Newark Post: Council approves Bicycle Plan for Newark

Heather Dunigan was key
in developing the Plan

By Karie Simmons - ksimmons@newarkpostonline.com

After getting approval from council Monday night, the city can now move forward with its newest plan to make Newark a more bicycle-friendly community over the next several years.

Two years in the making, the 2014 Newark Bicycle Plan was created by the Newark Bicycle Committee and was a collaboration between area residents, city officials, the Wilmington Area Planning Council, the Delaware Department of Transportation and local bicycle advocacy organizations.

According to Planning and Development Supervisor Michael Fortner, the city has come a long way since its last bike plan in 2002 with the creation of the Hall and Pomeroy trails, the Newark Bike Project and a bicycle safety-checkpoint program. In addition to improving bike lanes on South Main Street and Paper Mill Road, Newark now has more bike racks on Main Street and on DART and University of Delaware buses, but there is still more improvements to be made, Fortner said.

Between 2005 and 2010, there have been 106 bike-related crashes in Newark, with 17 occurring on College Avenue, 16 on South Main Street, 15 on Delaware Avenue and 13 East Main Street. Fortner said 44 of those crashes were at busy intersections such as Delaware Avenue and Academy Street, South Main Street and Casho Mill Road and Delaware.  [Full Story ...]