Morgantown traffic commission to survey members on priorities; considers pop-up ‘open streets’ events

The Morgantown Traffic Commission agreed June 2025 to send a member survey to prioritize transportation projects identified in the city strategic plan and to explore temporary demonstration events, commonly called "open streets," to show multimodal street designs.

The commission chair said staff will distribute a short survey between meetings so commissioners can indicate interest and time commitments for projects ranging from a truck-traffic study to a complete-streets policy update. Drew Jacqueline, staff engineer for the City of Morgantown, told commissioners, "I do believe personally that your strength lies there not in attempting to do technical analysis," meaning the commission should focus on policy and priorities rather than on engineering details.

Why this matters: the commission is repositioning itself from a reactive forum for neighborhood complaints toward an advisory body that develops policy recommendations for City Council. Members said a short survey would let them indicate willingness to serve on subcommittees, or to limit participation to regular meetings.

Commission priorities and next steps: commissioners reaffirmed two subcommittees already in development: a truck-traffic study subcommittee that has met only in planning and a curb-regulations/street-parking group that the city administration wants to pursue. The commission also listed other priority areas—gateway corridors and wayfinding signage, support for emerging technologies such as electric vehicles, and use of the PRT (personal rapid transit) as a placemaking asset—and asked staff to summarize those choices in the survey.

Open-street demonstrations: multiple commissioners floated using temporary street closures or lane reconfigurations to demonstrate bike and pedestrian space. Matthew Cross (Predation Safety Board) proposed closing part of High Street for events this summer to highlight bike/walk options, and staff described past local demonstrations on Grand and Ross streets that used several hundred traffic cones and door‑to‑door outreach. Commissioners discussed partnering with other bodies such as the Health and Wellness Commission and with organizations that run "Try This"‑style neighborhood events.

Timing and outreach: staff said the survey results would be reviewed at the commission’s July meeting. Commissioners asked that the survey include questions about time commitment, whether members want to work in subcommittees, and whether the commission should ask Council to fill current vacancies. Drew Jacqueline said the city would handle public notification logistics for any demonstration events and emphasized that demonstrations require staff time and partner organizations.

Community context and constraints: commissioners reminded colleagues that some streets are controlled by the state Department of Highways, which limits where the city can reconfigure lanes, and that larger multimile open‑streets events — like Pittsburgh’s model — require more resources and coordination. The commission agreed to proceed by survey and subcommittee work and to bring any formal recommendations to City Council.