As you may or may not know, the Department of Highways has decided to address the traffic concerns associated with the Mileground/705 area, especially with the current development of the new school. The DOH is currently accepting comments from the general public, PLEASE take a moment to add your comments and/or support the idea that a safe, freely accessibly development is the best idea. You may visit this link to address your comments.

A quick description from Claire:

DOH is wanting to make it 5 lanes with a center turning lane and a roundabout at the 705 junction, so it will be like Patterson/ Van Voorhis with no sidewalks. We and the Ped Safety Board and the MPO are recommending a 4 lane road with a median in the center and roundabouts at both ends – so one at the airport/ Hartman Run Rd. That leaves space for sidewalks on both sides and we also want safe crosswalks with signals and bus stops. Some details are below. 

We also ask that you address Access Board’s concerns with roundabouts for blind pedestrians. I already submitted mine, so would one of you add that in there please? I stole this from access-board.gov:

“Roundabouts A roundabout is a circular intersection with yield control at entry, which permits a vehicle on the circulatory roadway to proceed, and with deflection of the approaching vehicle counter-clockwise around a central island (MUTCD section 1A.13). Pedestrian street crossings at roundabouts can be difficult for pedestrians who are blind or have low vision to identify because the crossings are located off to the side of the pedestrian circulation path around the street or highway. Where sidewalks are flush against the curb at roundabouts and pedestrian street crossing is not intended, a continuous and detectable edge treatment must be provided along the street side of the sidewalk at roundabouts. Detectable warning surfaces must not be used for edge treatment. Where chains, fencing, or railings are used for edge protection, the bottom edge of the treatment must be 380 millimeters (15 inches) maximum above the sidewalk to be detectable by cane.

The continuous traffic flow at roundabouts removes many of the audible cues that pedestrians who are blind use to navigate pedestrian street crossings. At roundabouts with multi-lane pedestrian street crossings, a pedestrian activated signal must be provided for each multilane segment of each crossing, including the splitter island (i.e., median island used to separate opposing directions of traffic entering and exiting a roundabout, MUTCD section 1A.13). Transportation officials who commented on the 2002 draft guidelines expressed concern that signalization of roundabouts would interfere with the flow of traffic at roundabout intersections. Pedestrian Hybrid Beacons can be used at roundabouts.”

My comments are attached if you want to steal anything. I took most of it from the Ped safety Board. Basically, we support alternative 4L(B) the four lanes with median. It has the following features:

1) a median divider designed so that only emergency vehicles can drive over it,

2) roundabouts at both the WV 705/Mileground intersection (near new school) and at Hartman Run Road (by the airport),

3) sidewalks on both sides of the road with greenspace buffer from traffic,

4) a well-designed pedestrian crossing at the WV 705/Mileground intersection - for our school children

5) a signalized pedestrian-activated signal with crosswalk at midblock to meet ADA standards (with cut in median to allow for wheelchairs/strollers) with nearby dedicated bus stops

6) 10-foot wide lanes with "bikes may use full lane" signs

7) 30 mph speed limit (which is approximately the average estimated speed with alternative 4L(B))

Again, the link to visit to leave your comments is available here. In shorter, accessible form, you may share: http://tinyurl.com/nwvcil