Morgantown Municipal Bike Board
Regular Meeting
Public Safety Building
March 1, 2007
New Action Items:
|
Due date |
Responsibility |
Action Item |
|
04/05/07 |
Gmeindl |
1. Finalize vision statement |
|
04/05/07 |
Hein et al |
6. Detail the report on commuting for the Traffic Commission |
|
ASAP |
Gmeindl |
7. Communicate with Ron Eck regarding the “Bike on Road” signs for the university and the city |
|
|
|
|
Meeting Minutes:
The March monthly meeting of the Morgantown Municipal Bike Board was called to order at 6:35 p.m. at the Public Safety Building by chairman Frank Gmeindl with the following members attending:
Betsy Shogren, Nick Hein, Jim Rye, Don Dickerson, Chip Wamsley, Jonathan Rosenbaum, Don Spencer, Bruce Summers, Tyler Pearson, and Frank Gmeindl. Absent members were Bill Reger-Nash, Greg Good, John Lozier, Sonitt Bhatt, and Marilyn Newcomb.
à Agenda Item 2 (agenda):
-All members present agreed to follow the given agenda.
à Agenda Item 3 (Open Action Items):
Ø Closed Action Items:
o #5- Gmeindl and Good finalized a report and presented it to the Traffic Commission (see Agenda Item 5).
Ø Open Action Items:
o #1-Gmeindl: Bike Board vision—no more changes made, but it is not called “finalized,” yet.
o #6-Hein, et al: Commuting Report to the Traffic Commission (see Agenda Item 9)
à Agenda Item 4 (Ripe Banana Issues):
Hanna Wheeler and Rob Stenger from Step It Up 2007 gave a short presentation on the following (direct from her email):
Step It Up is an opportunity to raise awareness about climate change
and find solutions to climate change as a community. On April 14,
communities across the nation will organize their own Step It Up
events—giving each activity a local flavor.
In Morgantown, a coalition of organizations and concerned citizens are
organizing Step It Up, Morgantown: Starting the Wheels of Change—a fun
bike parade with a message. Imagine an all-ages event complete with
pedal-powered floats, bike-decorating contests, safe-biking
demonstrations, unicycle instruction, and more.
This is a chance to celebrate the progress Morgantown has made in
terms of addressing climate change and alternative transportation, as
well as to encourage further action and inspire local participation.
It is also an opportunity to demonstrate that greater change is
possible on a national and local basis. It is our hope to get as many
local organizations and groups involved as possible, in order to
present a truly diverse coalition and to provide interested citizens
with a multitude of avenues for constructive involvement.
While the Bike Board cannot officially sanction this event or donate funding, several ideas were passed on to Rob and Hanna regarding obtainment of funds from the city. Also, Jim Rye offered to say a few words at the end of the parade, based on a prior presentation.
à Agenda Item 5 (February Recommendations to the Traffic Commission):
On February 7, Gmeindl and Good made a brief presentation of the Infrastructure and Education committee recommendations to the Traffic Commission. While time was limited, Gmeindl reported that he perceived no negative feedback. In response to the education recommendations, 2 council members signed up for the Road I course on March 10-11! Also, the council urged immediate action to apply for the requested $10K grant. At the March meeting (3/7/07 @ 6:30 pm), the Traffic Commission will discuss the Bike Board’s written report and make recommendations/resolutions about which items to support.
à Agenda Item 6 (Bike on Road Signs)
Through a customer contact, Chip Wamsley had excellent examples of appropriate signage on the roadway surface. He had a price quote of $120/sign. It was agreed that this sign information would be presented to the Traffic Commission.
Jim Rye reported that Bob Roberts (Director of Public Safety for WVU) has already ordered “Bike on the Road” signs for the WVU campus. Because it would be best to have continuity in signage throughout the city, it was decided that the Traffic Commission needed to be informed of this action. Don Spencer recommended that Gmeindl call Ron Eck and make them aware of this development. A follow-up letter may also be composed to the Traffic Commission by Betsy Shogren.
à Agenda Item 7 (Replacement Bike Board Members):
The list created at the February Bike Board meeting was forwarded to the Traffic Commission. There was some discussion that it would be nice to have a firm contact with a WVU official. The Traffic Commission will discuss the replacement Board members at their March meeting.
à Agenda Item 8 (March Road I Training):
Mark Archibald and son from the League of American Bicyclists will be in Morgantown on March 10-11 to teach the Road I course to members of the Bike Board and a few others (including two council members). The course will be from 9-4 on Saturday and 9-12 on Sunday at the University Services Center. Snow will cancel, but rain will not. Please dress accordingly.
à Agenda Item 9 (Commuting Committee Recommendations):
(see attached document)
Nick Hein and other members of the Commuting Committee prepared a document outlining actions that the Traffic Commission should consider. The main actions include promoting utility biking, creating a downtown “bike station,” creating a merchant discount program, and collaborating with WVU and the MPO to produce a GIS map of the city. While the Bike Board agreed that these recommendations were excellent ideas, it was decided that more tangible, specific ideas are needed before presentation to the Traffic Commission. For example, pilot projects and/or exact details about where to install bike lockers (and what type) would be more useful. Hein et al will continue to work on this and present it at the next Bike Board meeting.
à Agenda Item 10 (BFC Committee Status):
The Bicycle Friendly Community Award application is in progress. The first part (mainly demographics) was completed by Positive Spin; the second part has 6 groups of questions and committee members are in the process of finding answers to the questions. After this application is completed and approved by the Bike Board, it will be presented to the Traffic Commission, along with a plan on how to improve areas that need improvement. Even if the application will not be adequate to win the BFC award, the committee may recommend submitting it to the League of American Bicyclists for valuable feedback.
