MORGANTOWN — Within a month of one another in early 2018, separate vehicle-versus-pedestrian accidents killed WVU student Leah Samuel Berhanu, 21, and left WVU student Sara Queen, 20, critically injured.
The high-profile, back-to-back incidents prompted a coalition of stakeholders including WVU, the city of Morgantown, Monongalia County, the Morgantown Monongalia Metropolitan Planning Organization and the West Virginia Division of Highways (DOH) to come together to shine a light on pedestrian safety.
That effort resulted in high-visibility crosswalks with Solar Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons at the intersection of University Avenue and Falling Run Road and, most recently, on University Avenue in the area of 8th Street and Law School Drive.
But there’s a bigger project just around the corner.
MPO Policy Board President Ron Justice said Thursday that notifications have been made regarding a high-visibility crosswalk that will include flashing beacons and a pedestrian island on Patteson Drive at Laurel Street, which serves as the access to Krepps Park.
“We have been notified that project is moving forward as a pedestrian safety island,” Justice said. “We’re looking at probably early spring when they’re going to be doing that.”
MPO Executive Director Bill Austin said the state put the project out for bids last month.
Also on Thursday, members of the policy board recognized Austin, who was recently elected to the Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations 2023 Board during the organization’s 2022 conference, in Minneapolis.
The AMPO is the leading national transportation advocate for metropolitan regions. Austin will begin his three-year term on Jan. 1.
Autin said he ran with the goal of making the national organization more responsive to small MPOs looking to secure their share of funds in the wake of the federal infrastructure bill.
“I view this as a critical time for MPOs, especially small MPOs like ours,” Austin said. “Getting the national association to provide all MPOs with the kind of support that we need to be successful was my key interest in running for the board.”
Thursday also marked the first meeting for new policy board representatives from Westover, Mayor Bob Lucci, and Morgantown, 1st Ward Councilor Joe Abu-Ghannam.
