Latest news with #MetropolitanTransportationPlan
Dominion Post
13 hours ago
- Dominion Post
MPO holding first public planning session Tuesday at Mountain Line
MORGANTOWN — The Morgantown Monongalia Metropolitan Planning Organization is once again asking the community to get involved in planning for the future of the area's transportation system. The Mountain Line Transit Authority's Pifer Terminal will host the first in a series of public feedback opportunities from 4 p.m.- 7 p.m. Tuesday regarding an update of the MPO's Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP) The MTP is a federally-mandated, long range blueprint that outlines strategies and projects to improve how people will move – by car, bus, bike or on foot – over the next 20-plus years. The MPO is scheduling public meetings, virtual meetings and pop-up displays through early November, including events at Morgantown City Hall, WVU Mountainlair, the Monongalia County Courthouse Plaza and the historic train depot near the Ruby Amphitheater. 'We really want to have a strong public involvement process as we go forward. It's the right thing to do. It's also a requirement. So, we're going over and above what our policy says we have to do,' MPO Executive Director Bill Austin said. A central component of the plan update will be the inclusion of the findings and recommendations informed by a two-year, $500,000 microsimulation study of the area in and around downtown Morgantown. That study recommends roundabouts at the 8th Street intersection with Beechurst Avenue, the multi-pronged intersection of Stewarts Street, Protzman Street, Van Gilder Avenue and Hoffman Avenue, and potentially, the crossroads of University Avenue and Pleasant Street. It also prescribes the removal of vehicular traffic at Grumbein Island, significant changes to Willey Street, restricting a portion of Monongahela Boulevard to two lanes, reconfiguring the intersection of University Avenue and Falling Run Road and various intersection and signal optimizations. 'That's a pretty big part of it, because that was a Tier 1 project. And so it's big enough with the recommended changes that we're folding that in calling this a minor update of our transportation plan,' Austin said of the study. Austin went on to say that MPO staff took on a number of efforts in-house that will also be presented for consideration as part of the plan update. Those include a draft of a University Avenue Pedestrian Safety Study, Brookhaven Road area improvements and multimodal connectivity upgrades in the area of West Run Road and Riddle Avenue; the area near Mountain Valley Apartments that includes McCormick Hollow Road, Van Voorhis Road and Ackerman Road; and the high-density, mixed-use corridor between the West Virginia University medical school campus and the Suncrest Towne Centre. 'So, we're bringing all that stuff together and calling it a minor update of the transportation plan. We're not having the big consultant come in – the Stantec, the Kimley-Horn – and doing the full blown major update,' Austin said. 'We look at it as validating those goals and objectives from our previous plan. We're opening the box and asking, 'Are these still appropriate? That'll be part of what we answer with this update.' The updated plan will likely go before the MMMPO Policy Board for approval at either its November or January meetings. Community and project surveys supporting the planning effort are currently available at
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
JATSO seeking citizens' input about future transportation projects
JOPLIN, Mo. — The Joplin Area Transportation Study Organization (JATSO) is updating the Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP) with the launch of an online survey. As the transportation planning agency for the Joplin metropolitan area, JATSO's goal is to provide regional mobility. The MTP helps guide the agency with long-range planning on how to improve the transportation system. Every five years the MTP must be updated. Now, JATSO has released a survey to address safety perceptions, specific problem areas, and suggestions for improvement, the organization said. The public can access the transportation survey here. Public open houses will also be hosted in Joplin, Webb City, and Carl Junction, where community members can provide input for the regional transportation system. These open houses will include maps and graphics with detailed information about the project. Carl Junction Public Open HouseCarl Junction Senior CenterMonday, June 164:30 p.m. — 7 p.m. Webb City Public Open HouseMining Days Community BuildingTuesday, June 17 4:30 p.m. — 7 p.m. Joplin Public Open HouseCity Hall 5th Floor Council ChambersWednesday, June 184:30 p.m. — 7 p.m. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Roundabouts, changes to Grumbein Island, Willey Street recommended
May 25—MORGANTOWN — The intersection of Beechurst Avenue and 8th Street. The multi-pronged intersection of Stewart Street, Protzman Street, Van Gilder Avenue and Hoffman Avenue. And, potentially, the intersection of U.S. routes known locally as University Avenue, Pleasant Street and the Westover Bridge. Roundabouts have been recommended for each of the above intersections following a two-year study of vehicle and pedestrian movements in and around downtown Morgantown. The findings were recently presented by Colin Frosch, a traffic engineer with consulting firm Kimley-Horn. The $500, 000 study is based on microsimulation, in which data on vehicle and pedestrian movements was gathered at dozens of locations and plugged — along with regional travel demand model traffic counts — into software allowing Kimley-Horn and the study's steering committee to see how various proposed changes would impact traffic flows. "The purpose of this study was to assess the existing safety, parking, congestion issues within the downtown Morgantown network with a primary focus on congestion from a metric standpoint, but then also understanding if we make safety and pedestrian improvements, are we adversely affecting the congestion that's in Morgantown, " Frosch said. But roundabouts are just the beginning. The removal of vehicle traffic at Grumbein Island — the University Avenue mesh point of pedestrians and vehicles between WVU "s Mountainlair and Martin Hall — is also on the list. The restriction would include closing University Avenue to vehicular traffic between College Avenue and Beechurst Avenue and aligning Willey Street with a new connection to Beechurst. Further, it's recommended that Willey Street lose the U.S. 119 designation and become a local connection while a new stretch of U.S. 119 is constructed through the Richwood Avenue "loop " to align with Snider Street. Other recommendations from the microsimulation study steering committee include changes to the intersection of University Avenue and Falling Run Road ; restricting a portion of Monongahela Boulevard down to two lanes and various signal timing optimizations. It's a lot to take in. And the Morgantown Monongalia Metropolitan Planning Organization would like to hear your thoughts on it as part of a future update to the MPO's Metropolitan Transportation Plan. "We are going to take the recommendations from this study to the public as part of our outreach for the transportation plan update so we can more fully examine and discuss with the general public the recommendations of this study, and the policy board will be able to understand the reactions that we've received to this, " MPO Executive Director Bill Austin said. The Metropolitan Transportation Plan is a long-term planning document for local transportation infrastructure and policy. A link to Frosch's PowerPoint presentation is available at the Morgantown Monongalia Metropolitan Planning Organization website, There's also a link to the MPO's YouTube channel, where you can watch him present it during the MPO Policy Board's May meeting.
