Transportation
News from the Wilmington Area Planning Council (WILMAPCO)
November 2015
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WILMAPCO News
 SR 141 20 Year Transportation and Land Use Plan
WILMAPCO has been working with its partners on the SR 141 20 Year Transportation and Land Use Plan. This project is designed to take a comprehensive look at the section of SR 141 between Kirkwood Highway and US 202, and make recommendations regarding the physical characteristics of the roadway and the evolving land uses on the adjacent properties. A public information session was held in October to solicit feedback on the draft vision and goals for the corridor. Public comments are being accepted through November 20. To view the information presented during the October Information Session and provide your feedback, please visit
www.wilmapco.org/141.
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Member Agency News 
DelDOT Public Workshop - Valley and Little Baltimore Road Intersection Improvements
The Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) would like to invite the residents of North Star and all other interested parties to a Public Workshop to discuss proposed improvements near the intersection of Valley Road and Little Baltimore Road, including drainage improvements along Little Baltimore Road. The purpose of the workshop is to present the details of the proposed improvements and to solicit input from the public. The workshop will be open to the public from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., November 3, at the CACC Montessori School Center, 1313 Little Baltimore Rd, Hockessin, DE 19707. For more information, please visit
www.deldot.gov/information/publicevents/publicworkshops/workshop.shtml?id=6158.
DelDOT Public Workshop - Town of Townsend Streetscape Improvement Phase 2
DelDOT invites the public to attend a public workshop to review and comment on proposed improvements to Main Street between Townsend Elementary School and South Street. This concept will become the 2nd Phase of the overall planned Townsend Streetscape Improvements for Main Street. Interested members of the public are invited to attend at any time between 6 and 7 p.m. The purpose of the workshop is to provide an opportunity for the public to review and provide input to display materials exhibiting the proposed improvements. For more information, please visit
www.deldot.gov/information/publicevents/publicworkshops/workshop.shtml?id=6118.
DelDOT Public Workshop - 11th Street Streetscape Improvements
The Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) invites the public to attend a public workshop to review and comment on proposed safety and pedestrian improvements to 11th Street (between Clayton Street and Dupont Street), as well as, Clayton Street (between 11th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue) in Wilmington. This Transportation Alternatives project will include new sidewalk and curb through the project limits and upgrades to the curb ramps, lighting, and pedestrian circulation. This workshop will also provide an update on the projects timeline. The workshop will be held on Tuesday, November 3 from 6 to 8 p.m., at the Kia Dealership at 1603 Pennsylvania Ave, in Wilminton. For more information, please visit
www.deldot.gov/information/publicevents/publicworkshops/workshop.shtml?id=6178.
DTC Public Hearing Workshops - January 2016 Service Changes
The Delaware Transit Corporation (DTC) will conduct Public Hearing Workshops to obtain comments on proposed changes to DART Fixed Route Bus Services to become effective Sunday, January 17, 2016. The New Castle County Public Hearing Workshops will be held on Monday, November 9 from 5 to 7 p.m., at the Wilmington Library, on 10 East 10th Street, Wilmington and Tuesday, November 10 from 5 to 7 p.m., at WILMAPCO.
A summary of proposed changes and service proposals is available for public review at the Wilmington, Dover and Georgetown Libraries, WILMAPCO, at the reception desks of DART Administrative Offices, and online at
www.DartFirstState.com. For information in an alternative format, please call (302) 760-2809. At the hearing, a hearing reporter will officially transcribe public comments intended for the record. People may also send comments to: DART Public Hearing, P.O. Box 1670, Wilmington, DE 19899-1670 or email at
www.DartFirstState.com/publichearing by November 13, 2015.
New DART Bus Service
According to a DART release, "DART launches its new Route 47 bus service between Wilmington and Middletown. Route 47 will operate from downtown Wilmington at 9th and Market St. to US 13 with limited stops along Dupont Highway, DE 1 to DE 896, and US 301 into Middletown. The route has been developed for commuters and more specifically, employees of Amazon's Fulfillment Center in Middletown. The Route 47 bus will offer three roundtrips Monday through Saturday to meet the shift times of Amazon employees, and provide service to and from the Walmart Supercenter. Residents in Middletown can also use the service to get to jobs in Wilmington." For more information, please visit
www.dartfirststate.com/information/routes/pdfs/summer/rt47.pdf?date=1444143821536.
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Local News
Delaware Asthma Consortium New Website
The Delaware Asthma Consortium is a state-wide organization providing guidance and recommendations around the implementation and on-going development of the most recent Delaware Asthma Strategic Plan. The consortium is managed by the American Lung Association in Delaware and is funded through the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services. The new website allows you register to become informed about upcoming events, volunteer and stay connected with the Delaware Asthma Consortium.
Amtrak Welcomes Pets Aboard Select Trains
According to an Amtrak release, "Amtrak announced passengers will be able to travel with their small pets from Boston to Virgina on the Northeast Regional service. Advance reservations are required and a surcharge of $25 will be assessed for travel. Passengers must arrive 30 minutes prior to train departure to check-in at a ticket counter and sign a pet waiver form. Amtrak routinely welcomes service animals on trains at no charge and that policy is unchanged." For more information, please visit
Amtrak.com.
New Bike Share Program Coming to Newark next Spring
According to a Newark Post article, "Newark will soon be home to a bicycle share program. Initiated by the University of Delaware's College of Health Sciences and paid for by sponsors, the program will be free to riders for the first four hours. Some of the bikes will be stationed at the STAR Campus, home to the College of Health Sciences and a growing number of businesses. However, bikes will also be available at other places on campus and around the city. The bikes will be stored in "corrals" around Newark, and riders will be able to use a smartphone app to gain access to a bike." To view the source article, please visit
www.newarkpostonline.com/news/article_ad8e7a03-7536-5150-a3df-480df61c3dee.html.
