Frank,
Just heard from the traffic count firm. Bicycles will be counted in the same class as motorcycles. Unfortunately, they will not be able to differentiate between the two types of vehicles since the counters only count axles.
Please let me know if you have further questions in this matter.
Regards,
Bill Austin, AICP
Executive Director
Morgantown Monongalia MPO
82 Hart Field Road Ste. 105
Morgantown, WVA 26505
304-291-9571
304-692-7225 Mobile
They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.
ANDY WARHOL,
From: Frank Gmeindl [mailto:frank.gmeindl@comcast.net]
Sent: Wednesday, April 06, 2011 10:29 PM
To: Bill Austin
Cc: Morgantown Bike Board; Danielle Williams; Christiaan Abildso; Roy Nutter
Subject: MPO Unified Planning Work Program
Bill,
In response to your request for suggested changes to the Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP), the Bicycle Board offers the following recommendations:
In general, for the revised plan, we recommend more specific commitment to integrating bicycling into the transportation system.
Some examples;
1. The UPWP section entitled, Focus for Fiscal Year 2011, 4th paragraph, of the plan says, "Other major projects for the MPO will be the development of an ongoing traffic count database."
Recommendation: Count bicycles and include them in the database. (Traditionally traffic counts have ignored bicycles.)
2. The same paragraph also says, "It is anticipated that both the traffic counts and the travel time studies will be performed at a limited set of locations...".
Recommendation: Include bicycles in the studies. Focus on locations that could have significantly increased bicycle use and reduced motor use. For example, the roads between Campuses including University Av., Beechurst Av., Monongahela Blvd., Willowdale Rd., Stewart St. Jones Av. and the rail-trail. Count the bikes. Create a baseline. Design experiments. Take data to see how experiments change bicycle use. (This recommendation also applies to UPWP section II-A-1 Traffic Counts.)
3. The section entitled, SAFETEA-LU Planning Factors, subsection 2. Increase the safety of the transportation system for motorized and non-motorized users, first paragraph says, "...working with local emergency service providers on transportation safety education when applicable."
Recommendation: Get commitment from Morgantown Police to complete International Police Mountain Bike Association (IPMBA) training as currently taken annually by WVU bicycle police or get them to take one of the 7 other police training courses that the Bicycle Board recommended to the Morgantown police at the December 2, 2009 Traffic Commission meeting.
4. The section entitled, II-A-10 Mapping
Recommendation: Incorporate and continue to develop the Morgantown Bike Route map and develop greater Morgantown Bike Route maps. Classify all Morgantown area roads in terms of bicycling level of service.
5. The section entitled, II-B-17 Congestion Management Strategies
Recommendation: Seriously develop strategies that get people out of cars and onto bikes and their feet, especially where the congestion is highest: between and near campuses. Understand origins and destinations within that area. Identify obstacles to bicycling and walking. Identify attractions to driving. Make walking bicycling and walking more attractive. Make driving less attractive. (IMHO, we have always been doing the opposite.)
Since the MPO was created, it has always treated "bike-ped" separately from motorized transportation and transit. Consequently, most if not all of the built projects make cycling worse. Integrating bicycling and walking with other transportation modes, especially in the 5-mile cross section that constitutes Morgantown could optimize the transportation system for all users and make Morgantown a better place to live as well as a better place to bicycle.
Finally, at a Bicycle Board Mapping Team meeting we discussed improving Collins Ferry Rd. from the rail trail to the pavement near Mylan. The improvement we discussed is just to make the surface rideable by the average cyclists. This could be done by improving drainage in one or two spots that are currently quagmires, filling the gullies in the road bed and rolling it so that it's surface would be similar to the gravel parts of the rail trail. We also suggested that this could be a joint NETL, Mylan, City project using volunteer labor from NETL and Mylan. Danielle suggested that we submit this recommendation to you along with the above recommendations.
We stand ready to discuss any of these with you.
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
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