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City of Beckley Comprehensive Plan

Chapter 7

Poggemeyer Design Group

Transportation

Transportation ElementHow people and goods move into, through,and out of a community today and in thefuture is very important in any comprehen-sive master plan. Planning and implemen-tation of transportation enhancements anddiversifying modes of transportation willbecome increasingly critical to the contin-ued economic development, quality of life,and vitality of Beckley. Transportationimprovements have been significant overthe course of the past several decades andwill remain a significant need for Beckley inthe next 20 years. The Beckley Comprehen-sive Plan, prepared in 1962 by MichaelBaker, indicated the greatest traffic volumesin the City on Route 16, with a maximumvolume of just over 14,000 vehicles per day.Traffic volume for the same route is esti-mated to reach between 40,000 and 60,000vehicles daily by the year 2020. There areseveral transportation improvements whichwill have a very significant impact on theway people move into, through, and out ofthe City. These include the CoalfieldsExpressway, the Crosstown Connector, theEast Beckley Bypass, and the proposed biketrail. They will also create major newopportunities for new development areaswhich the City should guide and capitalizeon as a means of improving economicvitality and increasing the availability of adiverse housing stock. Enhancement of theCity’s existing major thoroughfares is also acritical issue discussed below. A new publictransportation system is also discussed as ameans of connecting the City’s residents tonew employment opportunities.

Summary of City Multi-ModalTransportation PlanThe Beckley/Raleigh County Multi-ModalTransportation Plan, completed in 1998 andadopted in early 2000, was undertaken toaddress the critical transportation issuesthat have arisen since the prior Transporta-tion Plan for Raleigh County was originallycompleted in 1978. The planning team

consisted of a Technical CoordinatingCommittee, Citizens InvolvementAdvisory Task Force, representatives ofthe Transportation Planning Division ofthe West Virginia Department of Trans-portation, and a consultant. The Multi-Modal Transportation Plan is intendedto be used as a tool to aid in transporta-tion decision-making regarding specificprojects and to assist in guiding theoverall development of the City andCounty for the next 25 years.

Existing Transportation ModesThe City of Beckley is located within 500miles of half of the U.S. population, 12of the nation’s top retail markets, and22% of the top industrial markets. Forthese reasons, the transportation systemin and surrounding Beckley is veryimportant, and is considered one of itsgreatest strengths. The existing transpor-tation network in Beckley consists of twointerstate highways, a federal route,numerous state routes, a CSX rail line,and the Raleigh County MemorialAirport. This network provides the Citydirect linkage to State, national, andworld markets.

Interstate LinkagesTwo major interstate highways inproximity to the City of Beckley include:

• I-77 (West Virginia Turnpike), whichopened in 1958, is a north-southhighway located along the western edgeof the City. The interchange for Beckley,which is located at West Virginia (WV)Route 3 (Harper Road), provides accessto the City on the east and to RaleighCounty to the west. Two other inter-changes located nearby include thefollowing:

• At WV Route 16 in Mabscott, locatedalong the southwest border of Beckley

Planning andimplementation oftransportationenhancements anddiversifying modes oftransportation willbecome increasinglycritical to the continuedeconomic development,quality of life, and vitalityof Beckley.

Enhancement of the City’sexisting majorthoroughfares is also acritical issue.


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PPoggemeyer Design Group

Transportation

• At Corridor “L” (US 19), located northof the City

• I-64, which opened in 1987, locatedsouth of Beckley is primarily an east-westroute which turns south at US 19 andends at its interchange with I-77. An-other interchange is located east ofBeckley at Airport Road, providing accessto the Raleigh County Memorial Airport.

U.S. HighwaysUS 19 is the next major route located inBeckley. The interchange of US 19 withI-64 provides primary access to the eastside of the City (also known as N.Eisenhower Drive), ending at Corridor“L,” north of Beckley. Corridor “L” isthe northern route of US 19 and a majorintrastate route that provides connectionto I-79 northeast of Charleston and onto Virginia. South of Beckley, US 19connects to the southern states.

State RoutesThere are four state routes which travelthrough Beckley: WV Route 16, WVRoute 3, WV Route 41, and WV Route210.

• WV Route 16 (Robert C. Byrd Drive)follows a north-south route through thecenter of Beckley, joining with US 19 inthe northern portion of the City. Thisroute through the City is a 4/5 lane roadexcept for a short three-lane portionnorth of WV Route 3.

• WV Route 3 (Harper Road) is one ofthe few east-west routes through Beckley.East of I-77, WV Route 3 is known asHarper Road, changing to 2nd Street inDowntown, Fayette Street in the south-east portion of the City, and Ritter Roadin the County.

