• Senior Services & Community Transit Community Focus Group 
• New Chief Executive Officer for Delaware Transit Corporation

Local News

• Designing Pedestrian Facilities for Accessibility Training 
• State Revenue Sources that Fund Bicycling and Walking Projects 
• Climate Change Seminar 

WILMAPCO's 2014 Our Town Event

Join WILMAPCO at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Newark on Wednesday, September 3 from 4-7 p.m., for our biannual Our Town event. This year's Our Town will highlight and offer the opportunity for public comment on the Update to the 2040 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP). The RTP sets the transportation goals for the region; examines forecasted trends such as population, employment, housing and travel; identifies the transportation challenges that these trends pose; and proposes transportation investments to mitigate these challenges. The RTP also serves as the transportation section of the New Castle County Comprehensive Plan.

Information about draft amendments to the FY 2015-2018 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) will also be available for review and comment. The TIP is the regional list of priority transportation projects.

There is no cost to attend Our Town and light refreshments will be provided, but registration is required. To register for Our Town, please visit www.wilmapco.org/ourtown. 

Transportation Funding Bill Stalled Over Amendment Fight

According to a Washington Newsline, "A dispute between Republicans and Democrats over several controversial amendments bogged down Senate action on a package of bills to fund, among other things, the federal transportation programs in FY 2015.  The measure would preserve current levels of highway investment, boost transit spending by $200 million and provide a $100 million increase for airport capital projects.  While the Senate had been working to complete action on the legislation, Republican efforts to offer amendments to stop Obama Administration regulations on climate change and wetlands led Democrats to suspend further action on the measure.  It is unclear if, or when, the two sides will be able to resolve their differences and allow the measure to move forward.  The House passed its version of the FY 2015 transportation funding bill June 12."  To view the source article, please visit

www.artba.org/newsline/2014/06/23/senate-transportation-funding-bill-stalled-by-amendment-fight/.

 

Highway Trust Fund Ticker Projects Funding Gone by Late August

According to a May 16 AASHTO Journal article, "The U.S. Department of Transportation updated its online Highway Trust Fund (HTF) Ticker, showing the HTF is continuing its trend to be out of money by late August and drop below a $4 billion balance around July 25. The monthly numbers continue to show an HTF balance in the red before the end of the federal fiscal year."  To view the ticker, please visit www.aashtojournal.org/Pages/051614HTFticker.aspx.

New Evidence links Air Pollution to Autism and Schizophrenia
According to Science Daily, "A new study describes how exposure to air pollution early in life produces harmful changes in the brains of mice, including an enlargement of part of the brain that is seen in humans who have autism and schizophrenia. The mice performed poorly in tests of short-term memory, learning ability, and impulsivity. Study authors say the findings are very suggestive that air pollution may play a role in autism, as well as in other neurodevelopmental disorders." For more information, please visit www.sciencedaily.com.

FHWA Publishes Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) Case Studies Online

According to a Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) post, "FHWA added Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) Case Studies to the TAP website. These case studies provide a variety of examples of how State DOTs and Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) have set up their TAP competitive processes. Each case study covers: overall program descriptions, TAP implementation, challenges, lessons learned, critical factors for success and contact information."  Delaware is included among the case studies. For more information, please visit http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/transportation_alternatives/. 

 

Food Systems Survey
Take a survey for the Growing Food Connections project. With funding from the United States Department of Agriculture, this five-year initiative will build the capacity of planners and policy makers to support community food systems. Project partners include APA, American Farmland Trust, Cultivating Healthy Places, Ohio State University and the University at Buffalo. The survey should take no more than 10 minutes. Your responses will provide important insight into the current state of food systems planning in the United States. To take the survey, please go to: www.surveymonkey.com/s/apafoodplan.

Racial Bias in Driver Yielding Behavior at Crosswalks

According to the abstract of a recently published study, Racial Bias in Driver Yielding Behavior at Crosswalks, "Racial minorities are disproportionately represented in pedestrian traffic fatalities, indicating a significant public health and safety issue."  To view the abstract, please visit http://ppms.otrec.us/media/project_files/TRF_Crosswalkpaper_Final.pdf.
 

Survey Finds Half of Americans Support a Gas Tax Increase

According to Washington Newsline, "A recent survey by AAA has found that about half of Americans support an increase in the federal gas tax to improve the nation's transportation infrastructure. The omnibus survey of 2,013 adults also found that two-thirds (68 percent) believe the federal government should be investing more in roads, bridges and mass transit." For more information, please visit ww.artba.org/newsline/2014/06/16/survey-finds-most-americans-support-a-gas-tax-increase/.