Delaware Alternative Fueling Infrastructure Grant
The Alternative Fueling Infrastructure Grant Program is intended to facilitate the development of alternative fueling stations throughout the State of Delaware. Grant awardees can receive reimbursement of up to 50% of the total equipment costs associated with the installation of a proposed private alternative fueling station. Grant awardees can also receive reimbursement of up to 75% of the total equipment costs associated with the installation of a public alternative fueling station. For more information, please visit
www.de.gov/cleantransportation.
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National News
Is the U.S. Prepared for More Extreme Storms?
According to an CBS report, "Is America's infrastructure - such as bridges, dams, highways, and levees - designed to withstand what many scientists predict will be a greater frequency of increasingly powerful storms? Joel Smith, an expert on climate change and principal with Abt Associates, a consulting firm that aims to address social and environmental issues, doesn't think so. Smith was the coordinating lead author of the
North American chapter of the report on
climate change impacts from the U.N.'s
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. In Smith's eyes, state and national governments are not doing nearly enough to address the problems precipitated by climate change, which scientists have linked to increasingly severe weather." To view the source article, please visit
www.cbsnews.com/news/us-infrastructure-ready-for-climate-change.
Applications Being Accepted for Smart Growth America's 2016 Free Technical Assistance Workshops
According to the Smart Growth American website, "Each year Smart Growth America offers a limited number of free workshops to help local leaders and residents make their communities more livable, sustainable, and vibrant. Now in its fifth year, this program helps communities find solutions to local development issues, so that participating communities are able to grow in ways that benefit residents and businesses while protecting the environment and preserving a sense of place." For more information, please visit
www.smartgrowthamerica.org/2015/09/23/applications-now-being-accepted-for-smart-growth-americas-2016-free-technical-assistance-workshops.
Expansion of U.S. Bike Route Network Announced
According to an American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Journal, "Adventure Cycling Association and AASHTO have announced the approval of 2,141 miles of new U.S. Bicycle Routes in five new states - Vermont, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas and Arizona - along with an alternate route for USBR 50 in Ohio. With those additions, the U.S. Bicycle Route System now encompasses 11,053 miles of routes in 23 states and the District of Columbia." For more information, please visit
www.aashtojournal.org/Pages/100915biking.aspx.
League Reports Growth in Bike Commuting for 2005-2014 Period
"A total of 904,463 people in the United States
rode bicycles for their normal commute in 2014, the League of American Bicyclists reports in a new analysis of annual Census Bureau data on commuting habits. In its third edition of 'Where We Ride: An Analysis of Bicycling in American Cities,' the League notes that while bike commuting in 2014 rose by a mild 0.5 percent from 2013, the long-term trend growth is sizable.
''From 2000 to 2014, bicycle commuting has seen 62 percent growth nationwide.' For more information, please visit
http://bikeleague.org/content/where-we-ride-2014-analysis-bike-commuting.
U.S. DOT Releases Draft Freight Plan
According to a release, "The U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) released a draft National Freight Strategic Plan (NFSP) as 'an essential step for continuing to support the nation's economy through the efficient movement of goods, while recognizing and responding to future infrastructure challenges.'
The NFSP focuses on six major trends affecting freight transportation and the challenges they present, including:
- Expected doubling in the size of the U.S. economy over the next 30 years, with freight movements across all modes estimated to grow by 42 percent by 2040
- Acknowledgment of chronic underinvestment in nationwide freight systems, coupled with a growing recognition that the workforce needed to build, maintain, and operate the systems will be insufficient unless further investment is made in education, recruitment, and training
- Historic decentralized infrastructure planning and implementation by state and local governments, which has created challenges for developing a national freight plan
- Continued need to address safety, security, and resilience of freight systems
- Increased global competition
- Application and deployment of new technologies"
To learn more and submit comments, please visit
https://www.transportation.gov/freight.
FHWA Updated Transportation Planning Process Book
According to CenterLines, the e-newsletter of the National Center for Bicycling & Walking, "An updated version of the Transportation Planning Process Book: 'Key Issues A Briefing Notebook for Transportation Decision makers, Officials and Staff," reflecting changes in Federal legislation is now available. It provides an overview of transportation planning and will be useful for government officials, transportation decisionmakers, planning board members, transportation service providers, interested stakeholders, and the public. It includes: 1) Overviews of the metropolitan and Statewide transportation planning processes, 2) Descriptions of the key products that are prepared as part of the transportation planning process, and 3) References for additional information." For more information, please visit www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/publications/briefing_book/index.cfm.
"Step It Up!" Call to Action to Promote Walking and Walkable Communities
According to the a Surgeon General release, "Step It Up! The Surgeon General's Call to Action to Promote Walking and Walkable Communities recognizes the importance of physical activity for people of all ages and abilities. It calls on Americans to be more physically active through walking and calls on the nation to better support walking and walkability. The purpose of the Call to Action is to increase walking across the United States by calling for improved access to safe and convenient places to walk and wheelchair roll, and by creating a culture that supports these activities for people of all ages and abilities." To learn more, please visit
www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/calls/walking-and-walkable-communities/exec-summary.html.
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About Us
The Wilmington Area Planning Council (WILMAPCO) is the regional transportation planning agency for New Castle County, Delaware and Cecil County, Maryland. As the federally designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), WILMAPCO is charged with planning and coordinating transportation investments for the region based on federal policy, local input, technical analysis, and best practices. For more information, please visit our website at www.wilmapco.org.
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