Alerts
By: Sutton StokesJuly 31, 2020

Elkins Officials Explain Railroad Avenue Parking Decision

Change Necessary Due to Substantially Increased Traffic, Federal Standards

Elkins, W. Va., July 31, 2020: The decision to prohibit parallel parking along Railroad Avenue in Elkins was triggered by concerns about increasing traffic volumes and was necessary to comply with federal traffic safety standards, city officials explained today.

The change, which eliminated parallel parking in front of the offices of the Inter-Mountain, the Randolph County Senior Center, and the American Legion, among other Railroad Avenue buildings, was approved at an October meeting of council’s Municipal Properties Committee. The decision to make this change was supported by the city’s operations manager, police chief, and fire chief. A representative of the American Legion was also in attendance at the October meeting.

Increasing traffic on Railroad Avenue led officials to reevaluate parking rules there.

“One of the main issues creating the need for this change is the ever-increasing volume of traffic on Railroad Avenue,” says Elkins Operations Manager Bob Pingley.  “Time was that Railroad Avenue was a quiet little side street. Now it’s really the gateway to downtown. It gets more traffic on a daily basis than even Davis Avenue.”

As the number of motor vehicles traveling Railroad Avenue has grown, so have the risks to drivers and pedestrians alike.

“The busier a street is, the less safe it is for people to be getting in and out of cars parked along that street,” says Pingley. “Other issues include lines of sight for drivers making turns onto Railroad Avenue, such as from Fourth Street. Blind spots from parked cars combined with high traffic volume is really a recipe for disaster.”

In making determinations about traffic and parking safety, the city must do its best to conform with the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), a publication of the Federal Highway Administration.

“The MUTCD lays out standards about stoplights, signs, sight triangles at intersections, road widths, and safe parking,” says Pingley. “Elkins is a 100-year-old city, so we’re probably never going to be perfectly compliant with standards like these throughout the whole downtown. But wherever possible, and especially as we make improvements like the work that’s been done on and along Railroad Avenue recently, we absolutely have to make every effort to get as close as we can to these accepted standards.”

The change eliminated no designated handicapped parking spots.

“There wasn’t any handicapped parking affected by this decision,” says Pingley. “There is still handicapped parking on Fourth Street, just down the block from the American Legion. There is also free, unlimited parking available in the lot behind city hall.”

Pingley says he recognizes the change is not welcome in all quarters but wants the city’s residents, business owners, and visitors to understand that it was made with safety in mind.

“When there is an official set of published traffic safety standards, we simply cannot ignore them,” says Pingley. “Those standards are issued by traffic engineers and other experts in keeping pedestrians and drivers as safe as possible. Taking away parking that people have come to depend on is never going to be the most popular decision, but I’m confident it is the safest decision in this case.”

Categories:

ParkingPress Release
Press Release

Ribbon Cutting Event for Pizza Hut Arcade

Elkins W. Va., March 26, 2024: On Tuesday, Elkins Pizza Hut announced the grand opening of its brand-new arcade, enhancing the dining experience with family fun for all ages. General Manager Michael Armstrong spearheaded the initiative to reintroduce video games into the […]

Read More
Article, Press Release

Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Information

Elkins W. Va., March 22, 2024: At Thursday’s meeting, Elkins City Council unanimously approved a General Fund budget for Fiscal Year 2025 that is about $600,000 more than the FY 2024 budget and maintains the city’s property-tax rates at current levels. Fiscal […]

Read More
Announcements, Article, Press Release

Elkins Launches New Emergency Notification System

Elkins W. Va., March 20, 2024: The City of Elkins is pleased to announce the implementation of a new mass notification system aimed at strengthening emergency communication capabilities within the community. This system will enable the city to disseminate crucial information to […]

Read More
Article, Press Release

City of Elkins Successfully Removes 11 Dilapidated Structures with DLAP Grant Funding

Elkins W. Va., March 18, 2024: The City of Elkins announces the successful demolition of 11 dilapidated structures throughout the city, made possible through grant funding provided by the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) under the Dilapidated Properties Program (DLAP). […]

Read More
Boil Water Notices, Press Release, Street Closures

Road Closure on 3rd St. in Downtown Elkins

Elkins W. Va., March 14, 2024: One lane of 3rd St. in downtown Elkins will be closed beginning March 18. Contractors will block off one side of the street as they repair the fire escape on the Wilt Building. Flaggers will be […]

Read More
Article, Press Release

Elkins Receives Clean Audit for Fiscal Year 2023

Elkins W. Va., March 8, 2024: City of Elkins received high marks on its latest annual audit, Elkins City Treasurer Tracy Judy reported to council last night. West Virginia cities must undergo yearly audits, per state law. This audit, which examined financial […]

Read More
Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Stay up to date with the latest news and alerts by signing up for our newsletter!

You have Successfully Subscribed!