MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — As classes get underway at West Virginia University, motorists and pedestrians will notice safety enhancements at three important intersections.
Falling Run Road and University Avenue, Grant Avenue and Campus Drive and along University Avenue near McDonald’s now have rumble strips, reflective signage and yield lines on the roadway. “Yield to Pedestrian” signs have also been placed in the middle of the road as a traffic calming measure.
Morgantown City Manager Paul Brake says even with the new safety devices pedestrians still need to be alert.
“It’s incumbent upon the pedestrian, you need to make visual contact, so meaning look at the driver make sure he’s paying attention,” he said. “You don’t just simply proceed and walk.”
Brake also noted that a recent study by the MMPO shows an increasing number of residents travel the city by using alternative means.
“We want to create that safe environment where individuals can go about, whether it’s commuting to school or work or whatever, where folks are traversing throughout city of folks having that safe environment,” he said.
The cost of the improvements was split by Monongalia County, WVU and the city of Morgantown.