• WV Route 41 travels through the City,

overlaps US 19 for a short distance, andturns northeast along Stanaford Road intothe County.

• WV Route 210 (Kanawha Street) is a shortroute through the City connecting WVRoute 16 northeast of the Downtown areawith US 19 via Eisenhower Drive.

Other Major Roads Utilized inBeckleyTwo other roads were identified by theMulti-Modal Transportation Plan as majorroutes through Beckley. The Maxwell HillRoad/Rural Acres Drive connects northwestBeckley with the US 19/WV Route 41intersection. Ragland Road connects US19/WV Route 16 to WV Route 41.

RailroadCSX owns and operates the active rail linelocated along the southern portion of theCity following the Piney and BigWhitestick Creeks.

AirportThe Raleigh County Memorial Airportopened in 1952 and is considered one ofthe nicest airports in the State and a majorgateway into Beckley and southern WestVirginia. This airport is located on 3,000acres approximately 1.5 miles from I-64and 3 miles from the I-64/I-77 interchangeand 3.5 miles east of Beckley. The Airporthas the third longest runway in WestVirginia, with the primary runway 6,750feet in length and the crosswind runway5,000 feet in length, both with pilot-activated lighting. One runway is 150 feetwide and the other is 100 feet wide, withparallel taxiways. Since the Airport doesnot have a control tower, approachingaircraft are handled via the Charlestonapproach control radar.

The Airport’s main terminal and restaurantaccommodates passenger (commercial andcorporate) service. Commercial passenger

... transportationimprovements which willhave a very significantimpact... include theCoalfields Expressway, theCrosstown Connector, theEast Beckley Bypass, andthe proposed bike trail. Theywill also create major newopportunities for newdevelopment areas ...


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FutureTransportationNetwork Map


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Transportationservice is provided by US Air Express(operated by Colgan Air, Inc.), whichoffers seven commercial flights toWashington’s Dulles Airport each week.Corporate charter service is also avail-able, and, as of June 1999, a charterhelicopter service is offered.

The fixed base operator provides major/minor aircraft repair and maintenance inaddition to fuel. The Airport is able toaccommodate 60 aircraft (general andcorporate jets) in 20 T-hangars and sevencorporate hangars. Car rental is avail-able, and limousine rental becameavailable in 1999.

Freight (UPS and Federal Express) andcargo aircraft also utilize the RaleighCounty Memorial Airport. The RaleighCounty Airport Industrial Park andResearch Center is a 218-acre industrialpark adjacent to the Airport, withapproximately 40 acres open for devel-opment. Another 278 acres of undevel-

oped land is available for future indus-trial use or another industrial park.Special care should be given to assure anattractive arrival experience for visitorsarriving at the airport and traveling intoBeckley.

Significant Areas of TrafficCongestion and Short-termSolutionsThe Multi-Modal Transportation Planidentified several key areas where trafficcongestion occurs on a routine basis. Inaddition, it offered short term opera-tional and minor roadway improve-ments to improve capacity and safetyuntil major improvements can addressthe overcapacity volume of roadway use.The three major areas of congestionidentified were:

• Eisenhower Drive (US 19) at theintersection with Stanaford Road (WVRoute 41), and extending south through

Special care should begiven to assure anattractive arrivalexperience for visitorsarriving at the airport andtraveling into Beckley.

The Raliegh County Memorial Airport represents a significant transporation asset


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TransportationBeaver. Recommended operational andminor roadway improvements include:1) Conduct an access management studyto plan for improvements to existingcapacity and safety in the two-and three-lane sections; and 2) Analyze the trafficsignal operations between WV Route 3and the WV Route 41 Stanaford Roadintersection to ensure that the phasing,timing, and detector placements areresulting in the most efficient possibleoperation, even though the road inter-sections are too far apart for coordinatedtiming to be practical at this time.

• Harper Road (WV Route 3) from I-77into Downtown Beckley. Recommendedoperational and minor roadway im-provements include: 1) Improved trafficsignal operation and coordination; 2)Widening and/or restriping existing two-lane sections to three lanes whereverpractical to minimize the interference,delays and hazards caused by left-turnmovements; 3) Access management

where feasible to reduce side frictionresulting from, in some cases, almostcontinuous property access rather thanspecific driveways; and 4) General upgrad-ing of signing and striping at intersections.

