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Transportation
News from the Wilmington Area Planning Council (WILMAPCO)
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All meetings are
open to the public. Unless otherwise noted, meetings are held in the
WILMAPCO Conference Room.
In case of
inclement weather, please call (302) 737-6205, or toll free from Cecil
County at (888) 808-7088 for cancellations or postponements.
Nonmotorized
Transportation Working Group
August 6, 3 p.m.
August 8, 10 a.m.
August 8, 1 p.m.
August 12, 10 a.m
(meeting tentative)
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In this issue...
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WILMAPCO News
Member Agency News
Local
News
National
News
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 WILMAPCO
News
Public
Workshop - Transportation Improvement Program Amendments
Draft amendments
to WILMAPCO's Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) have been
released for public comment. The TIP is a four-year listing of
transportation priorities and projects for New Castle County, Delaware
and Cecil County, Maryland based on available funding. The TIP is
amended each year for New Castle County and for the State of Delaware
based on the Delaware Bond Bill.
WILMAPCO will hold
a public workshop on Monday, August 26 at our office (850 Library
Avenue, Newark) to offer an opportunity to review and provide feedback
on more than two billion dollars worth of suggested road, nonmotorized,
bridge, and transit projects. The public workshop will be an open house
format and attendees may stop by any time between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.
WILMAPCO and DelDOT staff will be available to discuss projects and
answer questions. Information is also available online at www.wilmapco.org/tip.
The draft TIP contains 19 percent more funding than the FY
2014-17 TIP, approved in March 2013. Newly added roadway projects
include:
- Cavaliers
Mitigation - Build berms and vegetative walls around the Cavaliers
Community parallel to I-95
- SR 4,
Christina Parkway: SR 2-SR 896 - Reconstruct existing concrete
roadway to provide two eastbound lanes on Christina Parkway from
SR 896, South College Avenue to SR 2, Elkton Road
- Nine new
bridge preservation projects
The TIP public
comment period will extend through September 4. Residents wishing to
submit comments can:
- Mail to
WILMAPCO at 850 Library Ave., Suite 100, Newark, DE 19711
- Attend
the August 26 public workshop, anytime from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., at
WILMAPCO
- Submit
comments via email to wilmapco@wilmapco.org
- Visit
our "virtual public workshop" at www.wilmapco.org/tip
Public Workshop -
Proposed Bicycle Boulevard in the City of Wilmington
DelDOT, the City
of Wilmington, and WILMAPCO invite you to attend a public workshop to
learn about a proposed bicycle boulevard in the City of Wilmington. The
workshop will be held on Thursday, August 22 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., at
the Louis L. Redding City/County Building, 800 N. French Street,
Wilmington.
Members of the
public are invited to comment on a proposed bicycle route that will
include sharrow lane markings and bicycle directional signage through
several neighborhoods across the city. The proposed project will
implement recommendations that promote bicycle usage and safety from
the Wilmington Bicycle Plan.
DelDOT, the City of Wilmington, and WILMAPCO will be available to
answer questions and solicit feedback on the project. For more
information, please visit www.wilmapco.org/bikewilmington.
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 Member Agency News
SHA Partners with
Artscape 2013 to Promote Bicycle Safety
According to a
Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA) release, "SHA is
partnering with Artscape in sponsorship of the Flying Bike Sculpture to
raise awareness that bicyclists and drivers are on this road together. Artscape is
America's largest free arts festival. This year thousands of Artscape
attendees had the opportunity to experience bike riding in a whole new
way - and gain an understanding of what bicyclists on the road face
when traveling in traffic with much bigger vehicles." For more
information on bike safety and access, please visit www.roads.maryland.gov
or www.cycle.maryland.gov.
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 Local News
New
Castle Industrial Track Trail Phase Three Begins
According to a
recent East Coast Greenway News, "Completing the one-mile Phase 3
of the New Castle, Delaware, Industrial Track Trail will require a new
bridge over the Christina River and a boardwalk over wetlands to link
the existing Wilmington Riverwalk and Industrial Track Trail Phase 2.
