When the WVDOH announced in July of 2024 that federal money was available to widen Teays Valley Road, most everyone assumed that road widening meant making the section of Teays Valley between Great Teays Boulevard and Apple Lane look like the section of Teays Valley Road between Mountain View Elementary and State Route 19 in Hurricane.
Wrong assumption. Money was never available for that purpose. The money which was available was from the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Improvement Program. Projects supported with CMAQ funds must help meet the requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA). Adding a center turn lane and sidewalks does not meet CAA standards. Adding bicycle lanes, however, does meet CAA standards because it makes alternative zero emission vehicle transportation possible.
Most (including this reporter) who viewed both the addition of the center turn lane option and the roundabout option at the July 16, 2024 public meeting at Teays Valley Christian School wondered why the roundabout option was a serious proposal. Why would anyone want roundabouts? No one wants to make a left turn on to Teays Valley Road by turning right and motoring a quarter mile or more to a roundabout. People do not enjoy inconvenience. Most in attendance at the meeting assumed that user convenience would play a major role in which option the DOH would pursue.
Wrong assumption. Convenience was not a consideration. The DOH’s major consideration was safety. At the March 31 meeting of the Putnam County Transportation Committee, DOH officials stated that roundabouts were far more safe than center turn lanes and less expensive. Traffic studies reveal that the longer routes made necessary by roundabouts actually reduce accident frequency. Roundabouts slow traffic flow. Slow traffic results in fewer accidents. Faster travel reduces time on the road at the expense of safety.
At the October 14 Putnam County Commission meeting, Teays Valley residents opposing the roundabout option asked the commission to support a Teays Valley Road widening option different from roundabouts. This request was predicated on the assumption that funding was available for widening that did not involve roundabouts.
Wrong assumption. On Friday, October 17, West Virginia Transportation Secretary Todd Rumbaugh announced that there is no option other than the DOH proposal which solves the transportation problem and that the project has been canceled.
The problem which the DOH sees is meeting both federal funding guidelines and the expectations of the community. Reality is what it is. The DOH can change neither federal guidelines or community expectations. Cancellation was necessary.
The community is experiencing a quality of life problem — the inadequacy of the present Teays Valley Road to handle traffic needs. It is a problem which can be fixed with funding — funding not possible with the reality of federal guidelines.
Assuming that funds will become available is wishful thinking. When assumptions clash with reality, reality always wins.
