Rail-Trail Work on Deckers, Public Comment on Sheepskin Trail and Greenbag Road

[ERT - Mike Breiding]

fyi -mb
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Good morning all,

Looks like winter snows have arrived! a beautiful scene. I must admit that I am hoping for some mild, warmer days ahead in December because lots of trail work is progressing if the weather allows. 

So with that thought- here is some of the work ahead

1) The leaf blowing machine will return in December to blow leaves off of rail-trail.  Along with removing leaves and nuts that can be slippery, this helps us protect the width of the trail from grass encroachment

2) Announced yesterday on FB and feel free to share- https://www.facebook.com/monrivertrails

The resurfacing on the Deckers Creek Rail-Trail is gaining miles! This week(Dec. 1-7) the section of rail-trail between McKinney Cave Road (trail mile 14.5) to Route 92 / Reedsville (trail mile 17.7) is getting prepped for resurfacing. Avoid this stretch and enjoy other sections of trail. Or if on this section please be alert to equipment and make sure equipment operator sees you! 

This work is prep so that we can extend the scope of project for a TAP grant that is currently resurfacing from Little Greer to Masontown Trailhead. Work crew planned to start again next Monday. 

3) Two bird bike racks now grace the Deckers Creek Rail-Trail with beauty and function! Evan Dilly, with Scout Troop 81, poured the concrete pads and installed the Great Blue Heron bike rack at the Masontown Trailhead and Goldfinch at the Reedsville Trailhead. Thank you to Evan and his volunteers and to Friends of the Cheat for providing the racks. Thank you funders at the Be Active WV Grant Program, in partnership with the WV Division of Health Promotion and Chronic Disease. 

You can see more of these art bike racks of birds, tree, fish, and creatures scattered at trails across Preston County. 

Update- 

1) Work has stopped for the year on the upgrades to the drainage and surface on the Mon River Rail-Trail from mile 24 (Opekiska) to mile 29 (Pricketts Fort State Park). Drainage and brush/tree work has been greatly improved and surface work will happen next year in the Spring. 

2) Sheepskin Trail, public comment on trail bridge over Nilan Road.  Taking public comment until December 3.  Penn DOT- https://www.pa.gov/agencies/penndot/projects-near-you/district-12-projects/sheepskin-trail-nilan-bridge

The railroad bridge was removed to fix drainage in the road and now is a much longer span. It is located between two curves and a dip in the road makes it unsafe to have trail users cross the road. 

photo of location- https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/3dwgwhb4hqme29llpy5ji/image.png?rlkey=4p9l3z5i9pnfto4u2nx5ibuj1&dl=0

3) Comments for Greenbag Road Widening (part of a proposed Morgantown Greenway) can be submitted online up until Dec. 19   http://go.wv.gov/dotcomment

Happy Giving Tuesday! Ella

Ella Belling
Executive Director
Mon River Trails Conservancy
P.O. Box 282
Morgantown, WV 26507
http://montrails.org
304-692-6782

[Frank Gmeindl]

Cyclists!

You still have a couple weeks left to submit Greenbag Road widening project comments!

The deadline is 

Thursday, December 19. 

You can submit comments online at go.wv.gov/dotcomment, by emailing Douglas...@wv.gov, or by mail to DOH Technical Support Division, Charleston, WV. 

To help you visualize the project, I attached the project handout from the November 18th public meeting.  The last page of the handout is a comment form.

Following are the comments that I submitted, 

1.     Alternatives 1 and 2 present collision and fall risks where the side path crosses the roadway. Crosswalk markings should be provided at all such crossings. At each crossing, signage requiring motorists to yield to pedestrians and cyclists in the crosswalk is recommended. For high-speed, high-volume, or multi-lane crossings, additional safety measures—such as Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon (RRFB) signals—are also recommended. These crossing recommendations also apply to the entrance and exit legs of the proposed roundabouts. (Please explain how cyclists traveling on the side path are expected to navigate the roundabouts.)

2.     Alternative 3 could be preferable to Alternatives 1 and 2 if the paved shoulders are sufficiently wide, kept clean, well-maintained, and appropriately marked, signed, and signaled as described in Comment 1. Shoulders that are adequate on level sections may need to be wider on uphill and downhill segments. On uphill segments, all but the strongest cyclists may need additional width to accommodate weaving while climbing. On downhill segments—where cyclists and motorists are likely to be traveling at high speeds—less experienced cyclists will require a wider shoulder to maintain a safe buffer from passing vehicles and to avoid debris or pavement irregularities. For example, on the segment between the Mountaineer Mall East entrance and the current Mississippi Street, a 5-foot paved shoulders may be insufficient. (Please explain how cyclists traveling on the paved shoulder are expected to navigate the roundabouts.)

3.     What is the cleaning and maintenance schedule for the project highway? In addition, what is the cleaning and maintenance schedule for the side paths, and which agency or entity will be responsible for performing this work?

4.     Could you please provide locations with improvement treatments comparable to those proposed for Greenbag Road, where I could visit and evaluate the design by test-driving and test-riding?

4ankG