• The section of the Robert C. Byrd Drive(WV Route 16) from Harper Road (WVRoute 3) north to Kanawha Street (WVRoute 210) in the unincorporated area ofSprague. Two basic operational recom-mendations for minor roadway improve-ments include: 1) Coordinate all trafficsignals less than one-half mile apart intomultiple timing program systems; and 2)Upgrade signal operation so that lowervolume side streets and minor movementsare actuated and that phasing, timing, anddetector placement are reviewed to assurethe most efficient operation. In addition, itwas recommended that an access manage-ment study be conducted and plan devel-oped to improve safety and reduce frictionwhere access driveways already exist, and toprotect the access in less developed areas.

The potential long-termeconomic impact of theseprojects is very significantfor the City of Beckleyand includes opening newareas for developmentwith greatly enhancedaccess to the InterstateHighway system.

Harper Road has significant congestion problems


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Transportation

Projected 2020 Traffic Volumes on Routes Preferred in Multi-Modal Plan

6 City of Beckley Comprehensive Plan

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Transportation

Proposed Major TransportationImprovement ProjectsThe primary recommendations of theMulti-Modal Transportation Plan (1998)for major transportation improvements areindicated in the preceding “Future Trans-portation Network” map and include thefollowing:

• Construct a limited access, four lane EastBeckley Bypass to be located east ofEisenhower Drive (US 19) extending fromCorridor “L” on the north end toEisenhower Drive on the south end, justsouth of the Pinecrest Business Park(recommended speed of 50 m.p.h. withaccess points limited to the existing USRoute 19/I-64 interchange, the Cross TownConnector, Stanaford Road-Ragland Road,and Corridor L);

• Construct an East Beckley Bypass Exten-sion that will connect US 19 south ofBeaver at Airport Road to the I-64/US 19interchange;

• Construct a Cross-Town Connector thatwill run parallel to WV Route 3 fromHarper Road to the proposed east end ofthe East Beckley Bypass (recommendedspeed of 35 m.p.h. parkway with fewintersections and no private property accessbetween intersections). The Cross-TownConnector should include generousamounts of open space and recreationaluses such as walking trails and bike paths.This could be accomplished through acombination of setback requirements andopen space dedication requirements fordevelopers;

• Construct a Route 3 Connector to extendfrom the Coalfields Expressway to WVRoute 3 near Tamarack and to the end ofthe Cross-Town Connector;

• Widen US 19 from the Bypass Extensionto the divergence of WV Route 3 and US 19in Shady Spring;

• Widen Harper Road (WV Route 3) at theinterchange with I-77 (West VirginiaTurnpike); and

• Improve the intersection of EisenhowerDrive (US 19) and Stanaford Road (WVRoute 41) by constructing additional lanesand improving the signal system.

If the preferred improvements to theroadways in Beckley take place, the 1998Multi-Modal Transportation Plan projected2020 traffic volumes as are shown on thefollowing map. Two decisions that havebeen made recently (and are not shown onthe traffic volume map) are: to have theCoalfields Expressway intersect I-77 at theI-77/I-64 junction; and to widen I-77rather than construct the WV Route 3Connector which would have extended theCross Town Connector from the Tamarackarea of Harper Road to Sophia. It isthought the proposed Coalfields Express-way connection to the I-64/I-77 junctionwill provide some relief to WV Route 16into Beckley, as motorists attempting toreach destinations in north Beckley areaswill have the option of using the EastBeckley Bypass or the widened I-77 link tothe Cross Town Connector.

The potential long-term economic impactof these projects is very significant for theCity of Beckley and includes opening newareas for development with greatly en-hanced access to the Interstate Highwaysystem. The Cross-Town Connector willhelp create an important high-end residen-tial development opportunity which couldattract a more economically diversepopulation into the City limits. Thefollowing chapter includes a more detaileddiscussion of housing conditions currentlyfound in the City of Beckely. Chapter 9makes specific development recommenda-tions with regard to the Cross-TownConnector.

Many feel theconstruction of theCoalfields Expressway isthe only viable solution tothe economic problems ofSouthern West Virginia.


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TransportationCoalfields ExpresswayThe Coalfields Expressway is the pro-posed highway that will link I-64/77 inBeckley, West Virginia with US 23 inPound, Virginia. The Intermodal SurfaceTransportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA)identified the Coalfields Expressway as acongestion relief project and the Na-tional Highway System Designation Act(NHSDA) identified it as a “Congres-sional High Priority Corridor,” includingit on the National Highway System. Thepreferred alternative chosen will followWV Route 16 through Raleigh andWyoming Counties and WV Route 83 inMcDowell County.

