Transportation News from WILMAPCO

New Castle County Department of Land Use, DelDOT, and WILMAPCO have begun a Master Plan for Southern New Castle County (SNCC). The plan includes the area within the county south of the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal. The SNCC Master Plan will inform development and preservation decisions, and make recommendations for transportation and land use improvements and policies that will help improve quality of life, safety, and economically and environmentally sustainability.

You are invited to attend a Public Information Session on Wednesday, October 17 from 4 to 7 p.m. with presentations at 4:15 p.m., 5:15 p.m. and 6:15 p.m., at the Odessa Fire Hall. During the information session, you'll have the opportunity to share your thoughts and feedback on what Southern New Castle County should look like in the future. To learn more, please visit www.wilmapco.org/SNCC .

Newark Transit Survey

WILMAPCO, DART First State, City of Newark, Cecil County Transit, and the University of Delaware Transit are gathering feedback to better understand the transit needs of those who live, work, and attend school in Newark, Delaware. You are invited to take a brief survey to share your thoughts on how to improve public transportation. To take the survey, please click below.

To learn more, please visit www.wilmapco.org/newarktransit.

Local News

APA Delaware Conference

The American Planning Association (APA) Delaware Chapter is set to have a great conference this month. Headline speakers include Dr. Tim Chapin from Florida State University, co-author of the recent APA "Planning for Autonomous Mobility" report, and veteran planner Georgia Sheridan, who co-created and teaches a visual communications course for planners at UCLA's Luskin School of Public Affairs. The conference features four concurrent tracks and mobile workshops. It's set for October 23 and 24 in Rehoboth Beach. To register, please visit http://2014conference.delawareapa.org/2014conference/2018%20Conference/2018%20Conf%20Main.html .

DelDOT Public Workshop - Kirkwood Highway Pedestrian Improvements

The Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) is seeking public input on proposed sidewalk and bus stop improvements along SR 2, Kirkwood Highway between SR 7, Limestone Road and Duncan Road in New Castle County. The purpose of this project is to provide a continuous Pedestrian Access Route (PAR) along both sides of SR 2 in accordance with the current Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards and recommendations from previous pedestrian safety studies.

Project maps will be provided for public review and comment and members of the project team will be available to answer questions about the project. The public workshop will be conducted on Tuesday, October 16, 2018 at the Mill Creek Fire Hall. Public parking is available on campus for all attendees. Comments may be submitted at the workshop, via the DelDOT website or written comments may be sent to DelDOT Community Relations, P.O. Box 778, Dover, DE 19903. The comment deadline will be November 16, 2018. To view the full release, please visit www.deldot.gov/information/publicevents/publicworkshops/workshop.shtml?id=11518.

DART Highlights Passenger Facility Improvements in Wilmington

According to a Delaware Transit Corporation (DTC)release, "DTC, operating DART First State, will be replacing and installing new shelters on King Street and continuing over the next month. The new shelters will be located at King and 3^rd, King and 6^th, King and 8^th, King and 9^th, and King and 10^th. In addition, shelters will be installed on South Market at South Shipley, the old B&O railroad building, and North French at 9^th Street. These improvements total almost $116,000, and DTC also has another $300,000 in city bus stop improvements planned for this fiscal year." To learn more, please visit www.deldot.gov/About/news/index.shtml?dc=release&id=7324.

Wheels on Water

Urban Bike Project is partnering with the Clean Water Campaign to offer Wheels on Water, a 10-mile bicycle tour of Wilmington's water resources on October 14 at 1 p.m. During the ride, you'll have the opportunity to explore the beautiful corners of Wilmington while learning about Wilmington's water systems and the many factors that influence water quality. Water experts from University of Delaware, Delaware Nature Society, and City of Wilmington will guide the ride. Riders over 21 are invited to join Urban Bike Project for a happy hour at Stitchhouse Brewery. To learn more and register, please visit https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd_IT_6_XULz49EEjOMI0rgyfzKmpjdVSOe5cO9cjdthyoWow/viewform.

I-95 Welcome Center renamed after Bidens

The Welcome Center on Interstate 95 was dubbed the Biden Welcome Center. Former Vice President Joe Biden said it's an honor to be commemorated on a stretch of the John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway. State heads of transportation and elected officials celebrated the event with the Biden family with crowds looking on. Rep. Gerald Brady, who sponsored the bill to rename the Welcome Center, called the Biden family true Delawareans. Gov. John Carney signed the bill following the ceremony to rename the center." To view the source report, please visit www.delawareonline.com/story/news/local/2018/09/17/95-welcome-center-renamed-after-bidens/.

New Trail Connecting Wilmington to Old New Castle Ribbon Cutting

The News Journal reports, " Delaware's state and local officials were on hand at the DuPont Environmental Education Center at the Russell W. Peterson Urban Wildlife Refuge in Wilmington, to name a new 7.9-mile trail after former Governor Jack Markell. The new trail links Wilmington's Riverfront to historic Old New Castle. The trail includes a 300 foot-long pedestrian/bicycle crossing over the Christiana River and an elevated 2,300 foot-long boardwalk through the Peterson Wildlife Refuge. The elevated boardwalk section is the largest pedestrian/bicycle bridge in the state. The trail was dedicated during a ribbon-cutting ceremony as the 'Jack A. Markell Trail,' in honor of the former First State's Governor, who spearheaded the dramatic expansion of bicycle and pedestrian trails and pathways throughout Delaware during his two terms in office." To view the source article, please visit www.delawareonline.com/story/news/2018/09/05/wilmington-new-castle-bike-trail-convince-commuters-opt-bike/.

National News

Habits to Last a Lifetime: Bicyclist and Pedestrian Safety for Children Webinar

Join the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) and the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (PBIC) for a webinar on October 2nd from 1 to 2 p.m. discussing the importance of pedestrian and bicyclist safety education for children. During this webinar, Florida's State Bicycle/Pedestrian Safety Program Manager, will share her state's successes and lessons learned in educating children on safe biking and walking practices, and PBIC will speak about the research on effective pedestrian and bicycle education techniques that lead to behavior change and knowledge retention. To learn more, please visit https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/5113735515731986435.

Dirty Air Causes Lower Intelligence

The Guardian reports, "Air pollution causes a 'huge' reduction in intelligence, according to new research, indicating that the damage to society of toxic air is far deeper than the well-known impacts on physical health." To view the source article, please visit www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/aug/27/air-pollution-causes-huge-reduction-in-intelligence-study-reveals".

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.