|
Transportation
News from the Wilmington Area Planning Council (WILMAPCO)
|
|
|
|
|
|
WILMAPCO Meetings
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.
Newark Municipal Building
WILMAPCO will be closed on December
24 and 25 for Christmas and on December 31 for New Years.
For updates or more information on upcoming WILMAPCO
meetings, please visit www.wilmapco.org.
|
|
|
|
|
 WILMAPCO News
 Wilmington
Initiatives Public Workshop
Wilmington
Initiatives, a group of projects in the City of Wilmington designed to
promote a balanced transportation system, is sponsoring an Open House
Public Workshop about transportation projects in Wilmington on
Wednesday, November 28, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., at the Chase Center on the
Riverfront (815 Justison Street).
Wilmington Initiatives encourages everyone who lives, works, or plays
in Wilmington to attend this Workshop to learn more and to provide
feedback about these two projects:
- TWO-WAY
KING STREET STUDY (1500 block)
- DELAWARE
AVENUE / 11TH / 12TH STREETS CURVE STUDY
In addition,
information will be provided about the following Wilmington projects:
- CHRISTINA
RIVER BRIDGE & APPROACHES
- TRANSPORTATION
ENHANCEMENTS: 6th Street Enhancements * 9th Street Enhancements *
Bayard Square Enhancements * Carpenter Street Alley Enhancements *
Concord Avenue Improvements * Cool Spring Reservoir Improvements *
Delaware Avenue Streetscape Improvements * Greenhill Avenue
Landscape Improvements * Greenhill Avenue Streetscape Improvements
* Miller Road TE Project * Midtown Brandywine Streetscape
Improvements * Rodney Square Beautification, Phase 1 * Rodney
Square Beautification, Phase 2 * Southbridge Streetscape
Improvements * South Park Drive Lighting Improvements * Windsor
Street TE Project
- SAFE ROUTES
TO SCHOOL (SRTS) PROGRAM: Thomas A. Edison Charter School
* Elbert-Palmer Elementary School
Help Shape the Future of
Bicycling in Newark
The City of
Newark, WILMAPCO, and the Newark Bicycle Committee are developing the
Newark Bicycle Plan and will be holding an open house public workshop
on December 6, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., at the Newark Municipal Building,
220 Elkton Road, Newark. We are developing the Plan to make bicycling a
more safe and convenient choice for transportation and recreation. The
workshop will seek community feedback regarding existing conditions and
concerns, and recommended facilities, programs and policies to promote
a more bicycle-friendly community. For more information visit www.wilmapco.org/bikenewark
or call (302)737-6205.
Our Town 2012
Presentations are Available
More than 120
attendees gathered at WILMAPCO's Our Town forum on November 14. The
program featured a keynote address by Legislative Assistant Collin
Peppard, presented via Skype from Senator Tom Carper's Washington, DC
Office. Mr. Peppard said, "The Senator understands that our
transportation investments are more than roads or rails, they change
the fabric of our communities and they connect people." A
panel discussion, moderated by Secretary Shailen Bhatt, with
representatives from regional rail organizations followed the keynote
address. Panel members included Rebecca Reyes-Alicea, Federal Rail
Administration; Drew Galloway, Amtrak; Brian Keller, Norfolk Southern;
Scott Muir, Norfolk Southern; and Dave Gula, WILMAPCO. WILMAPCO's
Council members provided two-minute reactions to the panel members'
presentations, which were moderated by Mr. Ed O'Donnell, University of
Delaware. To view the rail panel PowerPoint presentations, please
visit www.wilmapco.org/ourtown.
|
|
Member Agency
News
2035 Maryland
Transportation Plan Website Launch
Under the
leadership of the O'Malley-Brown Administration, the Maryland
Department of Transportation is beginning to develop the 2035 Maryland
Transportation Plan (MTP), a 20-year vision for Maryland's
transportation system. The MTP is updated every five years through an
extensive outreach effort with the public, local jurisdictions, and
State agencies to ensure it reflects the needs and priorities of
Marylanders. For more information, please visit www.mdot.maryland.gov/MTP.
Route 9 Coastal Heritage
Byway Corridor Management Plan - Public Workshop
According to a
DelDOT press release, "The Delaware Department of Transportation
(DelDOT), Delaware Greenways, and community members are drawing up a
plan for preserving one of Delaware's most historic, scenic, and
environmentally sensitive stretches of coastline. The Corridor
Management Plan (CMP) will protect the Route 9 Coastal Heritage Byway
which extends 50 miles along Route 9, from the City of New Castle down
to the Route One junction in Sussex County. The CMP is expected to
feature ten 'Discovery Zones,' where travelers can learn about the
byway, enjoy recreational activity and get more information about local
visitors' attractions. The Discovery Zones will help make the Route 9
Coastal Heritage Byway more accessible and help educate the public
about the rich cultural and historical heritage of the Byway.
Currently, Discovery Zones are planned in the following
communities:
- New
Castle
- Delaware
City/Ft. DuPont/ C & D Canal
- Port Penn/Augustine
Beach
- Odessa
- Cedar
Swamp/Blackbird Creek
- Woodland
Beach
- Bombay
Hook
- Leipsic
- Little
Creek
- St.
