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WVUSGA safety walk finds sidewalk and lighting problems near Sunnyside and Health Sciences; student survey shows persistent safety concerns at night
Summary
The West Virginia University Student Government Association reported numerous sidewalk, accessibility and lighting issues identified during fall 2024 safety walks and a student survey: 29 sidewalk reports, 6 accessibility reports, 6 lighting reports and survey results showing 45.5% of students felt somewhat or very unsafe at night.
A WVU Student Government Association (WVUSGA) safety and accessibility walk presented to the Committee of the Whole on Jan. 28 identified widespread sidewalk deterioration, missing detectable warning surfaces, lighting gaps and several crosswalk and ramp problems across Sunnyside and the Health Sciences Campus (HSC).
WVUSGA members briefed council that the fall 2024 walk produced 72 specific app reports: 29 sidewalk reports, 6 accessibility reports, 6 lighting reports, 5 crossing reports and 27 “other” reports. The Sunnyside area and Grant Avenue were repeatedly cited for cracked and crumbling sidewalks; HSC reports included damaged ramps, loose railings and missing detectable‑warning surfaces at several curb ramps near children’s hospital and HSE buildings.
WVUSGA also summarized a student safety survey that repeated questions from the prior year. According to the presentation, 81.8% of respondents said safety and accessibility were important or very important in their decision to attend and live in Morgantown; 45.5% said they felt somewhat or very unsafe in the city at night. The presentation said 69.7% believe Morgantown lacks well‑lit, well‑maintained sidewalks and that 42.4% rated city accessibility and convenience as “fair” (30.3% rated it “poor,” 21.2% “good”). The presenters noted the survey predated a Mountain Line pass program and said they expect transit initiatives could affect responses.
WVUSGA said it coordinated the walk with campus and city partners; it listed participants from student government and city stakeholders and said it will present findings to safety subcommittees and to WVU administration. Committee members and staff discussed options such as prioritizing sidewalk repair, considering grinding/repairing rather than full replacement on some segments, and automating signal intervals where pedestrian push‑buttons remain inoperable.
Presenters and council members stressed that many of the problematic sidewalks on HSC property are the university’s responsibility; WVUSGA said it has scheduled briefings with campus officials and safety subcommittees to pursue repairs. The group said it plans spring safety walks focused on High Street, Evansdale and the engineering campus.
