Last night, City Council unanimously approved the first reading of the ordinance that will authorize the MOU between the City, WVDOH and WVU to get the climbing lane installed.
Considering that it took 2 years from the time we proposed the climbing lane for the City to convene a meeting with all the stakeholders and then 3 more years from the time these 3 parties met and reached a vocal agreement to write the MOU which is substantively identical to that which was agreed, I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for the MOU to actually get signed by the 3 parties and then implemented by them.
Jenny Selin raised a good point during the bike lane discussion at last night's meeting. She observed that the surface of the shoulder where the bike lane is supposed to go is poor and needs some real pavement before money's wasted striping, marking and signing it. Jeff Mikorski responded that WVDOH is responsible for paving Mon Blvd. but was not aware that WVDOH has any plans to repave it or the shoulder. He said that he hoped the City could work with WVDOH to get them to repave the shoulder if they had funds for it. Mike Fike also questioned who will keep the climbing lane clean. Jeff responded that both the WVDOH and the City sweep the shoulder.
So, you can see that the obstacles this project still needs to overcome are not unlike the glass, rocks, snow, ice and other debris that those of us that ride up Mon Blvd. must get around or over. It would be interesting to compare this project's history with that of the Evansdale Drive relocation and creation of a roadway through the Arboretum.
Frank Lead, follow, or get out of the way
Begin forwarded message:
From: Frank Gmeindl fgmeindl@gmail.com Subject: Mon Blvd Bicycle Climbing Lane Date: October 21, 2014 2:52:52 PM EDT To: Bike Board - Morgantown bikeboard@bikemorgantown.com
Tonight's City Council meeting agenda item #10:
Consideration of APPROVAL of FIRST READING of AN ORDINANCE BY THE CITY OF MORGANTOWN AUTHORIZING A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN IT AND THE WV DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, DIVISION OF HIGHWAYS, FOR INSTALLATION OF A BICYCLE LANE ALONG NORTHBOUND U.S. 19(MONONGAHELA BOULEVARD), BETWEEN EIGHTH STREET AND EVANSDALE DRIVE.
See p. 60 -61 (approximately half way through the packet) at http://www.morgantownwv.gov/wp-content/uploads/City-Council-Packet.pdf for the actual MOU. (Sorry, I couldn't cut-and-paste it legibly here.)
You could attend the meeting in City Hall or watch it live on TV.
Frank