into our municipal code
3) Riverfront bike parking assessment
 
Maybe also -
 
4) Website plans
5) Bicycle Friendly Community + Bicycle Network Analysis applications
 
That's a lot to fit in 1.5 hours, so make sure to come prepared! Minimal read-aheads will be sent out tomorrow.
 
Lemme know if you have any questions, and thank you all for your service to Morgantown!
 
-Drew
 
*When I say Riverfront, I mean the entire stretch of the Mon within Morgantown city limits
 

J. Drew Gatlin

Staff Engineer

389 Spruce St., Rm. 24

Morgantown, WV 26505 

Office: (304) 284-7411

Cell: (304) 719-7900

Fax: (304) 284-7409

<image001.png>

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