Funding is now in place to move Phase 3 into concept design. Governor
Markell and Secretary Bhatt have directed DelDOT staff to move forward
with the project as quickly as possible. The project includes the
installation of a tunnel under U.S. 13 to accommodate pedestrians and
bicyclists. The tunnel will complete the four -mile route from the
south bank of the Christina River to the historic City of New Castle.
The tunnel is expected to be completed in 2015." For more
information, please visit www.deldot.gov/information/projects/trails/newcastleindustrialtrack/pdf/IndustrialTrackPhas%203-feasibilityStudy.pdf.
Delaware
Enlists Walking Dead in Pedestrian Safety Campaign
According to a
July 6 News Journal article, "Delaware has joined the zombie
bandwagon. The state's newest traffic-safety campaign has this message
for pedestrians: 'Don't Join the Walking Dead: Cross at Marked
Crosswalks.' Inspired by the AMC television drama of the same
name, 'The Walking Dead' ads are popping up on bus shelters and
sidewalks, reminding pedestrians not to 'walk around mindlessly.' Ads
will soon be running on and inside buses, and on TV messages playing
inside Delaware's four DMV locations." To view the source article,
please visit http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20130707/DIALOGUE/307070051/State-enlists-walking-dead-pedestrian-safety-campaign.
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 National News
New
Webinar Series to Help Transportation Agencies Enhance Their Projects
The Federal
Highway Administration (FHWA) and American Association of State
Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) are sponsoring a webinar
series on how transportation agencies can save lives, money, and time
with innovations that address critical challenges, such as aging
infrastructure, congestion, and safety. FHWA and AASHTO have turned
some 100 research projects under the second Strategic Highway Research
Program, known as SHRP2, into new, ready-to-deploy products called
SHRP2 Solutions." For more information and a webinar schedule,
please visit www.fhwa.dot.gov/goshrp2.
State-By-State
SRTS Spending Chart
According to a
Safe Routes to School (SRTS) National Partnership release, "This
chart (Safe Routes to School Federal Program--State of the States As of
March 31, 2013) details each state's progress on implementing the
federal Safe Routes to School program." To view the chart, please
visit http://www.saferoutespartnership.org/sites/default/files/pdf/State-of-the-states-March-2013.pdf.
Congress
Begins Considering Complete Streets Bill
According to a
July American Planning Association (APA) Policy News article, "At
a briefing on Capitol Hill, representatives of the National
Complete Streets Coalition made the case for national standards
for complete streets policies. This is one of the central proposals of
the Safe Streets Act of 2013 (H.R. 2468). The Safe
Streets Act would require that each state and metropolitan planning
organization adopt a complete streets policy within two years that
ensures all new federally funded transportation projects accommodate
the safety and convenience of all users." To view the news
article, please visit http://blogs.planning.org/policy/2013/06/21/house-bill-proposes-national-complete-streets-policy-standards/.
New
Online Bike Education Videos
According to a
July 1st League of American Bicyclists Update, "The League
recently released 19 education videos that cover topics from fitting a
bike to riding in traffic. They are free and available to the public.
They're a great tool for people wanting to learn more about riding in
their communities." For more information, please visit www.bikeleague.org/content/watch-video.
GPS-Controlled Headlights
Turn Before You Do
According to a
June Wired article, "Audi was the first automaker to bring LED
headlamps to the mass market, and now it's upping the game by
incorporating GPS, pedestrian detection, and selective dimming on the
headlights of its flagship A8 sedan. On the refreshed A8 due out later
this year, Audi has incorporated 25 high-intensity LEDs into each headlamp,
and linked them up with the front-facing camera and GPS system to adapt
to a variety of driving scenarios on the fly. The new setup relays the
path of the road ahead and begins bending the light around the corner
just before the driver turns the wheel. Add in the night-vision
assistance system that can detect pedestrians, and when the sensors
notice a biped up ahead, it flashes the LEDs three times directly on
the person in the car's path of travel. That makes them easier for the
driver to spot and has the added benefit of getting the pedestrian's
attention." To view the source article, please visit www.wired.com/autopia/2013/06/2013-audi-a8-leds.
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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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