Frank – On the West
Run related issues, I urge
you to take a
look at the MPO bicycle
route plan. There is quite a
few recommendations in
that plan for establishing a
“ring route” from the rail
trail in
Sabraton to Easton Hill and
then down West Run to the
River. The information
does not address the width
issues per se, but I think
that referencing the Plan
in our discussions with the
MPO and DOH is to our
advantage.
Don
On
Thu,
Jan 13, 2011 at 12:40 PM,
Frank Gmeindl
<frank.gmeindl@comcast.net>
wrote:
> I think we have two
concepts. One, is to modify
West Run Road
to make it more bike
friendly and Two is a
segregated path.
>
> Modify West Run Rd.
> For many years before
the District, I rode West Run Rd.
several times/week around 5
pm., always from east to
west. See map at http://tinyurl.com/46ofgs3
It was fine except that
occasionally, I'd be head-on
with some junior
doctor zipping along in his
BMW or S-2000 and we'd both
be eyeing the fence
posts, mailboxes and
culverts for room to squeeze
by. Improving
sight-lines is imperative;
widening would be nice;
shared lane markings and
Bicycles May Use Full Lane
signs, or at least share the
road signs would help.
Moving, leveling and
realigning the intersection
with 119 is also
imperative.
>
> I used to ride the old
bike route over White Avenue
to Dug Hill Rd,
Pierpont Rd.,
across 857, down Old Cheat Rd.
to Easton
then along 119 to
West Run as shown on the map
at http://tinyurl.com/46ofgs3.
Except for the little
stretches of 857 and 119,
there wasn't much traffic
but it's quite hilly and
would probably discourage
novices. However, once West
Run is improved, it
would be a suitable
extension of the bike route
with appropriate mapping to
indicate the hills and to
warn of the high traffic
zones on 857 and 119.
>
> Segregated Path
> The best segregated
path option would be as I
think Chet is suggesting,
basically between West Run Rd.
and West Run creek. Heck,
let's propose to go all the
way to the Mon
River
trail in the long run.
>
> Coming from the
District out to Easton,
you can cross Easton Hill
Rd.
and continue out West Run Rd.
where it dead-ends at I-68.
Crossing the intersection
by Easton
School
will be a challenge. Before
I-68, West Run Rd.
used to continue up the hill
to Pierpont Rd.
(Who hasn't ridden through
the West Run culverts under
I-68?
Perhaps you missed the BB
initiation ceremony;)
>
> Don Spencer has told me
that there has been some
discussion of running a
trail along the west side of
I-68 over to Sabraton. We
should explore
this. Then, we could
connect with the Decker
Creek trail and have a
bicycle beltway around the
City:) My concern remains
that if we put all
our energy into projects
like this, it will
eventually become impossible
to
ride your bike from the
trail to any practical
destination because we were
diverted from reclaiming the
streets that were ours to
being with.
>
> At Easton, going up
Easton Hill and across the
Mileground should be an
option that could be handled
by a bicycle climbing lane.
If they can
crane a shopping center and
housing development on the
side of that hill and
add a full-width travel lane
and roundabouts to the
Mileground, they can add 8
feet to Easton Hill for a
bicycle climbing lane! I
still occasionally
ride up Easton Hill. It's
not pleasant and if you
don't take the lane,
you'll get squeezed into the
guard rail. It is nearly
impossible to walk
up or down there though
because there is absolutely
no shoulder.
Untrue!
We've seen our buddy NickH
going up it a few times.
Did not seem like
it would be a pleasant
experience *at* *all*. But
maybe Nick can
chime in here.
> The hundreds of people
living in that valley now
would be stranded and
starve to death when the
gasoline runs out.
And this would be a bad
thing?
>
> Frank
>
> On Jan 13, 2011, at
11:18 AM, Gunnar Shogren
wrote:
>
>> Wider road and
signage.
>> I've biked on it
off and on throughout the
years, problem is that it
>> just doesn't lead
anywhere easily, there's a
big hill off it as soon
>> as you go toward
town, or even go away from
town.
>> Sure not many folks
use it now, but perhaps they
would if even to go
>> from Apt complex to
complex, to play XBox or
Magic: The Gathering.
