Mr. Watson,
Thank you for contacting me about obtaining a bicycle rack for Suncrest Middle School. I am chairman of the Morgantown Municipal Bicycle Board and our program is called Bike Morgantown. The Bicycle Board does not have a budget so we can't provide you funding for the bicycle rack. However, the following businesses which are Partners in Education with Suncrest Middle School may be able to help: • Mylan • Dynamic Physical Therapy • Centra Bank • Dan Ryan Builders.
If you can't get help from your school's Partners in Education, the National Center for Safe Routes to School has a grant program that might provide a mini-grant for your bike rack. You can find information on the program at http://www.saferoutesinfo.org/funding-portal/mini-grants/previous-recipients... . Getting a SRTS mini-grant will probably take many months, though.
If your Parent-Teacher-Group favors getting a bike rack, I'd also suggest that they contact Morgantown City Council for support. Last May, the Morgantown City Council unanimously adopted the Greater Morgantown Bicycle Plan, http://bikemorgantown.com/Plan/morgantown_bicycle_plan_v15.pdf . Establishing Safe Routes to School in Morgantown is one of the City's highest priority actions in the plan and having a secure place to store your bike when you've ridden safely to school is a logical part of that action.
I've attached Bicycle Parking Guidelines that might help you select an appropriate rack. All the racks shown in the attached guidelines are for short-term outdoor parking. To protect your bikes from weather, they should be placed under a roof. The following links from the Safe Routes To Schools program in the United Kingdom also offer some good ideas: http://www.sustrans.org.uk/assets/files/Safe%20Routes/resources/infosheets/S... http://www.sustrans.org.uk/assets/files/Safe%20Routes/resources/toolkit/srs_...
Is your presentation to your PTG at the September 4, 6:30 pm meeting? If so, a representative of the Bicycle Board will attend to support 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
On Aug 19, 2012, at 10:25 PM, Matthew Watson wrote:
Dear Mr. Gmeindle,
My name is Matthew Watson. I am an 8th grader at Suncrest Middle School here in Morgantown, WV. I have a strong interest in riding my bike to school, but my school does not have a bicycle rack for me to lock my bicycle to when I get there. I have already written a petition to have my classmates sign to show their interest in getting this bicycle rack at our school, and hope that this will show the administration the interest in getting one. To this point, my petition has approximately 70 signatures, but I am sure that I will have many more in the days to come. In fact, many students and their parents have approached me to say that they are really excited about the idea of getting a bicycle rack so that they can ride to school. I have also approached the school Parent-Teacher-Group to ask that I be allowed to talk at their next meeting about getting this bicycle rack. I have been placed on the agenda for the next meeting in early September.
My father works at the Coliseum with Dr. Christiaan Abildso and was talking with him about my push to get a bicycle rack at my school. Dr. Abildso mentioned your name and the Bike Morgantown initiative. He also indicated that you might have a budget or grant program that might allow me to secure the funds to purchase a bicycle rack for my school. I would love to talk with you more about this opportunity. I am very excited about this possibility given the mission of your group as I read more about it on your website ("....advocate for the provision of bicycle travel opportunities to and from locations such as residential, employment, commercial, education, recreation and transit centers; promote the development of safe bicycle routes to schools;"). Based upon what I have read, I feel as if your group is the perfect group for me to ask for help from. If you are unable to help me, do you have any ideas where I might go for help?
Thank you very much for any help that you might be able to give me. I look forward to hearing from you in the near future. You may contact me at this e-mail address, or call my father on his cell phone at 304-692-1454
Sincerely,
Matthew Watson