MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — An organization that is looking to establish a long-term traffic plan for the Morgantown area is seeking public input on several projects.
Executive Director with the Morgantown Monongalia Metropolitan Planning Organization (MMMPO) Bill Austin announced on WAJR’s Talk of the Town that a public hearing will take place on Wednesday, October 22, at the Hazel Ruby McQuain Park Historic Bus Depot to discuss the 2025-2055 Metropolitan Transportation Plan between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. This will include several proposals related to potential long-term projects that would affect Morgantown traffic, particularly around Grumbein’s Island on the West Virginia University campus and traffic patterns around downtown Morgantown.
“We invite the public to please participate in our process for updating the Metropolitan Transportation Plan, let us know if you like the idea of closing Grumbein’s Island or dislike it,” said Austin. “As well as the other projects, and we will report those findings to the MMMPO’s policy board.”
According to Austin, the improvements that will be up for discussion will primarily focus on a Downtown Morgantown traffic study with ways to potentially work around several areas that are either considered major hindrances or will eventually need major adjustments. Along with Grumbein’s Island, there are also plans to discuss other roads circling the WVU downtown campus added to pedestrian improvements proposed around the Town of Star City. With the wide array of topics under consideration for funding proposals, Austin hopes as many Mon County residents as possible will participate.
“One of the items we looked at was closing Grumbein’s Island, and this is part of a larger effort to update our entire Metropolitan Transportation Plan,” said Austin. “This includes improvements to the Brookhaven Road area, and the key one for most people is the downtown micro-simulation study.”
Austin also added that once enough feedback is given, for better or for worse, the MMMPO will be able to reach out to their long list of contacts to determine if they will be able to receive grant funds for the projects. This will include grant applications that would be submitted with the West Virginia Development Authority as well as dollars that might be available by transportation departments on both a state and federal level. With grant writing season about to come into full swing, Austin feels it emphasizes the need for the public to be involved in the process, even for projects that are planned for up to 2055.
“We can seek funding, state, federal, and local funding—to implement these recommendations,” said Austin.
The ultimate goal for the MMMPO is that enough information will be gathered from the public over the next several months so that a priority list of projects can be made ahead of working towards large-scale grant applications. While cost projections haven’t even reached the conversation stages of the proposals included in the 2025-2055 Metropolitan Transportation Plan, there is an expectation that many of these projects are expected to cost millions of dollars to complete, if not more. With all the factors in play, along with the need to adjust traffic in certain parts of the Morgantown area, Austin hopes residents will take part, either in person or online.
“The bus depot on the riverfront, right there at the Amphitheater downtown—that (meeting) will be from four o’clock until seven on October the 27th,” said Austin. “There’s also a virtual public meeting we’re scheduling for November 4th.”