Students and motorists traveling in Morgantown will notice some changes at several intersections in town. Over the next week, Morgantown Public Works crews will install new pedestrian safety equipment at three intersections to alert motorists of pedestrian crossings.
The intersections at Falling Run Road and University Avenue, Grant Avenue and Campus Drive, and along University Avenue near McDonald’s and Pizza Al’s were identified as priority intersections due to the high volume of pedestrian and vehicle interaction. The safety equipment being installed includes rumble strips, reflective signage, and yield lines on the road. There will also be yield to pedestrian signs placed in the middle of the roadway as a traffic calming measure.
Earlier this year, officials with the City of Morgantown, Monongalia County, and West Virginia University formed a partnership and developed an action plan with an immediate goal to improve pedestrian safety at these three key locations across the city.
“We want Morgantown to be a walkable city and creating a safe environment for pedestrians is one of the city’s top priorities,” said Morgantown City Manager Paul Brake. “Creating a safer environment is why this partnership was formed. We’re seeing the partnerships commitment to pedestrian safety with the installation of safety equipment at these high-volume intersections.”
The goal of the partnership between the city, county and WVU is to create a Pedestrian Friendly Community. The group’s action plan has both short and long-term goals. The partnership’s long-range plan is centered on three pillars of pedestrian safety – education, engineering, and enforcement. In the short term, the group is focusing on projects that can be accomplished in a short amount of time and will have an immediate impact on pedestrian safety.
“This partnership just makes sense,” said Monongalia County Commissioner Tom Bloom. “We have to make sure that our urban centers are safe for pedestrians and with the installation of these improvements we are doing just that; in one of our most dense urban areas.”
Morgantown Public Works and WVDOH personnel install rumble strips near the intersection of University Avenue and Falling Run Road. The strips are one of several new measures geared at improving pedestrian safety at intersections in Morgantown with high pedestrian/vehicle interaction.