August 2016
WILMAPCO Meetings

All meetings are open to the public. Unless otherwise noted, meetings are held in the WILMAPCO Conference Room.

Nonmotorized Transportation Working Group
August 2, 3 p.m.

Air Quality Subcommittee
August 11. 10 a.m.

Congestion Management Subcommittee
August 11, 1 p.m.

Technical Advisory Committee
August 18, 10 a.m.

Public Advisory Committee
August 22, 7 p.m.

Transportation Improvement Program Public Workshop
August 31, 4 - 7 p.m.
Newark Free Library 

In case of inclement weather, please call (302) 737-6205, or toll free from Cecil County at (888) 808-7088 for cancellations or postponements.

For updates or more information on upcoming WILMAPCO meetings, please visit www.wilmapco.org
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Transportation news and events from the
Wilmington Area Planning Council (WILMAPCO). 
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TIPWILMAPCO Public Workshop
Don't miss the chance to have your say in how $2.3 billion dollars of your tax dollars are spent. WILMAPCO's Transportation Improvement Program or TIP is the 4-year listing of federally-funded transportation projects for our region. Projects include highway, bus, rail, bicycle and pedestrian.  Each year, the TIP is amended to reflect available funding in the Delaware Bond Bill and we need your feedback on transportation priorities.  

The draft TIP includes 6 percent more funding than the previously approved TIP. Projects removed or changed due to lack of funding include Grubb Road Pedestrian Improvements and US 13/Claymont Plan Implementation.  New in the TIP are several bridge preservation projects, an extension of I-495 Lane at I-95 in the southbound direction, slope stabilization on Mill Creek Road from Stella Road to Nathalie Drive, and commuter rail station upgrades for SEPTA's new key card payment technology.
 
A public workshop will be held on Wednesday, August 31 at the Newark Free Library, 750 Library Ave., Newark.  Attendees are welcome to stop by anytime between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. Representatives from DelDOT and WILMAPCO will display project information and answer your questions.  Information can also be viewed online at www.wilmapco.org/tip. Comments will be accepted through September 6, prior to adoption by WILMAPCO's Council on September 8. Comments can be emailed to [email protected], faxed to (302)737-9584 or mailed to WILMAPCO, 850 Library Ave., Newark, DE 19711. To learn more, please visit www.wilmapco.org.

Local News
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DEGreenwaysDelaware Greenways Receives a Planning Grant for a Trail Network 
According to a Delaware Greenways release, "Delaware Greenways has received a planning grant from the William Penn Foundation to advance a Northern Delaware trail network. As part of this project, DGI will form a new trail coalition made up of civic organizations, corporations, hiking/biking clubs and other area non-profits. We also will seek input from the general public to develop a map of proposed trails and connectors within the study area. Thirdly, we will define a process for leveraging private funding into trail development." To view the release, please visit http://delawaregreenways.org/trails-pathways/expand-trails-pathways/.

DelDOTSign-up for Real-Time Travel Advisories in Delaware
According to a DelDOT release, "DelDOT has announced an addition to its e-mail notification service to include Real-Time Travel Advisories. The subscription service is part of the Delaware Notification Services (DNS). DelDOT provides the public the opportunity to sign up for updates, such as press releases, workshop notices, road closures, project information, and much more through its subscription service, sending an e-mail directly to the user with their choice of requested information. And now, users can select Real-Time Travel information by advisory type for construction, congestion, incident, special travel alerts, and weather-related advisories."  To sign up for the DNS service, visit:  https://denotificationservices.bbcportal.com/

NTAQNorthern Transportation & Air Quality Summit
The Northern Transportation & Air Quality Summit, will be held on August 30-31 in Baltimore.  The Summit will bring together stakeholders from the transportation and air quality communities to discuss the current and upcoming regulatory environment, new technologies, and current practices. A host of speakers from the national and regional levels will present on key topics, best practices, and latest information vital to transportation, planning, and air quality professionals. For more information, visit:

WilmBikeLanesWilmington points to bike lanes for transportation's future
According to the News Journal, " Wilmington's streets should be used by more than just vehicles, say city planners, who are pushing a new vision for the municipality's road grid, including bike lanes, narrower vehicle lanes and public outreach to make drivers aware of a growing interest in cycling." To read the full article, please visit: http://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/traffic/2016/07/01/wilmington-points-bike-lanes-transportation-future/86608658/ .

