MORGANTOWN — The City of Morgantown, Monongalia County and West Virginia Uiversity plan to address three pedestrian hot spots prior to the return of WVU students this fall.
During Thursday’s meeting of the Morgantown Monongalia Metropolitan Planning Organization Policy Board, WVU representative Ron Justice updated the collaborative effort formed in the wake of two serious vehicle/pedestrian accidents in 2018, one of which resulted in the death of 21-year-old WVU student Leah Berhanu.
According to Justice, new solar, pedestrian-activated signals and pedestrian markings will be placed in front of Pizza Al’s on University Avenue, on Campus Drive by WVU’s life sciences building and at a busy student crossing on Falling Run Road.
The cost of the projects was originally estimated at $50,000. However, the city opted to handle the labor, lowering the cost to about $24,300, or $8,100 each for the city, county and WVU.
In other news from Thursday’s meeting, Justice said WVU is working with the state to address pedestrian access along Beechurst Avenue during the demolition of Stansbury Hall, which is expected to begin in July — likely within the next couple weeks, according to Justice.
“At some point in time, that will close,” Justice said of the sidewalk between Campus Drive and Hough Street, on the Stansbury Hall side of Beechurst. “Your crossing point will be at Campus Drive.”
Justice said there are also existing crosswalks at Hough Street and near Knapp Hall that will remain usable.
“What we’ve tried to work with the state on is to get some awareness of those crosswalks,” he said, noting potential options include crossing guards, new markings and/or temporary signals that can be activated by pedestrians.
He said a temporary signal could cost as much as $250,000.
Justice noted the pedestrian bridge over Beechurst, near Stansbury Hall, is coming down.
The MPO Policy Board also voted to lend its support to a grant request from WVU through an amendment to its Transportation Improvement Program.
The BUILD grant application is aimed at updating the university’s PRT system.
“It is essentially a test program for converting the PRT’s cars into a different operating system as far as power supply,” MPO Director Bill Austin said. “They’re looking at potentially converting those to battery powered, as opposed to gathering power from the tracks as they move along.”
If successful, WVU would receive $25,000 in federal funds, which would require a $5,000 match. The university plans to initially test the change on 10 cars.
