Transportation
News from the Wilmington Area Planning Council (WILMAPCO)
October 2015
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WILMAPCO News
Local News
National News
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WILMAPCO News
 WILMAPCO Public Workshop - SR 141
New Castle County Department of Land Use, DelDOT and WILMAPCO are conducting a study about the future of transportation and land use development in the Route 141 corridor. The outcome of the study will be a consensus based plan that will guide transportation and land use policy for the next twenty years. To solicit your feedback, a public workshop will be held on Wednesday, October 20, from 4:30 to 7:00 p.m., at Alexis I du Pont HS, 50 Hillside Rd., in Wilmington. During the workshop attendees will have the opportunity to meet the project team, share experiences, and help shape the vision of how the SR 141 corridor should look and function in the future. To learn more, please visit, www.wilmapco.org/141.
2015 Mid-Atlantic Regional Planning Roundtable
The Mid-Atlantic Regional Planning Roundtable, hosted by WILMAPCO, Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission and Baltimore Metropolitan Council, will focus on mobility, sustainability, and economic competitiveness in the Mid-Atlantic region. The event will take place on Thursday, October 29 at the Chase Center on the Riverfront in Wilmington, DE. The Roundtable allows agencies with common goals to share resources and collaborate on plans, projects, and a variety of contemporary issues. This year's topics will include: Federal Railroad Administration's (FRA) Northeast Corridor (NEC) Future Program, Every Day Counts (EDC) Initiative, Planning Emphasis Areas (PEAs), federal authorization, regional transit projects, sustainability, and interregional freight planning and operations. Planners, elected officials, and the public are invited to participate in the free event. American Planning Association (APA) Delaware Chapter is sponsoring 4.75 Certificate Maintenance (CM) credits (pending). For more information or to register, please visit
www.wilmapco.org/mid-atlantic.
Transportation Planner Position Available at WILMAPCO
WILMAPCO is seeking a qualified Transportation Planner with entry through senior level experience. The Transportation Planner will assist with different projects critical to the operation of the MPO. The Transportation Planner will research and prepare reports documenting technical, administrative and information activities, and staff committees as required. The position requires a basic knowledge of the principles and practices of transportation planning, including experience developing and implementing public involvement procedures. The Transportation Planner will actively interact with appointed/elected officials, other government officials and members of the public. Strong written, oral, interpersonal and computer skills are required for this position. Experience with Microsoft Office Suites and GIS programs such as MapInfo or ArcGIS is highly desirable. Minimum requirement for the position is a bachelor's degree in civil engineering, urban and regional planning, geography or a related field. Salary will be commensurate with experience. Resumes will be accepted until October 15, 2015, and may be sent to WILMAPCO at 850 Library Avenue, Suite 100, Newark, DE 19711, e-mailed to Sharen Elcock at
[email protected], or faxed to 302-737-9584.
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Local News
New leaders Appointed for two Maryland Transportation Agencies
According to the Washington Post, "Maryland has new leaders for the state's vehicle and driver's licensing agency and the transportation authority, which operates the Intercounty Connector and other toll facilities. The Maryland Transportation Authority board voted to appoint Milton Chaffee as the authority's new executive director. Chaffee has been administrator of the state's Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) since February 2014 and has worked at the agency for 13 years. As head of the transportation authority, he'll oversee operations of the state's toll roads and bridges. Maryland Transportation Secretary Pete K. Rahn has appointed Christine Nizer to replace Chaffee as MVA administrator. Nizer has been the MVA's chief deputy administrator since February 2014 and has worked at the agency since 2006." To view the source article, please visit
www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/dr-gridlock/wp/2015/08/27/new-leaders-appointed-for-two-maryland-transportation-agencies.
I-95 Corridor Coalition Launches New Travel Information Tools for Agencies and Travelers
According to an I-95 Corridor Coalition release, "The I-95 Corridor Coalition has announced the launch of this website-based tools to assist agencies and travelers:
- Real-Time Travel Information Map (TrafficView) - Covering the entire I-95 region, TrafficView has been developed for and posted on the I-95 Corridor Coalition's website. This publicly-available map displays traffic speeds and congestion, accidents and events, traffic cameras, overhead signs, weather and more. TrafficView will allow the traveling public to plan their routes around congestion and work zones, and during special events.
This new website tool will improve communications and information sharing along the entire corridor, and will further benefit the safe and efficient movement of people and goods." For more information, please visit
www.i95coalition.org.
Delaware Passes Locomotive Idling Law
According to a US Department of Energy newsletter, "Delaware Governor Jack Markell has signed a bill intended to limit 'nonessential' locomotive idling between the hours of 8:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. Delaware Senate Bill (SB) 135 specifies that first offenses would result in fines ranging from $5,000 to $10,000, and that repeat offenses would be met with fines of $10,000 to $20,000.
The bill defines nonessential idling as idling that does not occur as a result of: traffic conditions; the direction of a law-enforcement officer; the operation of defrosting, heating, or cooling equipment to ensure the health or safety of the driver or passengers; the operation of the primary propulsion engine for essential work-related mechanical or electrical operations other than propulsion; or required maintenance, servicing, repairing, diagnostics, or inspections." To view the full text of the bill, please visit http://legis.delaware.gov/LIS/lis148.nsf/vwLegislation/SB+135/$file/legis.html?open.
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National News
As Self-driving Cars come to More States, Regulators take a Back Seat
According to the Washington Post, "Virginia is one of a handful of states seeking to attract the potentially lucrative business of developing self-driving cars. And along with a few other states, its lawmakers and regulators are inclined to welcome the industry - and get out of the way. California, Florida, Michigan and Nevada and the District of Columbia have enacted laws to legalize automated vehicles, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Of those, two have set out detailed regulations. In states such as Virginia and Texas, however, self-driving cars can hit the roadways thanks to a simple argument: Doing so is legal because the law doesn't say otherwise. Later this year, self-driving vehicle testing will begin along stretches of Interstate 95 and the Beltway. Virginia has designated 70 miles of public roads for testing, offering to repaint roads or provide high-definition maps for tests sanctioned by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, but cars can legally be tested statewide." To view the source article, please visit
www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/as-self-driving-cars-come-to-more-states-regulators-take-a-back-seat/2015/08/28/7a29413e-474f-11e5-8ab4-c73967a143d3_story.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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