In 1996, the West Virginia Legislatureformed the Coalfields ExpresswayAuthority and appointed an executivedirector in 1997. This publiccorporation’s main purpose is to act asan advisory board for the highway,advocating the highway’s construction,and promoting economic developmentassociated with the development of thisroadway. Many feel the construction ofthe Coalfields Expressway is the only

viable solution to the economic prob-lems of Southern West Virginia whichhave lost coal-related jobs.

The West Virginia Department ofTransportation designated the CoalfieldsExpressway as US 121 in May 1998. The61-mile Expressway is planned to be afour-lane partially-controlled accesshighway with at-grade intersections.Presently, construction is anticipated tobegin in Spring 2000, taking approxi-mately ten years to complete. Theestimated cost of the expressway isapproximately $1.2 billion with WestVirginia’s 20% share of the amountcoming from gasoline taxes and roadconstruction bonds that the Legislatureand West Virginia voters have approved.In 1998, Congress passed the Transporta-tion Efficiency Act for the 21st Century(TEA 21) which earmarked an additional$22.7 million to the highway, and anoriginal $50 million appropriated by theFederal government in 1991 is availablefor use. A total of $100 million isavailable to date.

Figure 7-2 Coalfields Expressway Alighment


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Transportation

The Appalachian Regional Commission(ARC), established by Congress in 1965,oversees the Appalachian DevelopmentHighway System (ADHS). The ADHS isa 3,440 mile network of highways thatprovide transportation access to theAppalachian Region, which includes allof West Virginia and portions of 12states from Mississippi to New York. Thepurpose of this system is to foster andpromote the economic and socialdevelopment of the Appalachian Region.To date, 26 corridors are 75% complete.Due to funding and economic develop-ment issues, efforts are currently under-way to incorporate the CoalfieldsExpressway into the AppalachianDevelopment Highway System (ADHS).Once a part of the system, the CoalfieldsExpressway must then be constructed toAppalachian Highway DevelopmentStandards.

The Coalfields Expressway Authority hasendorsed a preferred route which beginsat two locations in Raleigh County,south of Beckley. One access point tothe Coalfields Expressway is at theintersection of I-64 with I-77, south ofBeckley, which travels southwest towardanother access point at WV Route 16(Robert C. Byrd Highway) near Sophia.The route then continues southwesterlythrough Wyoming and McDowellCounties, ending west of SR 83 inBuchanan County, Virginia.

The Coalfields Expressway route willintersect with the King Coal Highway inMcDowell County. An industrial park isproposed at this location, and efforts arecurrently underway to promote the areaas a potential site for a federal prison.Another industrial park is already underconstruction approximately two miles tothe east in Wyoming County. The areaalong the Coalfields Expressway offers

prime opportunity for economic develop-ment for all counties, and Beckley shouldtake advantage of its proximity to the City.An excellent location for commercial/industrial development will be the areabetween the Coalfields Expressway inter-sections with I-77/I-64 and WV Route 16,south of Beckley. If the City acts now andpartners with the various economicdevelopment agencies in addition to theCoalfields Expressway Authority, this areacould be marketed and development couldbegin in conjunction with the constructionof the expressway.

Research on development that occurs alonga major roadway have been conducted bythe Appalachian Regional Commission.The Appalachian Development HighwaysEconomic Impact Studies was prepared in1998 to examine the economic impact oftwelve completed ADHS corridors on theRegion’s economy. The results showed thatthe ADHS provides opportunity for peoplein this area, especially the rural areas:

By 1995, an estimated net increase of16,000 jobs have been created whichwould not have existed without com-pleted portions of the ADHS. TheADHS has made the Regional a betterplace to invest, live, and work;

In 1995, a net increase in value added tothe Region was $1 billion and is antici-pated to increase to $2.9 billion by theyear 2015;

Economic opportunity has expandedbecause the Region is more efficient andeasily accessible; and

Users and nonusers of the highwaysystem have benefitted from the creationof new and better paying jobs.

Approximately 54 percentof the demand for transitis currently met in theCounty.


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Transportation

Bike TransportationSince bicycles are permitted on state roads,the West Virginia Department of Transpor-tation has installed several “Share theRoad” signs along existing roadways,making them accessible for bicycle use. TheState is also in the process of developing astatewide trail system.

Through the efforts of a Bicycle FacilitiesSubcommittee and the West VirginiaDepartment of Transportation, a BicyclePlan was developed in the Multi-ModalTransportation Plan to serve the majorpoints of interest and traffic generators inBeckley. The Bicycle Plan proposes devel-opment of a trail along a 6.4 mile length ofCSX rail line where service will soon beabandoned. This line begins in theMabscott area south of Beckley and willproceed through the central portion of theCity, serving the Downtown area.

