Transportation
E-news from the Wilmington Area Planning Council (WILMAPCO)
June 2014
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WILMAPCO Meetings
All meetings are open to the public. Unless otherwise noted, meetings are held in the WILMAPCO Conference Room.
June 12, 1 p.m.
June 16, 7 p.m.
June 19, 10 a.m.
For updates or more information on upcoming WILMAPCO meetings, please visit www.wilmapco.org.
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| In this issue... | |
WILMAPCO News
Member Agency News
Local News
National News
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 WILMAPCO News
 Wilmington Transit Moving Forward - Public Meeting
You are invited to attend a public meeting to answer the question: How can public transportation in Wilmington be improved? The Wilmington Transit Moving Forward study aims to answer just that. The Wilmington Transit Moving Forward Management and Advisory Groups have been working to create a vision to improve public transportation in Downtown Wilmington. The group has developed transit "principles" and "opportunities" that will be used to realize the vision.
To help the project team to better understand how these ideas can best serve transit riders, local business owners, and residents, an Open House Public Meeting is being held on Wednesday, May 28th at the Wilmington Library, across from Rodney Square.
The public is invited to stop by anytime from 4 to 7 p.m. The meeting will include a 10-minute presentation at 4:15 p.m., 5:15 p.m., and 6:15 p.m. Agency representatives from DART, City of Wilmington, and WILMAPCO will be available to answer questions and hear your ideas.
To learn more about the Wilmington's Transit Moving Forward, please visit www.wilmapco.org/wilmtransitmoveforward or call (302) 737-6205.
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Member Agency News 
DART Eliminates Elkton to Newark Route
According to cecildaily.com, "The future of the only remaining Elkton to Newark public bus route is growing more dreary as Delaware officials confirmed the elimination of the route while Cecil County transit officials continue to work toward a possible service transfer. Delaware Transit Corporation, the parent company of DART First State, announced it would end service of the 13-year-old Route 65 Newark to Elkton route as of July 1. The proposal was first announced a month ago and several public hearings were held for the public to voice their opinions." To view the source article, please visit www.cecildaily.com/news/local_news/article_79ed147f-9c46-5131-be79-0f827b8ddfb7.html.
New Rail Technology Gives Riders Real-Time Train Arrival Information
According to a Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) release, "MTA has unveiled the latest addition to the Light Rail Public Address System Upgrade Project with the Next Train Arrival system, delivering real-time train information to customers through three distinct delivery methods: LED platform signs (at Light Rail stations) and mobile desktop functionality via www.myMTAtracker.com. Light Rail's Next Train Arrival system will be followed by similar technology roll-outs for MTA local bus and Metro subway service scheduled to launch before the end of 2014."
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 Local News APA Webinar - Introducing New Density to the Neighborhood The American Planning Association (APA) webinar, "Introducing New Density to the Neighborhood", will be shown on June 4 from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., at the New Castle County Government Center (87 Reads Way) and at the Kent County Administrative Complex, 555 Bay Road (Room 220). APA Delaware and the City of Dover are sponsoring these showings. This program will show how planners can address neighborhood compatibility concerns without sacrificing the goal of promoting walkable, urban places. For more information, please visit www.delawareapa.org.
Delaware Ranked Fourth Most Bicycle Friendly State
According to news.delaware.gov, "The League of American Bicyclists has released its latest ranking of Bicycle Friendly States. Delaware ranked number four nationally, while placing number one in the East and receiving 55.7 points out of 100. The League gave Delaware high marks for its bicycle friendly policies and programs as well as its education and encouragement of biking among the public." To view the source article, please visit http://news.delaware.gov/2014/05/01/delaware-ranked-no-4-among-bicycle-friendly-states/. Maryland Ranked Seventh Most Bicycle Friendly State According to an MDOT release, "Maryland is ranked number seven in the nation, up from number 11 last year. Thanks to the passage of the landmark Transportation Infrastructure Investment Act of 2013, Maryland will dedicate nearly $210 million over the next six years (FY 2014 - FY 2019) to fund programs that support alternative transportation projects, including building bicycle lanes and trails." To view the release please visit www.mdot.maryland.gov/News/Releases2014/2014May1_MD_Bicycle_Friendly_State_Rankings.html. City of Newark Designation as Bicycle Friendly Community RenewedAccording to a City of Newark release, "The League of American Bicyclists announced that the City of Newark's designation as a Bicycle Friendly Community (BFC) has been renewed through 2018. Newark applied for the designation twice before - in 2003 receiving honorable mention and in 2010 receiving the Bronze-level designation. This year, Newark again received designation as a BFC at the Bronze level, recognizing the City's commitment to improving conditions for bicycling through investment in bicycling promotion, education programs, infrastructure and pro-bicycling policies." To view the full release, please visit http://myemail.constantcontact.com/PRESS-RELEASE--City-of-Newark-Designation-as-Bicycle-Friendly-Community-Renewed.html. |
 National News
Obama Administration's four-year Surface Transportation Reauthorization Released
According to ARTBA News, "U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx released the Obama Administration's four-year surface transportation reauthorization proposal that would increase federal highway investment by almost $10 billion per year and public transportation investment by nearly $7.5 billion annually from FY 2015-2018.
