Approximately $1.7 billion of anticipated transportation projects were approved on March 14 by the WILMAPCO Council, following a public comment period from January 25 through March 7. This four year listing of projects contains 32 percent less funds than the FY 2012-15 TIP, with funding delayed or deleted for some projects. This is a result of continued financial limitations within both Maryland and Delaware, and Delaware's decision to curb continued borrowing for transportation and begin paying down the existing debt. The document may be viewed online at www.wilmapco.org/tip.

bike Member Agency News

Maryland Transportation Plan Update

The Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) is developing the 2035 Maryland Transportation Plan (MTP), a 20-year vision for transportation in Maryland. Your opinions, ideas, and concerns can make a difference in helping MDOT shape the future. Please complete MDOT's survey and learn more about the MTP effort, please visit www.mdot.maryland.gov/MTP.

Maryland Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan Update

MDOT is working on an update to the state's Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan. You can provide your input on bicycle and pedestrian priorities through an online survey. The goal of the plan is to support cycling and walking as integral modes of Maryland's transportation network. To learn more about MDOT's efforts to update the 20-year Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan and to take the online survey, please visit www.mdot.maryland.gov/bikewalkplan.

Dart Public Hearing Workshops
According to a March 21 DART press release, "Delaware Transit Corporation (DTC) will conduct Public Hearing Workshops to obtain comments on proposed changes to DART First State Fixed Route Bus Service." Workshops will be held:

Thursday, March 28 - 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center, 229 Rehoboth Avenue, Rehoboth Beach 19971
Monday, April 1- 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Carvel State Office Building, 2nd Floor Auditorium, 820 N. French Street, Wilmington 19801
Tuesday, April 2 - 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., DelDOT Administrative Building, Farmington/Felton Room, 800 Bay Road (US 113), Dover 19903

The New Castle County proposal (to become effective Sunday, June 16) calls for:

Minor time adjustments
Route 17 - Saturday service would be improved to operate every 60 minutes instead of every 90 minutes from 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Route 32 - Wilmington Trolley - Saturday service would be discontinued due to low ridership. Those resources would be reallocated to increasing frequencies on Route 17 Saturday service to every 60 minutes (see bullet above)
Routes 62 & 63 - Existing services would be replaced with a new on-demand route that circulates in the Churchmans Crossing area. The route would serve area bus stops and also offer curbside service to customers who call at least one hour in advance. This pilot (experimental service) is contingent upon negotiations with area businesses, communities, and a successful response from a contractor for a potential implementation date in July 2013

The proposal is available for public review at most libraries, state service centers and at the reception desks of DART First State offices and the DelDOT Administration Building in Dover, and online at www.DartFirstState.com.Comments can also be e-mailed through DART's website at www.DartFirstState.com/publichearing. All comments, written and e-mailed, must be received by April 3, 2013.

DART Annual Transit Poster Contest

According to a DART First State press release, "'DART, Your Community Connector' is the theme for DART First State's 13th Annual Transit Poster Contest. Open to school-age children Grades 6 through 12, the contest is designed to encourage students to learn more about public transportation and its benefits. Posters must be submitted by April 19 to DART First State Poster Contest: Marketing Dept., 119 Lower Beech Street, Wilmington, DE 19805." For details and contest rules, please call (302) 576-6016, or visit www.DartFirstState.com.

DelDOT Public Workshops for SR 1 Widening from SR 273 to Roth Bridge

The Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) is holding two public workshops for the SR 1 widening from SR 273 through Roth Bridge widening project. The project consists of widening SR 1, from north of SR 273 to the Roth Bridge, by adding a travel lane in each direction, widening existing bridges to accommodate the addition of the travel lanes, and reconfiguring the existing supporting interchanges. The workshops will be held on the following dates:

April 8 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., at Leasure Elementary School, 1015 Church Street, Newark
April 18 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., at Kathleen H. Wilbur Elementary School, 3942 Wrangle Hill Road, Bear

For more information, please visit http://www.deldot.gov/public.ejs?command=PublicWorkshops&county=1&month=4&year=2013.

Local News

Convergent Sustainability in Delaware Conferences

On April 18 at the University of Delaware (UD) Virden Center in Lewes, and repeated in Newark on April 19 at UD's Clayton Hall, leaders in planning, infrastructure, architecture, land use, senior citizens, public health, and the environment will convene to discuss a path towards realizing common goals in the context of climate change. The goal of this discussion will be the convergence of diverse yet deliberate efforts to produce sustainable and healthy active communities. For more information on the Newark event, please visit http://sepp.udel.edu/. For more information on the Lewes event, please visit http://www.deseagrant.org/.

Governor O'Malley, Senate President Miller, House Speaker Busch Propose Transportation Investment Plan for Maryland

According to a March 4 press release from the Governor's Office, "Governor Martin O'Malley, Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller, Jr., and House Speaker Michael E. Busch have unveiled a joint innovative, multi-faceted plan to increase investment in the State's transportation system, relieve congestion, and create jobs. The plan raises an average of $800 million annually, and is projected to support more than 8,800 jobs each year during a five-year period. During that five-year period, the package will generate an additional $3.4 billion for Maryland highway and transit projects." For more information, please visit http://www.governor.maryland.gov/blog/?p=8417.

