December 2017
WILMAPCO Meetings

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

Dec. 5, 8:30 a.m. -12 p.m.
Outlook at the Duncan Center
500 West Loockerman Street, Dover, DE


Dec. 14, 1 p.m.

Dec. 18, 6:30 p.m.

Dec.  21, 10 a.m.

WILMAPCO will be closed on Dec. 25 and Jan. 1.

Happy Holidays!

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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WILMAPCO E-News 
Transportation news and events from the
Wilmington Area Planning Council (WILMAPCO). 
WILMAPCO News
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SR10SR 41, 48 and SR 7 Committee 
A special committee to study and make recommendations regarding truck traffic and freight movements along SR 41, SR 48 and SR 7 will meet on December 13 at 6 p.m., at Cooke Elementary School, 2025 Graves Road in Hockessin. During the meeting, committee members will review and vote on several of the strategies recommended by the committee and general public, during previous meetings.  To learn more, please visit
www.wilmapco.org/SR10 .
Local News
bike
DelDOTDelDOT Public Workshop - I-95 and SR 896 Interchange Project  
The public is invited to attend the I-95 and SR 896 Interchange workshop on December 5 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., at Glasgow High School in the cafeteria. The interchange currently experiences congestion and has safety concerns. Alternatives have been analyzed that will improve safety and traffic operations. Your input and comments on the project are welcome. Comments will be received at the workshop or can be mailed to DelDOT Community Relations, P.O. Box 778, Dover, DE 19903, sent via email to [email protected] or by fax (302) 739-2092.  To learn more, please visit www.deldot.gov/information/publicevents/publicworkshops/workshop.shtml?id=9359
 
DARTDART's Service Changes for December 
According to a Delaware Transit Corporation (DTC) release, "DTC has announced changes to DART Statewide Bus Services will become effective Sunday, December 17, 2017.  Based on customer feedback received online and through DTC's public hearing process, DART has reconsidered some of the changes, while making modifications to others, most notably affecting the following bus routes:  Route 4 (combination of Routes 4 & 24), Route 10 (combination of Routes 10 & 23), New Route 13 (combination of Routes 1 & 22), Route 14, Route 15, Route 18 (combination of Routes 18 & 21), New Route 31, Route 45 and Route 301.  In New Castle County, in efforts to improve operational efficiencies, reduce congestion and improve traffic flow, changes will be made to Downtown Wilmington bus stops and route alignments.  Schedule times will be adjusted on most routes to improve on-time performance and connections."  To view the full list of changes, please visit DartFirstState.com.
 
BFDBicycle Friendly Delaware Act 
The Bicycle Friendly Delaware Act, signed into law by Gov. John Carney, reforms and better defines the state's rules of the road pertaining to bicycles. The law's provisions include:
  • Motorists are forbidden to honk at cyclists when passing except when there is imminent danger.
  • Motorists are required to change lanes - even when there is a double yellow line - passing bicycles when travel lanes are too narrow for side-by-side sharing.
  • The yield law has been modified to allow bicyclists to yield at stop signs when the coast is clear at minor road intersections instead of requiring a complete stop with no exceptions. 
 
LABBicycle Friendly State Rankings
According to League of American Bicyclists' State Report Card, "Delaware drops a few spots from #3 to #7 this year, despite passing the Bicycle Friendly Delaware Act. This reflects the incongruity between Delaware's federal data on ridership and safety and its recent efforts to improve bicycling. Federal data for Delaware shows that not many people bike to work and that Delaware is one of the 10 least safe states to bike."

Maryland slipped one spot from #10 to #11.  According to the report card, "like Delaware, Maryland would have a difficult time reaching its ranking on federal data alone. The state has a low percentage of people biking to work (half the national average) and, surprisingly, a low use of federal funds for biking and walking."  To view the state rankings, please visit http://bikeleague.org/content/2017-bicycle-friendly-state-ranking.
National News
train AirAir Pollution Exposure in Early Pregnancy Linked to Miscarriage
According to a National Institutes of Health study, "Exposure to common air pollutants, such as ozone and fine particles, may increase the risk of early pregnancy loss. Researchers followed 501 couples attempting to conceive between 2005 and 2009. Of the 343 couples who achieved pregnancy, 97 (28 percent) experienced an early pregnancy loss - all before 18 weeks. Couples with higher exposure to ozone were 12 percent more likely to experience an early pregnancy loss, whereas couples exposed to particulate matter (small particles and droplets in the air) were 13 percent more likely to experience a loss. The findings suggest that pregnant women may want to consider avoiding outdoor activity during air quality alerts, but more research is needed to confirm this association."  To view the source article, please visit www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/air-pollution-exposure-early-pregnancy-linked-miscarriage-nih-study-suggests.

Obesity40% of Adults and 19% of Youth are Obese
According to National Center for Heath Statistics, "Nearly 40% of adults and 19% of youth are obese, the highest rate the country has ever seen in all adults. Since 1999, there has been a staggering rise in the prevalence of obesity, particularly in adults."  To view the research, please visit  www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db288.htm.  

WalkingRegular Walking, Even if Minimal, Tied to Lower Death Risk
According to eMedicineHealth, "Regular walking, even when it's below the minimum recommended levels for physical fitness, is associated with lower all-cause mortality compared with inactivity, according to new data from a large, ongoing US cancer prevention cohort study among older Americans."  To learn more, please visit www.emedicinehealth.com .