The $302 billion GROW AMERICA Act - Generating Renewal, Opportunity, and Work with Accelerated Mobility, Efficiency, and Rebuilding of Infrastructure and Communities throughout America - does not contain a specific, dedicated revenue proposal. It calls for transferring $150 billion in revenue from a rewrite of the nation's corporate tax laws to the Highway Trust Fund." To view the source article, please visit www.artba.org/newsline/2014/04/29/obama-administration-unveils-highway-transit-proposal/.
Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Release its Reauthorization Bill
According to an aMPO enews, "The Democrat and Republican leaders of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee have jointly released the text of its six-year, $262 billion surface transportation reauthorization bill. MAP-21 Reauthorization Bill builds on the success of the comprehensive reforms and performance-based approach to transportation investment in Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21). For more information, please visit www.epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Files.View&FileStore_id=f331a434-eec7-41f2-8cc6-5bbc34c49b3d.
Climate Change Study Finds U.S. Is Already Widely AffectedAccording to the New York Times, "The effects of human-induced climate change are being felt in every corner of the United States, scientists reported, with water growing scarcer in dry regions, torrential rains increasing in wet regions, heat waves becoming more common and more severe, wildfires growing worse, and forests dying under assault from heat-loving insects. Such sweeping changes have been caused by an average warming of less than two degrees Fahrenheit over most land areas of the country in the past century, the scientists found. If greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane continue to escalate at a rapid pace, they said, the warming could conceivably exceed 10 degrees by the end of this century." To view the source article, please visit http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/07/science/earth/climate-change-report.html. FHWA Safety Data and Analysis Technical Assistance According to the March FHWA Playing it Safe newsletter, "FHWA recently began offering support to state and local transportation agencies through its new Safety Data & Analysis Technical Assistance Program. This program provides technical assistance, training, and resources to help agencies develop analyses that integrate crash, road inventory, and traffic data to pinpoint vital safety improvements in a holistic way." Apply for Data and Analysis Technical Assistance at http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/rsdp/technical.aspx, or contact Bob Pollack at [email protected] for more information. Google Street Views Give Before and After Images According to an April 25th Streetsblog USA article, "If you ever want to show someone that it's possible to change streets and cities for the better, Google Street View can now help you do it. Google recently made it possible to view archived Street View images. This means it's easier than ever to show what streets looked like before and after a redesign." To view the source article, please visit http://usa.streetsblog.org/2014/04/25/you-can-now-bring-street-transformations-to-life-with-google-street-view/. AARP Livability Index
According to AARP website, "The AARP Public Policy Institute is developing a web-based tool, the Livability Index, that will incorporate mapping technology, preference survey results, quantitative measures, and public policies to assess the livability of communities. The tool will use nationally available data to measure several essential attributes of livability, engage stakeholders, and draw attention to livability issues specific to the wants and needs of older adults." For more information, please visit www.aarp.org/research/ppi/liv-com2. New Census Tool According to the aMPO eNews, "The Census Bureau released a new tool, the Census Explorer, which is an interactive map that allows users to examine their neighborhoods and how they have changed over time. The tool uses American Community Survey data to look at demographic topics, and includes a special Commuting Edition." To use the tool, please visit www.census.gov/censusexplorer. |
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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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