>> Widen that puppy
and put some signs up. Nice
wide shoulder just
to
>> ease the minds of
less experienced cyclists as
well.
>>
>> On Wed, Jan 12,
2011 at 3:00 PM, Chet
Parsons <chetparsons@gmail.com>
wrote:
>>> I think Bill
Austin already has this
stuff in his head, but
here's
my two
>>> cents.
>>> The section
from Van Voorhis to
Stewartstown can be used in
combination of
>>> on-street
markings and using the
floodplain owned by WVU
(basically from the
>>> dairy farm to
Pineview). Once you get to
Stewartstown, Ryan
is right.
>>> You'll need to
cut down behind Copper Beech
and up between
it and the stuff
>>> up on the
backside of the Mileground.
Follow that route
until you get to
>>> Easton
School,
which will be
closed soon anyway. Then
tie in to whatever
>>> new development
is getting ready to go in
along 857 out to I-68.
If you
>>> haven't
noticed, the DOH has been
clearing and widening 857
for
about 4
>>> months now and
my bet is that there will be
a new development with
an
>>> additional
access point by summer.
>>> Another option,
but will probably be a more
expensive easement, is
to create
>>> a couple
switchbacks up the farm on
the opposite side of the
hill
as West
>>> Run Apartments
and then run a path through
the apartment complex
and out to
>>> 119/857.
>>> Chet
>>>
>>> On Wed, Jan 12,
2011 at 2:49 PM, Ryan Post
<rpostwvu@gmail.com>
wrote:
>>>>
>>>> West Run,
from Stewartstown to 119
(where all the houses are),
is twisty,
>>>> narrow and
hilly.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Given those
conditions, it can never be
bike friendly.
Road needs widened
>>>> and/or
straightened significantly.
Or create a separate
bike/walk path. I
>>>> doubt many
would walk however, since
there’s very little
within ½ mile.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> It’s a
no-man’s land of bad
planning and
shouldn’t have been Zoned on
w/o
>>>> correcting
the road first, IMO.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> From: bikeboard-bounces@cheat.org
[mailto:bikeboard-bounces@cheat.org]
On
>>>> Behalf Of
Frank Gmeindl
>>>> Sent:
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
7:36 AM
>>>> To: Bicycle
Board
>>>> Subject:
[Bikeboard] Fwd: Work on
West Run
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Bicycle
Board Members,
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Heads up.
What are your ideas for
making West Run more
bicycle friendly?
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> I don't
know what DOH is planning
for West Run yet. I'll
keep you posted.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Frank
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Begin
forwarded message:
>>>>
>>>> From: "Bill
Austin" <baustin@moncpc.org>
>>>>
>>>> Date:
January 11, 2011 4:30:44 PM
EST
>>>>
>>>> To: "'Frank
Gmeindl'" <frank.gmeindl@comcast.net>
>>>>
>>>> Subject:
Work on West Run
>>>>
>>>> Frank,
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> DOH has a
project to improve West Run.
They would like to work
with you
>>>> and the
Board on the proper way to
accommodate cyclists. I
would appreciate
>>>> discussing
the matter with you prior to
the CAC Meeting
Thursday. Also, they
>>>> let me know
they identified five grates
along Mon Boulevard
that they will
>>>> be
replacing.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Thanks,
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Bill
Austin, AICP
>>>>
>>>> Executive
Director
>>>>
>>>> Morgantown
Monongalia MPO
>>>>
>>>> 82 Hart Field
Road Ste. 105
>>>>
>>>> Morgantown,
WVA 26505
>>>>
>>>>
304-291-9571
>>>>
>>>>
304-692-7225 Mobile
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> “Nobody can
go back and make a new
beginning, but anyone
can start today
>>>> and make a
new ending.”-Maria Robinson
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
_______________________________________________
>>>> Bikeboard
mailing list
>>>> Bikeboard@cheat.org
>>>> http://cheat.org/mailman/listinfo/bikeboard
>>>
>>>
>>>
_______________________________________________
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mailing list
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>>> http://cheat.org/mailman/listinfo/bikeboard
>>>
>>
>>
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