Jones Neck
To get additional
feedback from local residents and businesses, a public workshop on the
Corridor Management Plan is being held on Saturday, December 15 from 9
a.m. to 12 p.m., at the Delaware City Community Center, 250 Fifth
Street (5th & Bayard), Delaware City, Delaware."
|
|
Local News
Delaware T2 Center:
Systemic Approach to Safety Management
The Delaware T2
Center is offering a Systemic Approach to Safety
Management workshop. Systemic approach to safety management
uses a risk-based approach to identify high-risk roadway features that
are correlated with particular severe crash types. The systemic
approach is intended to complement the traditional site analysis
approach (i.e. high crash locations) resulting in a comprehensive
safety management program. This workshop is designed for engineers, and
local officials who are making decisions on projects as they relate to
safety improvements. The workshop is being held on December 13, from 8
a.m. to 4 p.m., at Kent Polytech Adult Education Center, 823 Walnut
Shade Rd., Woodside, DE. To register, please visit https://delaware.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_cJ8EXf0LVWIppYM&SVID=Prod.
Coalition to Conduct
First Health Impact Assessment in Delaware
According to a
November 15 Delaware Greenways press release, "Delaware Greenways
and the Environment and Policy Committee of Delaware's Coalition for
Healthy Eating and Active Living (DE HEAL), in partnership with the
Division of Public Health and other agencies, will be conducting the
first health impact assessment (HIA) in Delaware. This is
ground-breaking work, with the potential to change the way in which
land use and transportation planning decisions are made in Delaware.
HIAs identify the health-related impacts of decisions in non-health
sectors and help decision makers and the public to understand the full
consequences of particular policies, plans, and projects."
For more information, please visit http://www.delawaregreenways.org/wellness.html.
|
|
 National News
New Study: Land Use and Traffic
Congestion
According to a
November 13 article in the w
Western Planner, "An exciting new study, 'Land Use and Traffic
Congestion,' from the Arizona DOT confirms the strong relationship
between compact, transportation efficient development and vehicular
travel reduction with hard data. Land use and transportation
interactions and relationships are clarified. Key drivers of travel
reduction are the four Ds:
- Density
and compactness of land uses, where proximity encourages walking
and biking;
- Diversity
and mix of land uses, particularly the balance of residential,
retail and commercial uses;
- Design
of transportation with sidewalks, a street grid pattern, and
numerous intersection, route and mode alternatives; and,
- Destinations
with easy access outside of the neighborhood and community,
particularly jobs that can be reached by transit.
The study
shows trip lengths and automobile travel are substantially reduced by
compact, transportation-efficient land use." For more
information, please visit http://www.azdot.gov/TPD/ATRC/publications/pro
ject_reports/PDF/AZ618.pdf.
U.S. Roads and Bridges
Are Getting Smarter
According to a November 1 article in Government
Technology, "Cars will have the capability to send and receive
data from the roadways. Smarter cars also have the potential to ease
roadway congestion, influencing route choices based on current
conditions. Vehicle-to-infrastructure communication could even alert
that upcoming red light that you're on your way, prompting a change to
green. The U.S. Department of Transportation will use data
gathered in current trials to determine future requirements for
automobile manufacturers related to connected vehicles. Experts believe
new cars will need to be equipped with connected vehicle sensors within
the next few years. The data collected will be transmitted to traffic
management centers, allowing government agencies to make more informed
decisions on how to maximize the efficiency of their transportation
infrastructure." To view the source article, please visit http://www.govtech.com/US-Roads-and-Bridges-Are-Getting-Smarter.html.
Young
Drivers Still Texting While Driving
According to a November 16 USA Today article, "Nearly
seven in 10 young drivers still text behind the wheel, and a growing
number of them access the Internet on their cellphones while driving,
according to a new annual survey by insurance company State Farm.
Despite years-long national campaigns against texting while driving,
which is now illegal in 39 states and the District of Columbia, 68% of
drivers ages 18-29 reported engaging in the practice, up from 64% last
year. That compares with 34% of all drivers who reported texting while
driving, up from 32% a year ago. There were even sharper increases in
the equally risky behavior of surfing the Internet while driving: 48%
of young drivers reported accessing the Web behind the wheel, up from
43% last year. Those figures exclude programming a GPS
device." To view the source article, please visit http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2012/11/15/young-drivers-still-texting-surfing-the-web/1707711/.
Two
New Complete Streets Reports
According to a
September EPA e-newsletter, "The National Complete Streets
Coalition's 2011 Policy Analysis analyzes the more than 350 Complete
Streets policies that have been approved by communities across the
country. These policies are working to make streets safer, more livable
and more welcoming for everyone, and the 2011 Policy Analysis surveys
the most successful and robust. Local policies of particular note
are highlighted throughout the report, providing a comprehensive
examination of best policy practices across the country. Accompanying
the new report is the latest edition of the Complete Streets Local
Policy Workbook. This introductory guide serves as a starting point for
transportation experts and interested local leaders to begin mapping
out their own Complete Streets policies." For more information,
please visit www.completestreets.org/resources/new-report-and-companion-workbook-highlight-successful-complete-streets-policies-from-across-the-united-states/.
NYC Study Finds Protected
Bike Lanes Boost Local Business
According to a
November 1 America Bikes blog entry, "A new study from the New
York Department of Transportation shows that streets that safely
accommodate bicycle and pedestrian travel are especially good at
boosting small businesses, even in a recession. NYC DOT found that
protected bikeways had a significant positive impact on local business
strength. After the construction of a protected bicycle lane on 9th
Avenue, local businesses saw a 49% increase in retail sales. In
comparison, local businesses throughout Manhattan only saw a 3%
increase in retail sales. In many ways, these data come as no surprise.
We know that when towns invest in bicycle infrastructure, people will
ride more -- the number of people traveling by bicycle increases when
there is infrastructure to make traveling by bike safe and
easy." For more information, please visit www.americabikes.org/nyc_study_finds_protected_bicycle_lanes_boost_local_business.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