à Agenda Item 11 (PR Committee Status/Product):
(see attached document)
The PR committee prepared a preliminary document proposing methods of structuring campaigns (media, staging events, alternative means, and outreach programs) for promoting motorist awareness, educating bicyclists on safety and commuting, and developing a community-wide campaign to promote bicycling for transportation, leisure, and exercise. Discussion regarding the implementation of PR goals followed, with concern being expressed over who can do all the work. The following ideas were generated, and may require future discussion:
· A physician to endorse/help design PR ads
· Community health PR ads—lots of grant money available
· Partnership with university
o Apply for an internship
· Focus on 1 event/year
· Partnership with the Country Road Cyclists
o Co-sponsor an event
à Agenda Item 10 (Remaining Goals):
While the agenda included a topic for forming additional committees to work on the remaining goals, this topic will be held in abeyance until the on-going committees complete their recommendations to the Traffic Commission.
à Agenda Item 10 (New Action Items):
7. Gmeindl: Communicate with Ron Eck regarding the “Bike on Road” signs for the university and the city.
à Agenda Item 10 (Meeting Evaluation):
-Positives comments regarding the conduction of this regular Bike Board meeting included the following:
· Chip bringing the tangible examples of the “Bike on Road” product
· There was one comment that it’s okay to run over the allotted meeting time.
-Suggestions for improvement included the following:
· Try to follow the allotted time frames on the agenda
The next regularly scheduled meeting is April 5, 2007 at 6:30 pm, at the Public Safety Building.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:35 pm.
Betsy Shogren
03/05/07
To be forwarded for consideration by the Morgantown Traffic Commission.
from the Morgantown Bike Board, Commuting Committee
City should undertake the following actions:
I. Promote "utility" biking (commuting, shopping, school and general
transportation) in the following manner:
A) Challenge WVU to provide the following: covered parking situated
on two sides of every campus building; incentive program for
employees who DO NOT PURCHASE parking permits to which they are
entitled (e. g. vouchers for occasional motor vehicle parking,
recognition programs, etc.)
B) Offer Major Employers (Mylan, NETL, etc.) a funding match (e. g.
25% match up to a dollar limit for investments in covered parking or
lockers; or for services of bicycle education or training experts
under an existing or new "wellness" program)
C) Offer small businesses a funding match (e. g. 50% up to a dollar
limit for installation of bike racks or lock bars on the street).
II. Create a downtown "bike station" with shower and locker
facilities (e. g. at a parking garage or riverfront park); Also,
challenge Star City to provide similar facilities at their riverfront park.
III. Create a merchant discount program for utility
bicyclists. Cyclists would have a sticker on their helmets, show
helmet to merchant to obtain discount. (Benefit to downtown and to
merchant is incentive for use of bicycles within the area, rather
than driving from the bottom to the top of High Street.)
IV. Collaborate with WVU, MPO and Bike Board to produce a GIS map of
city, identifying bicycle "trip generators" and flow; best bicycle
routes among them; and existing barriers to be eliminated.
Jonathan's comments:
Good, inspiring as is. May want to list potential funding sources (CMAQ,
wellness, liveable cities).
Public Relations
The bicycle board realizes that a good PR campaign is necessary to promote bicycles and their uses in the Morgantown area. It further notes that in addition to being helpful in itself it may also support and promote other goals of the bike board such as: education, legislation, infrastructure, etc… Proposed PR campaigns might promote motorist awareness of bicyclists, educate bicyclists on safe operation & commuting possibilities, and develop a community wide campaign to promote bicycling for transportation, leisure & exercise, much like WV Walks. There are four ways of structuring campaigns through the use of media, staging events, alternative means and outreach programs. These range in price from free (public service announcements) to cost of advertising and event staging.
Print Media
Newspapers (Dominion Post, Daily Athenaeum)
TOMA – regular “top of the mind awareness” ads
Special interest articles
Informative ads – “Did you know….”
Letters to the Editor
Bicycle person (commuter, athlete, etc…of the month)
Local magazines
Corridor, Biz
Broadcast Media
Television (WBOY, WDTV, Comcast) – PSA’s, news pieces
Radio (WCLG, WAJR, WVAQ) – PSA’s
Alternative
Internet (myspace, mountainlair.com, Morgantown.com)
Give-a-ways (tee shirts, stickers, frisbees)
Events
May is bike month and other bike “days”
Parade participation
Tour de Morgantown (bike ride through city neighborhoods)
Bicycles as Art contest (through Arts Mon &/or art teachers)
Bicycle race (criterium or circuit race through town)
Piggyback other bike events (triathlon, MRTC’s rail trail day)
Festival presence (Mason Dixon, Star City etc…)
Civic Group Outreach
WVU (Board of Governors, Sierra Student Coalition)
Service organizations (Rotary, Jaycee’s, Kiwanis)
Youth groups (Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, 4-H)
The implementation of a PR program can be as simple as targeting a few no cost goals and writing press releases for PSA’s or contacting local media for “free” bicycle interest articles. Local graphic artists with an interest in bicycles might donate their time in exchange for design credit. Area businesses might underwrite media ads in exchange for sponsor tags. The implementation could expand with the formation of a bicycle promotion committee and the hiring of a full time city bicycle coordinator with a real operating budget.