New Woodburn Community School

ENFORCE THE LAW

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A large multi-lane roundabout is planned to be built by WV Division of Highways (DOH) this year adjacent to the impending Eastwood Elementary site at the intersection of WV 705 and US 119/Mileground Road. In fact, the new school site would lose land (2 acres) to the state by eminent domain, to create the intersection relocation and expansion. This sprawling roundabout with its divided highway spokes would cover an additional 2 acres, approximately, that border and entangle the Eastwood schoolgrounds.

State Law requires that roads bordering and extending 125 feet from schoolgrounds have a maximum speed limit of 15 mph, which would and should include the entire Mileground roundabout and all of its spokes and an additional stretch of WV 705: Read the rest of this entry »

PAYING IN LIFE AND LIMB AND IN MILLIONS OF DOLLARS FOR “JUDGMENTS AGAINST…WV DIVISION OF HIGHWAYS” AND OTHER STATE AGENCIES

The State Journal reported yesterday that the state of West Virginia is obligated to pay “$8.5 million in judgments against West Virginia agencies this year,” including:

340 judgments totaling $2 million aris[ing] from accidents on state roadways, several of them fatal. 6 of these claims against the Division of Highways exceed $100,000.

Impending Eastwood Elementary at the WV 705 / US 119 state maintained intersection and arterial highways on the Mileground: need more be said? Read the rest of this entry »

DOH PREDICTS CRASH INCREASE ON 5-LANE MILEGROUND HIGHWAY EXPANSION BY EASTWOOD SITE

See page 19 of the “Mileground Road Traffic: Final Report“:

The West Virginia Division of Highways (DOH) 5-lane expansion plan for the Mileground
DOES NOT

“eliminate the most severe crash types – head-on and right-angle crashes.”

In fact, the DOH analysis shows:

“Crash experience is expected to increase”
“Capacity [congestion] issues at intersections may remain”

Head-on crash increase, T-bone crash increase, continued congestion: not exactly a safe and healthy environment for a new school, where young children would travel into and out of for up to 7 years, pre-k through 5th grade. And not exactly legal.

The Mileground Traffic Report notes on page 21 that for

“the Five-Lane alternative…vehicular conflicts and resulting crashes would be expected to increase when compared to the existing three-lane section and as traffic volumes grow.”

MORE CRASHES. Think it’s bad now? The Report says to expect ever more crashes and “vehicular conflicts.”

MORE TRAFFIC. Not only will added lanes and ongoing area and regional growth bring more traffic to this vortex, so will the “new traffic signal system being installed” increase the flow of traffic from the nearby Stewartstown/705 intersection, causing “downstream demand [increased traffic] at the [Eastwood site] WV 705/Mileground Road intersection [to] be intensified somewhat (during the p.m. peak),” that is during school release hours. (Mileground Traffic Report, page 21.)

MORE TRAFFIC AND MORE CRASHES are expected by the DOH on the Mileground by the Eastwood site. This is a dangerous scenario and a wrongful one for the public school students of a new school, all of whom would find their safety put at risk on a daily basis and all of whom would be flooded with health debilitating vehicle exhaust and likely gas station fumes.

The traffic and crash health and safety dangers are bad enough and wrongful at the Eastwood site. And the commerce and industry on the Mileground strip are unhealthy and dangerous for children too: “Gas Stations Are Toxic Neighbors.” 

Read the rest of this entry »

EVER MORE UNCERTAIN

Today the Dominion Post reports that yesterday, at the Morgantown Traffic Commission meeting, Chairman Frank Gmeindl of the Morgantown Bicycle Board and Chairman Christiaan Abildso of the Morgantown Pedestrian Safety Board both “expressed concerns” about the DOH Mileground highway expansion plans which would build a 5-lane road with a continuous center turning lane rather than build a 4 lane divided highway with a median as was recommended by the Greater Morgantown Metropolitan Planning Organization.

“They’re [DOH] turning it into Patteson [Drive], and I think Patteson is one of the most dangerous corridors in Morgantown,” [Chairman] Abildso said. “The Police are there every other day [for accidents]. … It’s just not safe.“

“From a safety factor, it’s clear that having a median is safer,” said Chairman Gmeindl.

These concerns reflect not only the future danger of the Mileground highway but the current danger as well, as Morgantown City Council member Charlie Byrer memorably put it a year and a half ago:

“The only pedestrians on the Mileground are dead ones.“

What a great place for a new school! Read the rest of this entry »