Advancing Women in Transportation Conference

The Advancing Women in Transportation Conference will be held from May 15 through 17 in Philadelphia, PA. The Annual Conference is the WTS annual networking event. It attracts more than 500 corporate and governmental industry leaders worldwide. For the full duration of the conference, private corporations, public agencies, and government officials invested in every transportation mode will exhibit, present, learn, and network. For more information, please visit https://www.wtsinternational.org/networking/annual-conference/.

Urban Bike Project Offers Basic Bicycle Mechanics Course

Urban Bike Project has announced its 2013 Basic Mechanics Course. The course is designed to teach basic skills for bicycle maintenance and repair. The course is $50 (or $15 per class) and includes the following classes:

Basics of bicycles, tools, and repairing tubes
Braking systems
Drivetrains and derailleurs
Wheels and bearing systems

To sign up, please email urbanbikeproject@gmail.com (subject: Mechanics Course). For more class schedule information, please visit www.urbanbikeproject.com/classes/basic-mechanics-class.

National News

MPOs: An Abbreviated History of the First 50 Years

According to an article in the November-December 2013 issue of the TR News, "In April 1962, President John F. Kennedy delivered his first message to the U.S. Congress on the subject of transportation. The message emphasized coordination and cooperation and set the stage for enactment of the 1962 Federal-Aid Highway Act with its Section 134 planning provisions and of the 1964 Urban Mass Transportation Act that began federal assistance for transit." For more information, please visit http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/trnews/trnews283mpo50.pdf.

US DOT to Create Bike/Ped Safety Standards

According to a February 28 Streetsblog Capitol Hill post, "The bike-friendliest transportation secretary the country has ever seen told state transportation officials at AASHTO's annual Washington conference that U.S. DOT was getting into the business of issuing its own design standards, instead of simply accepting the AASHTO guidelines. Normally, the Federal Highway Administration points people to AASHTO's Green Book, the organization's design guide for highways and streets. In FHWA's new round of rule-making, DOT will set its own bicycle and pedestrian safety standards for the first time. The agency will 'highlight bicycle and pedestrian safety as a priority,' Secretary LaHood said." For more information, please visit

http://dc.streetsblog.org/2013/02/28/u-s-dot-to-challenge-aashto-supremacy-on-bikeped-safety-standards.

National Award for Smart Growth Recognition

According to a March 8 AMPO Email, "The EPA is seeking applicants to the 2013 National Award for Smart Growth Achievement. Through this award, EPA recognizes and supports communities that use innovative policies and strategies to strengthen their economies, provide housing and transportation choices, develop in ways that bring benefits to a wide range of residents, and protect the environment. All entries are due by April 12." For more information, please visit http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/awards.htm.

Report: Creating Equitable, Healthy and Sustainable Smart Growth

According to a recent announcement on the US EPA website, "The Creating Equitable, Healthy, and Sustainable Communities: Strategies for Advancing Smart Growth, Environmental Justice, and Equitable Development Report aims to build on past successes and offer low-income, minority, tribal, and overburdened communities approaches to shape development that responds to their needs and reflects their values. The report provides a menu of land use and community design strategies that bring together smart growth, environmental justice, and equitable development principles." For more information, please visit http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/equitable_development_report.htm.

New Volvo Outside-Car Airbag to Save Pedestrians

According to a March 7 ZeeNews article, "Swedish auto maker Volvo has unveiled a new 'pedestrian airbag,' which pops up on the outside of the car to protect people who get struck. The new airbag is located right under the hood of the car. It pops out within a second when the car crashes into a person while traveling at speeds between 12 and 30 mph, the range in which many pedestrians are struck. The designers of the airbag said that it cushions an area of the windshield that many car-crash victims slam into. Seven sensors located on the front of the car determine if it has come into contact with a human leg before it deploys. Once it inflates the airbag raises the hood about four inches, which helps soften the impact on the pedestrian." For more information, please visit http://zeenews.india.com/business/automobiles/automania/now-car-airbag-that-pops-out-to-save-pedestrians_71737.html.

Per Capita VMT Down for the Eighth Straight Year

According to a February 25 State Smart Transportation Initiative, "Per capita vehicle-miles traveled (VMT) in the United States dropped by 0.4 percent in 2012, according to the FHWA's travel trends data. Per capita VMT peaked in 2004 and has declined each year since then for a total decline of 7.5 percent. At 9,363, VMT per capita in 2012 reached its lowest level since 1996. A variety of factors have been cited for the decline, including retiring Baby Boomers; less enthusiasm for cars among Millennials; a move in many places toward more compact and mixed-use development; and demand-side policy efforts, including TDM, tolling, and market-pricing of parking." For more information, please visit http://www.ssti.us/2013/02/per-capita-vmt-ticks-down-for-eighth-straight-year/.

APA National Conference

The American Planning Association National Conference will take place in Chicago from April 13 through April 17. The conference includes hundreds of sessions and workshops with most offering AICP certification maintenance credits. The conference provides skill-building, career-advancing opportunities for professionals in every facet of planning. For more information, please visit www.planning.org/conference.

Clean Cities: Alternative Fuel Price Report

According to the March 5 TRB News, "The U.S. Department of Energy has released its quarterly report that explores the prices of alternative fuels and conventional fuels in the United States." The Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report provides regional alternative and conventional fuel prices for biodiesel, compressed natural gas, ethanol, hydrogen, propane, gasoline, and diesel. For more information, please visit www.afdc.energy.gov/uploads/publication/alternative_fuel_price_report_jan_2013.pdf.

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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