Area bicyclists are encouraged at every opportunity to talk up Wilmington’s planned bike routes that will be funded by a Transportation Enhancements (TE) grant. The plan has been criticized by Bike Delaware, and slow to gain traction with City government. However, Wilmapco Council voted on May 8th to give these improvements the highest priority in the TIP (Transportation Improvement Plan).
The use of sharrows and signage isn’t perfect, but the City can get miles of visible routes on a very small budget, and that is an excellent start. It is important to note that this project was developed and supported by the community itself.
We are asking our readers to talk it up in active circles. Post comments here on Delaware Bikes and any other organizations that are willing to listen. Post comments whenever you see a good opportunity on Bike Delaware's website and Facebook page. Wilmington is far behind many other cities of similar size when it comes to infrastructure and the implementation of bicycle safety improvements, and we need to get this moving.
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| A bicyclist enjoys a freshly applied Sharrow on Market Street in Wilmington (photo courtesy of David Blankenship) |
I've got mixed views on this. I like it that it runs from my neighborhood on the far west side of the city to downtown, but it goes up and down some of the hilliest parts of the city to do it. I ride some of those streets anyway, since they don't have much traffic, but I can't see it being practical for inexperienced cyclists or those who don't like arriving at their destination sweaty. Busy Pennsylvania Avenue bypasses the hill, but at busy times of the day is intimidating to the inexperienced (and experienced sometimes). I'd like to see some sort of bike infrastructure there as well.
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