DTCDelaware Transit Corporation Adjusting Bus Schedules to Connect With SEPTA Trains 
According to a DART First State release, "Due to the disruption of the SEPTA Wilmington/Newark Line service, DART has implemented temporary adjustments to bus schedules for several DART routes to ensure connections with SEPTA trains currently operating on a temporary reduction of service resulting from the 120 Silverliner V commuter rail passenger cars recently taken out of service. To keep abreast of changes, riders are encouraged to visit http://www.dartfirststate.com/information/programs/riderAlertSubscription/index.shtml to sign up for rider alerts.

National News
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TransitLatest Transportation Innovation in China Unveiled
A model of the "Transit Elevated Bus" that will travel above China's road traffic debuted last month at the Beijing International High-Tech Expo. Click to watch a video from The Wall Street Journal:  http://video-api.wsj.com/api-video/player/iframe.html?guid=B580389D-F6B5-4DCE-BC55-C9D303D30AE6.

NHTSANHTSA data shows traffic deaths up 7.7 percent in 2015 
According to a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) release, " Preliminary data show a 7.7 percent increase in motor vehicle traffic deaths in 2015. An estimated 35,200 people died in 2015, up from the 32,675 reported fatalities in 2014. Although the data are preliminary and requires additional analysis, the early estimate shows 9 out of 10 regions within the United States had increased traffic deaths in 2015. The most significant increases were for pedestrians and bicyclists."  To view the release, please visit: http://www.nhtsa.gov/About+NHTSA/Press+Releases/nhtsa-2015-traffic-deaths-up-07012016.

ChildSafetyChild Safety Infographics 
According to a recent National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) release, "Almost half of passenger vehicle occupants (49 percent) who were killed in 2014 were not wearing a safety belt." Many of these deaths were innocent children. The last thing any parent or relative wants to hear is the death of a young family member because of driver child safety negligence. These facts have motivated an educational infographic on child safety and emergency preparedness."  To view the infographics, please visit http://www.ladahlaw.com/las-vegas-car-accident-lawyer/child-family-travel-tips.
 
GoogleGoogle is teaching its self-driving cars to share the road with cyclists
According to the Christian Science Monitor, "Google's self-driving car may be able to share the road with cyclists better than you could. With a 360-degree view of its surroundings, the vehicle can recognize cyclists' hand signals, provide them with the perfect amount of buffer room when driving alongside them or passing them, and can even identify bikes of all different shapes and sizes ."  To view the source article, please visit: http://www.csmonitor.com/Technology/2016/0706/Google-is-teaching-its-self-driving-cars-to-share-the-road-with-cyclists.

ECGA Bike Path for the Entire East Coast
According to CityLab, "The East Coast Greenway Alliance has been working since 1991 to connect the whole geography of the Atlantic seaboard with protected bike paths. So far, 850 miles of trail have been designated as Greenway. The project is about 31 percent complete, says Dennis Markatos-Soriano, the executive director of ECGA. By 2020 , the ECGA hopes to add another 200 miles."  To view the source article, please visit http://www.citylab.com/navigator/2016/06/a-bike-path-for-the-entire-east-coast/489155/.

SRTSUsing Data to Foster Walking and Biking to School
According to a new report from the National Center for Safe Routes to School, "Numbers and statistics matter for making sure kids are able to safely walk to and from school. This report provides a primer for Safe Routes to School professionals on how data can be accessed and used in creating, improving, and expanding walking and biking programs." To view the report, please visit http://saferoutespartnership.org/resources/report/srts-numbers .