Union Street Reconfiguration and Streetscape Improvement Study
WILMAPCO, Delaware Department of Transportation, and the City of Wilmington completed a study to examine how to best reconfigure Union Street between Pennsylvania Avenue and Sycamore Street to make it safer and serve residents and businesses better. Our goal is to develop Union Street into a “Main Street” corridor that supports future land use and transportation needs for all users and modes of transportation.
Please use the links below to review the Draft Final Report and Appendicies:
Draft Final Report
Appendix A: Existing Conditions
Appendix B: Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) Questionaire
Appendix C: Purpose and Need Statement
Appendix D: Outreach Summary
Appendix E: Range of Alternatives and Screening
Appendix F: Recommended Preferred Alternative
Appendix G: Cost Estimate
March 16, 2022 Public Workshop Materials
- Workshop Presentation – check out page 15 to view the full concept design.
- Workshop Recording
- Email your thoughts on the preferred Union St. concept design by March 31, 2022.
October 27, 2021 Public Workshop Materials
- Online Survey (extended through November 26, 2021)
- Workshop Presentation (2.17 MB)
- Review Draft Union Street Alternatives
- Review Draft Purpose and Need Statement
- Workshop Recording (English Version)
- Workshop Recording (Spanish Version)
Advisory Committee
In addition to public workshops, the Union Street Reconfiguration and Streetscape Improvement Study will be guided by an Advisory Committee that represents a variety of stakeholders and agencies, such as city and state elected officials, community groups, businesses, and citizens. Advisory Committee meetings provide additional opportunities to review study related information and provide meaningful feedback to the study team throughout the project.
Advisory Committee Meeting #2, October 13, 2021
The second Advisory Committee meeting was used to present the study’s draft Purpose and Need Statement, to explain the selected Measures of Effectiveness (MOE), and to show the different Alternative street layout concepts. The Alternatives were ranked using their scores from the MOE matrix, and this table was included in the presentation.
- Advisory Committee Meeting Presentation
- Advisory Committee Meeting Recording
- Draft Purpose and Need Statement
May 19, 2021 Public Workshop Materials
Advisory Committee Meeting #1, April 22, 2021
The first Advisory Committee meeting provided an introduction to the study and an opportunity for AC members to discuss the current conditions and their vision for the future of Union Street.
About this Study
Located on the west side of Wilmington, Union Street serves as an important transportation corridor, serving the local residential and business community while facilitating connectivity to the surrounding region. Union Street is a oneway, southbound street that is paired with Lincoln Street (one-way, northbound) to the east as main thoroughfares for the Bancroft Parkway/Delaware Avenue, West Side, Southwest, and Browntown-Hedgeville Neighborhood Analysis Areas, and serving the Canby Park, the Flats, Union Park Gardens and Little Italy neighborhoods.
This study will result in a preferred roadway configuration to support future land use and transportation needs of Union Street as a “Main Street Corridor” in the City of Wilmington. Located in a Center Transportation Investment Area, this project will complement DelDOT’s Pennsylvania Avenue/Union Street Intersection Safety Project (see below) and serves to improve and expand upon work originally initiated through DelDOT’s FY 2018 Union Street Rapid Reconfiguration project.
This study will take into consideration the needs of residents, commercial and business interests, commuters, and others using the corridor. Design alternatives will address lane arrangement, parking location and configuration, loading provisions, sidewalk improvements and streetscape enhancements. A traffic analysis will be also be completed to collect existing data and evaluate the proposed concept alternatives. Throughout this study, extensive community outreach will be conducted.
Union Street and Pennsylvania Avenue Intersection Safety Project
Three concepts for improvements to the safety of the intersection at Union Street and Pennsylvania Avenue were presented during a public workshop attended by more then 70 people in January 2019. These options have been developed to achieve a number of goals:
- Improve pedestrian safety and the accessibility of sidewalks
- Improve accessibility of transit stops
- Improve connectivity for bicyclists
- Address the impact of the proposed development at 2000 Pennsylvania Avenue
- Evaluate current and proposed conditions for vehicular traffic
By addressing these goals, the City intends to create a fully connected, accessible, and welcoming pedestrian environment, while also improving safety for all modes of travel. These improvements will provide safer access to destinations along Pennsylvania Avenue as well as Little Italy and other nearby neighborhoods. This is a conceptual study. Once an alternative is selected funding must be identified, and design plans prepared, before construction can begin. We don’t know how long that will take, but we will continue to keep the public updated as the project progresses.