WILMAPCO Meetings
All meetings are open to the public. Unless otherwise noted, meetings are held in the WILMAPCO Conference Room.
Sept. 16, 4-7 p.m., Newark Library
Sept. 12, 10 a.m.
Sept. 12, 4 p.m.
Sept. 19, 10 a.m.
October 1, 3 p.m.
WILMAPCO will be closed on September 2 for Labor Day.
In case of inclement weather, please call (302) 737-6205, or toll free from Cecil County at (888) 808-7088 for cancellations or postponements.
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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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 Join WILMAPCO and DelDOT for a Public Meeting
You are invited to join WILMAPCO and DelDOT for a Public Meeting on Monday, September 16 from 4-7pm at the Newark Library. The event will feature DelDOT's FY 2021-2026
Capital Transportation Program (
CTP) and WILMAPCO's
Public Participation Plan
(PPP). The CTP provides details on the planned capital transportation investments that are anticipated for the next six years. The PPP provides an overview of how WILMAPCO ensures that the public is involved in the transportation planning process.
The meeting will also include information on:
- DelDOTs long range planning effort, Innovation in Motion, including summaries of the update process, outreach efforts, and key short- and long-range challenges and opportunities anticipated for the state's transportation system.
- A proposed update of the CTP Project Prioritization Process. The proposed updates incorporate DelDOT's recent investments in data collection, resulting in a more data-driven process. Updates to the criteria, input data, and technical scoring will be displayed.
Project information will be displayed and there will be opportunities for discussion with DelDOT and WILMAPCO representatives. If, because of a disability, you require special assistance please contact DelDOT at 1-800-652-5600 one week in advance. To share on social media, please visit www.facebook.com/events/371519546855527/.
WILMAPCO Analysis Uncovers Social Inequities in the Region
WILMAPCO has released a social equity analysis of the region's transportation system for public review. The 2019 Transportation Justice (TJ) Plan examines the experiences of historically disadvantaged populations within the transportation system and public planning processes. Groups examined include: low-income, racial and ethnic minorities, seniors, people with disabilities, those living households without cars; and those who do not speak, read, or write English well.
While WILMAPCO uncovered transportation inequities for people with low incomes and Hispanics; African Americans experienced more inequities. These include: more difficulty reaching activities (also true of low-income residents), higher rates of bike and pedestrian crashes, heavier traffic, and less community transportation project funding.
The Transportation Justice Plan makes several recommendations for how to begin to balance the social inequities it uncovered. For example, the report recommends changing WILMAPCO's project prioritization process so that projects located in African Americans neighborhoods receive higher priority for funding. The draft plan is available at WILMAPCO's office or online at
www.wilmapco.org/tj
though September 9.
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Hogan Administration Announces New State Development Plan
According to a Maryland Department of Planning release, "The Hogan administration announced a new state development plan, A Better Maryland. In 2017, Governor Larry Hogan signed an Executive Order directing the Maryland Department of Planning to coordinate with local governments and other stakeholders to prepare a revised State Development Plan. The Executive Order established objectives for growing responsibly and protecting Maryland's resources to support existing communities, create quality places, coordinate state investment, and preserve natural, cultural, historical, and heritage resources." To learn more, please visit
https://abetter.maryland.gov.
$2.6M for Zero Emission Buses Announced in Delaware
According to a DART First State release, "Delaware has received a $2.6 million grant award from the Federal Transit Administration to purchase zero-emission transit buses. This is the third competitive grant from the Low or No Emission Bus and Bus Facilities grant program that Delaware has received for electric transit buses and associated charging systems. In total, Delaware Transit Corporation has received $5.6 million and plans to have 20 electric buses state-wide by the beginning of 2021." To learn more, please visit
www.dartfirststate.com/dtc.ejs?command=PublicDTCPressReleaseDisplay&id=7744.
New Castle County Announces Environmental Agenda
According to a Delaware Online Op-Ed from County Executive Matthew Meyers, "This week we announced the boldest green agenda in our county's history, to combat climate change, to improve water quality, to limit sprawl development and to preserve plant and animal ecosystems.
Like past efforts, this new agenda, once enacted, will encourage investment in green technology, improve quality of life and protect our precious waterways and forests that make New Castle County a desired place to live, work and raise a family." To view the Op-Ed, please visit www.delawareonline.com/story/opinion/contributors/2019/08/26/heres-how-new-castle-county-plans-protect-environment-opinion/2118568001/.
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Even at 'Safe' Levels, PM2.5 Pollution is Costing Thousands of Lives
According to Airqualitynews.com, "Even though levels of PM2.5 are lower in the USA than national ambient air quality standards, pollution is still costing thousands of lives, a study has suggested. The study analyzed publicly available data to estimate the number of deaths due to current PM2.5 levels. It found that in 2015, concentrations of PM2.5 were below the USA's ambient air quality standard of 12 µg/m3. They compared this data with 1999, where 59% of every county in the country reported levels higher than this standard. However, even though these reductions in PM2.5 since 1999 have lowered mortality in the great majority of counties, researchers found that PM2.5 pollution in excess of the lowest observed concentration (2.8 μg/m3) was responsible for an estimated 30,000 deaths." To view the source article, please visit
https://airqualitynews.com/2019/07/24/usa-even-at-a-safe-levels-pm2-5-pollution-still-costing-significant-number-of-lives/.
Growing up in Air-Polluted Areas Linked to Mental Health Issues
According to The Guardian, "People who spend their childhood in areas with high levels of air pollution may be more likely to later develop mental disorders, a study published in Psychiatry Research suggests. Researchers found that children growing up in the more polluted areas of London were more likely to have depression by the age of 18 than those growing up in areas with cleaner air." To view the source article, please visit
www.theguardian.com/society/2019/aug/20/growing-up-in-air-polluted-areas-linked-to-mental-health-issues.
Drivers Are More Dangerous Near Women Cyclists
According to
Streetsblog USA, "A new study measuring passing distances in Hennepin County, MN, finds that drivers are much more likely to pass female cyclists at an unsafe distance. Researchers used radar to measure the passing distance on different kinds of streets - those with protected bike lanes, those with no bike infrastructure, and those with painted bike lanes. The study confirms female cyclists' concerns about safety on the road, and underscores the need for greater investment in safer facilities like protected bike lanes." To view the source article, please visit https://usa.streetsblog.org/2019/08/01/study-drivers-behave-more-dangerously-around-women-cyclists/.
Semi-Autonomous E-scooters are Coming
According to
Smart Cities Dive, "Segway-Ninebot unveiled a semi-autonomous 3-wheeled e-scooter due out early next year. It will automatically return to charging stations without a rider. The $1,400 scooters reportedly will use Artificial Intelligence (AI) and be remotely controlled from the cloud. Semi-autonomous scooters potentially could move to a better drop-off/pick-up point if they are left in an inappropriate area, such as the middle of a sidewalk or crosswalk." To view the source article, please visit www.smartcitiesdive.com/news/segway-ninebots-newest-e-scooter-can-drive-itself/561226/.
L.A. Adopts "VMT" Instead of Traditional "LOS"
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