The trail will then move eastward to theEisenhower Avenue/shopping center area,turning north and then northwestwardly tothe Cranberry and Prosperity areas. Thetrail will come close to the WoodrowWilson High School on Stanaford Road andcould serve as a trunk line for students touse in combination with an improvedStanaford Road. This would enablestudents to ride bicycles to school ratherthan drive their cars which add to theexisting congestion of the area. Once therail has been abandoned, it will be neces-sary for the City of Beckley and/or the Stateto acquire the rail right-of-way to ensuretrail development.

Two other opportunities exist for thedevelopment of bicycle trails; within therights-of-way of the proposed East BeckleyBypass and the Cross Town Connector.These two proposed paths could alsoconnect with the CSX right-of-way provid-ing bicyclists with the opportunity to reachother areas of the City. Funding sources for

the development of a bicycle trail systemare available through the Federal-AidHighway Program, Federal TransitProgram, Highway Safety Programs, andFederal/State Matching Requirements.

Transit PlanThe City of Beckley does not provideresidents with a public transit system.The Beckley Transit Feasibility Study Update(1995) was commissioned by the Stateof West Virginia Public TransportationDivision and the City of Beckley. TheStudy identified three transit needs forthe City, which include:

• Service development for disadvantagedcitizens.• Congestion management for Beckleyand Raleigh County.• Services which support economicdevelopment goals of the community.

The estimated transit demand forRaleigh County was approximately741,584 trips per year. Of this total, thetransit need for Beckley was approxi-mately 202,750 trips. The Study indicatesthat existing transportation servicesavailable in Beckley and Raleigh Countyrepresent approximately 400,000 tripsper year. Based on the demand estima-tion calculations performed in the Study,approximately 54% of the demand fortransit is currently met in the County.

Some of the transit demand needs ofBeckley residents is satisfied by socialservice providers (agencies, hospitals,and churches) and the County’s taxiservice. The Raleigh County CommunityAction Association offers public trans-portation services to seniors, the handi-capped, and the general public through-out the County. Transit services operateon Monday through Friday, from 7:30A.M. to 5 P.M. on designated routes in

As the population ofBeckley ages, the numberof people needing analternative form oftransportation, other thantheir automobile, will rise.

When developing a masstransit system, transitservices should bedesigned toaccommodate....disadvantaged riders.


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Transportationthe City of Beckley and the County. A“Dial-a-Ride” van service anywhere inBeckley and surrounding areas is alsoavailable on a daily basis between 7:30A.M. and 3:30 p.m., although the servicerequires 24-hour notice. Round-tripfares for both services within the City are$3; outside the City, $4, with $1 addedfor each additional stop. One-way tripsare available for half the price of a roundtrip. Special arrangements can be madefor transportation outside RaleighCounty, and the buses are sometimesmade available for charter to such placesas Charleston or the state fair.

When the Multi-Modal TransportationStudy began, a two-bus pilot project wasunderway; however, this project wasdiscontinued following an unfavorablelevy vote by residents in 1996. Despitethis outcome, it is imperative for the Cityand County to work together to developsome type of mass transportation systemfor the elderly, disabled, and low-incomepopulation on a regular basis. As thepopulation of Beckley ages, the numberof people needing an alternative form oftransportation, other than their automo-bile, will rise.

The demographic analysis conducted inthe Study indicates high concentrationsof elderly and low-income individuals inEast Beckley, East Park, and SouthBeckley. Traditionally, the most frequentusers of transit are the elderly, handi-capped, and low income. When devel-oping a mass transit system, transitservices should be designed to accom-modate the disadvantaged riders inaddition to the destination of travelers.Three major issues in the developmentof priorities for transit service destina-tion include: 1) the large number ofhealth care facilities and the trips thesefacilities generate; 2) the retail shoppingdevelopments in the City; and 3) thetraffic patterns in Downtown Beckley.

Based on this information, the Studyidentified several criteria which must bemet by a transit system that will service theCity of Beckley:

• The transit system must target the EastBeckley, East Park, and South Beckleyneighborhoods. The majority of thedisadvantaged population live in theseareas.

• In order to capture frequent trip destina-tions to public and government offices andhealth care facilities, the system shouldalso target Uptown and the NorthEisenhower Drive (US 19) area.

• Regular service to and from the retail andservice areas, where a high concentration ofriders will travel, should also be provided.

• The system should provide options forpark-and-ride services for County residentstraveling to the Uptown area. This willhelp to reduce traffic and parking conges-tion.

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