Dominion Post
25-05-2025
- Automotive
- Dominion Post
Roundabouts, changes to Grumbein Island, Willey Street recommended
MORGANTOWN — The intersection of Beechurst Avenue and 8th Street. The multi-pronged intersection of Stewart Street, Protzman Street, Van Gilder Avenue and Hoffman Avenue. And, potentially, the intersection of U.S. routes known locally as University Avenue, Pleasant Street and the Westover Bridge. Roundabouts have been recommended for each of the above intersections following a two-year study of vehicle and pedestrian movements in and around downtown Morgantown. The findings were recently presented by Colin Frosch, a traffic engineer with consulting firm Kimley-Horn. The $500,000 study is based on microsimulation, in which data on vehicle and pedestrian movements was gathered at dozens of locations and plugged – along with regional travel demand model traffic counts – into software allowing Kimley-Horn and the study's steering committee to see how various proposed changes would impact traffic flows. 'The purpose of this study was to assess the existing safety, parking, congestion issues within the downtown Morgantown network with a primary focus on congestion from a metric standpoint, but then also understanding if we make safety and pedestrian improvements, are we adversely affecting the congestion that's in Morgantown,' Frosch said. But roundabouts are just the beginning. The removal of vehicle traffic at Grumbein Island – the University Avenue mesh point of pedestrians and vehicles between WVU's Mountainlair and Martin Hall – is also on the list. The restriction would include closing University Avenue to vehicular traffic between College Avenue and Beechurst Avenue and aligning Willey Street with a new connection to Beechurst. Further, it's recommended that Willey Street lose the U.S. 119 designation and become a local connection while a new stretch of U.S. 119 is constructed through the Richwood Avenue 'loop' to align with Snider Street. Other recommendations from the microsimulation study steering committee include changes to the intersection of University Avenue and Falling Run Road; restricting a portion of Monongahela Boulevard down to two lanes and various signal timing optimizations. It's a lot to take in. And the Morgantown Monongalia Metropolitan Planning Organization would like to hear your thoughts on it as part of a future update to the MPO's Metropolitan Transportation Plan. 'We are going to take the recommendations from this study to the public as part of our outreach for the transportation plan update so we can more fully examine and discuss with the general public the recommendations of this study, and the policy board will be able to understand the reactions that we've received to this,' MPO Executive Director Bill Austin said. The Metropolitan Transportation Plan is a long-term planning document for local transportation infrastructure and policy. A link to Frosch's PowerPoint presentation is available at the Morgantown Monongalia Metropolitan Planning Organization website, There's also a link to the MPO's YouTube channel, where you can watch him present it during the MPO Policy Board's May meeting.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Public asked to comment on Owensboro-Daviess County transportation projects
HENDERSON, Ky. (WEHT) – Owensboro officials are asking for the public to provide feedback for a planning document covering transportation projects over the next 25 years. The Owensboro-Daviess County Metropolitan Planning Organization released their Metropolitan Transportation Plan outlining planning projects for 2026 to 2050. Highlights of these projects include the reconstruction of Fairview Drive, Thruston-Dermont Road and Ky-54 by 2031 as well as a new interchange on I-165 and the reconstruction of U.S. 60 and U.S. 231 at Maceo. The planning document can be viewed online here. Residents can send comments by email here or leave a message by calling 270-852-1305. Officials say they also have three public meetings planned for this month at the following times: May 7 from 8:30 a.m. to noon at the Kentucky Career Center in Owensboro May 15 from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Green River Area Development District May 27 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Daviess County Public Library Eyewitness News. Everywhere you are. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
