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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.
September 9, 10 a.m.
Air Quality Subcommittee
September 12, 10 a.m.
Congestion Management
Subcommittee
September 12, 1 p.m.
WILMAPCO Council
September 12, 6:30 p.m.
Technical Advisory
Committee
September 19, 10 a.m.
Visit WILMAPCO at the following events:
September 15,
University of Delaware
Elkton Fall Fest
September 21
Main Street, Elkton
WILMAPCO will be closed on September 2 for Labor Day
For updates or more information on upcoming WILMAPCO meetings, please
visit www.wilmapco.org.
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 WILMAPCO News
 Public Comment Sought for
Two Billion Dollars in Proposed Transportation Improvements
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.
The draft amended
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 next to the
Cavaliers apartments alongside I-95
- SR 4,
Christina Parkway: SR 2-SR 896 - add 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:
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Member Agency
News
DelDOT
Public Workshop - U.S. 40 /SR 72
Intersection
Improvements
The Delaware
Department of Transportation (DelDOT) is holding a Public Workshop to
obtain comments from surrounding businesses and the general public for
the capital project on SR 72. The workshop will be held on
Tuesday, September 10 at Keene Elementary School, 200 LaGrange Avenue
in Newark. The public is invited to attend any time between 5 p.m. and
8 p.m. The project involves reconstructing the intersection of U.S. 40
and SR 72 to provide an additional through lane on each approach to
U.S. 40. In addition to improving pedestrian and bicycle access, the
project also includes providing double left-turn lanes along both U.S.
40 approaches to SR 72. For more information, please visit www.deldot.gov/public.ejs?command=PublicNotice&id=4938&month=9&year=2013.
DelDOT Public Hearing -
Capital Transportation Program
DelDOT invites
Interested persons to participate in the development of the states
six-year Capital Transportation Program (CTP) for Fiscal Years 2014 to
2019, by attending public hearings to be held in September. The
hearings provide an opportunity to review current and suggested
transportation projects. The hearings also include capital investments
for DART First State public transit. The public hearings will be held
in an open house format, with a Court Reporter available to take
comment. The New Castle County hearing will be held on Thursday,
September 26, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., at the Kathleen H. Wilbur
Elementary School. For more information, please visit www.deldot.gov/public.ejs?command=PublicNotice&id=4941&month=9&year=2013.
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 Local News
Maryland Greenhouse Gas
Reduction Plan Released by Governor O'Malley
According to the
July 2013 ClimateLine, "Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley hosted a
national Climate Change Summit at the Baltimore Maritime Institute to
release Maryland's historic Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Reduction Plan.
The GHG reduction goal of the Plan is to reduce Maryland's GHG
emissions by 25 percent from the 2006 baseline by 2020, equivalent to
cutting 55 million metric tons of CO2 (mmtco2) in 2020. The Plan aims
to achieve these environmental goals through a combination of 150 new
or updated programs, initiatives, and aid packages covering all
economic sectors. The Plan also includes a two-phase plan for climate
adaptation, including immediate preparation for sea level rise and
storm surges, as well as preparation for future changes in water cycles
and temperatures that affect the health of Maryland's citizens,
agriculture, ecosystems, Chesapeake Bay, and critical infrastructure."
For more information, please visit www.climatestrategies.us/library/library/view/943.
Delaware
Driver Behavior Survey
The Delaware Office of Highway Safety has created an online survey to
learn motorist views on traffic safety throughout the state. Survey
participants will then have an opportunity to win two tickets to one of
the three races in September at the Monster Mile, OHS Drive Sober team
racing apparel, or tickets to Firefly 2014. For more information,
please visit www.surveymonkey.com/s/OHS2013Survey.
Delaware Sea Level Rise
Awareness Week
Delaware has the lowest average elevation of any state, making its 381
miles of shoreline particularly vulnerable to sea level rise. September
14 - 22 is Delaware Sea Level Rise Awareness Week. Learn about rising
waters and what we can do to prepare during a series of public meetings
held throughout the state. All meetings will be held from 7 to 8:30pm,
and include panel presentations on:
- The
science behind Sea Level Rise
- The
ethical and social justice considerations
- Delaware
Sea Level Rise Advisory Committee recommendations
Meeting will be held at the following times and locations:
- Monday,
September 16 at the Christ Episcopal Church, South State St. and
Water St., Dover
- Wednesday,
September 18 at Limestone Presbyterian Church, 3201 Limestone Rd.
