Section 3: Plan Development

Background

The development of a pedestrian safety plan for the City of Morgantown was initiated in January of 2005 when the need for such a plan was discussed by the Morgantown City Council. The discussions continued intermittently throughout the next several months. In October the City Manager developed a memo (10/21/05; Appendix F) identifying four different ways in which comprehensive changes in sidewalk funding might be addressed and urged City Council to decide upon a funding plan before investing in the preparation of a formal sidewalk plan.

The Greater Morgantown Metropolitan Planning Organization concurrently was initiating the development of its Regional Transportation Plan. The planning process was completed in May of 2007 with the publishing of a document which included priorities for non-motorized system improvements in addition to recommendations for roadway network improvements.  The 41 non-motorized priority projects recommended in the Plan (pages 112-115) included 25 priorities which related to pedestrian-oriented projects within or immediately adjacent to the City (see http://www.plantogether.org/).

The new projects listed are numbered on the Multi-modal Transportation Improvement Map - Figure 25 - as numbers 1, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 16, 20, 21, 23, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38. Item # 42 cites the need to “renew and improve street lighting throughout the city” and # 32 identifies the need to “upgrade and replace dangerous sidewalks” and install “sidewalks where there are gaps in the sidewalk network”.

During the fall of 2006 the Morgantown Traffic Commission, with the concurrence of the Morgantown City Council, began taking steps toward the establishment of a Pedestrian Safety Board. Residents making petitions to the Traffic Commission and Traffic Commission members were increasingly mentioning pedestrian safety concerns pertaining to crosswalks and sidewalks in traffic related issues.

In addition, newspaper editorials were focusing more frequently on pedestrian related concerns. WVU students were conducting surveys related to lack of sidewalks and crosswalks. City Council members were continuing to reflect public concern about the insufficient progress being made in addressing pedestrian needs though limited sidewalk projects supported by annual city budgets.

The need for a better pedestrian environment includes a strong public interest in the curtailment of vehicular speeding in city residential areas. Clearly the community is calling for a more comprehensive response to a growing public desire for a more walkable, livable community.

The mission of the Traffic Commission (Appendix A; adopted December 2003) is to enable City Council decision-making to address citizen mobility needs in a resourceful and collaborative manner which improves access and quality of life in the City.

This means…

• Safe mobility for all persons
• Improve traffic flow and reduce congestion
• Multi-modal access for all persons to public services, employment, education, recreation, neighborhoods, and all residential areas and businesses
• Economic and social development opportunities within the community
• Quality of life by protecting and enhancing neighborhoods, reducing lost time and money due to congestion, increasing opportunities for protecting green space, and incorporating use of best practices in addressing transportation concerns
• Health of citizenry by supporting persons well-being, improving air quality, reducing stress, and improving pedestrian, cycling, and other transportation opportunities
• Education of the public on matters relating to transportation and traffic management and service regulation.

In keeping with its own mission, the Traffic Commission established the Pedestrian Safety Board in 2007 for the following purposes:

1. Review and support the implementation of Article 913 on Sidewalks and any other provisions in the Morgantown Municipal Code pertaining to pedestrian travel, safety, and accessibility;
2. Work to improve the safe walkability of Morgantown so as to reduce traffic demands, afford better air quality, increase public access, reduce pedestrian accidents, and improve public health;
3. Promote and lead the development of a Pedestrian Safety Action Plan in accordance with the standards established by the Federal Highways Administration and the West Virginia Department of Transportation;
4. Make recommendations for expanding and improving pedestrian infrastructure, signage, safety, capacity, facilities, and streetscapes for pedestrians on streets, trails, or other land use design which facilitates pedestrian movement;
5. Advocate for the provision of pedestrian travel opportunities to and from locations such as residential, employment, commercial, education, recreational areas, and transit routes and centers;
6. Encourage practice, enjoyment, and awareness of the benefits of walking and the development of a walkable community.

To achieve these purposes, the Board was asked to do the following:

1. Advise and consult with the Traffic Commission, the City Manager, and the City Engineer on any matter pertaining to pedestrian accessibility and safety;
2. Study the transportation problems and needs of the City and make specific recommendations to the Traffic Commission and the City Manager and to the City Council and Greater Morgantown Metropolitan Planning Organization as authorized;
3. Review City plans and policies which contain matters relating to roadways, transit, and non-motorized transportation;
4. Create a City pedestrian safety plan to set forth strategies, recommendations, and time frames for the creation and maintenance of pedestrian access to strategic services throughout the City;
5. Facilitate the planning and implementation of public education on walking and walking opportunities throughout the City;
6. Promote and coordinate participation in all public planning in order to assure representation of public interests pertaining to pedestrian needs;
7. Work with the Traffic Commission and other City Departments as needed to fulfill the purpose of the Pedestrian Safety Board.

The first organizational meeting of the Pedestrian Safety Board was conducted in October, 2007. This pedestrian safety plan is their volunteer effort to carry out the request to “create a City pedestrian safety plan” to improve “pedestrian access to strategic services throughout the City”.

In the following month, November 2007, the Morgantown City Council adopted the Complete Streets principle as a municipal policy for future installation or widening of city streets. This policy is based the principle that streets need to have capacities to include transit, bicycle and pedestrian infrastructures so that they will serve the needs of the total population – as many as 1/3 of which, according to the Complete Streets Coalition, likely do not drive motorized vehicles and thereby need streets which are safe, comfortable, convenient for travel via foot, bicycle, and transit for persons of all ages and abilities. This policy was also adopted by the Greater Morgantown MPO Policy Board in January 2008.

In its preparations to develop a pedestrian safety plan for the City, the Pedestrian Safety Board reviewed the Federal Highway Administration publication, “How to Develop a Pedestrian Safety Action Plan.” It also conducted on-line searches on various municipal pedestrian plans prepared throughout the country. In addition, it surveyed literature and materials prepared by the Local Government Commission and the Center for Livable Communities. These materials helped guide the work of various committee members, interns and other resource persons – while the Board remained in communication and collaboration with the Traffic Commission, the MPO, and city neighborhood associations. This plan is being completed during the fall of 2008.