- Friday,
September 20 at St. Peter's Episcopal Church, 211 Mulberry St.,
Lewes
- Tuesday,
September 24 at Elbert-Palmer Elementary School, 1210 Lobdell St.,
Wilmington
For more
information, please visit http://sosdelaware.org
or email Chad Tolman at ctolman141@gmail.com.
The
King of Transit Bus Wrap Project
Geraldo "The
King of Transit" Gonzalez has been drawing public transit vehicles
since 2004. The King of Transit Bus Wrap Project aims to take one of
Geraldo's bus drawings and translate it into a full advertising wrap
over a DART bus. The cost of the project is $8,000. This project
will only be realized if at least $8,000 is pledged by Friday October
11 via the following website: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1861114503/the-king-of-transit-bus-wrap-project.
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 National News
Greening America's
Capitals: Request for Letters of Interest from Capital Cities
EPA's Office of
Sustainable Communities is seeking letters of interest from state
capital cities interested in receiving design assistance to create a
clear and implementable vision of distinctive, environmentally friendly
neighborhoods that incorporate smart growth strategies
and green infrastructure systems.
Letters of interest are due no later than 11:59 p.m.,
on September 23. Read the Request for Letters of Interest at
www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/pdf/greencapitals/greening-americas-capitals-letters-of-interest2013.pdf.
Longer
Walk to School Improves Girls' Cognitive Performance
According to an
abstract in a July 24th news release, "Cognitive performance of
adolescent girls who walk to school is better than that of girls who
travel by bus or car. Moreover, cognitive performance is also better in
girls who walk for more than 15 minutes, than in those who live closer
and have a shorter walk to school." For more information,
please visit http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-07/uog-cpi072413.php.
State
and Local Transportation Revenue Models and Sources
According to a
January State Smart Transportation Initiative (SSTI) website posting,
"This SSTI report (Report on State and Local Transportation
Revenue Sources) examines innovative, sustainable transportation
funding models to assist decision-makers in identifying policies and
practices to augment the current fuel tax revenue system. The report
provides a broad account of these funding methods, where they have been
implemented or proposed, and identifies state laws, policies, and
practices that permit state DOTs and local governments to pursue a more
sustainable funding model." For more information, please
visit http://www.ssti.us/2012/10/ssti-report-on-state-and-local-transportation-revenue-sources-ssti-2012/.
App
Lets Commuters Vent Traffic Frustration
According to an
email from Building America's Future, "Building America's Future
has developed a free mobile app that will allow delayed commuters
around the nation to directly and immediately e-mail their U.S.
Representative or Senator to share their frustration. The app is available
for download on Android and Apple devices - search for, "I'm
Stuck" or "Building Americas Future."
Additionally, the app can be downloaded from the website: http://action.bafuture.org/imstuck/.
DOT
Unveils New Tools to Help Communities Keep Pedestrians Safe
According to a U.S. Department of Transportation press
release, "Secretary Anthony Foxx has announced a new set of tools
to help communities combat the rising number of pedestrian deaths that
have occurred over the last two years. As part of the campaign, the
Department's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is making
$2 million in pedestrian safety grants available to cities with the
highest rate of pedestrian deaths, and along with the Federal Highway
Administration (FHWA), is launching a one-stop shop website www.nhtsa.gov/everyoneisapedestrian
with safety tips and resources for local leaders, city planners,
parents and others involved in improving pedestrian safety." For
more information, please visit www.nhtsa.gov/everyoneisapedestrian.
2011
Pedestrian Traffic Safety Fact Sheet Released
The U.S. National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration has released a fact sheet that
summarizes the number of pedestrian injuries and fatalities in the
United States in 2011. In 2011, on average, a pedestrian was killed
every two hours and injured every eight minutes in traffic crashes in
the United States. For more information, please visit www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811748.pdf.
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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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