Thursday, October 30, 2014

For green commuting, bicycling hardly registers in Delaware


The Weather Channel -- If you’re like the vast majority of Americans, you probably still head off to work every morning in your own car by yourself. But in certain states, commuters are finding greener ways to get to the office, according to Mashable.com.

Whether it’s walking, biking, taking public transit, carpooling or simply working from home, leaving your car in the garage can help reduce carbon emissions and protect the environment.

The U.S. Census Bureau’s 2013 American Community Survey reveals which states are getting it right – and which ones have room for improvement. [Full article ...]

Poster's note: Delaware is dismal, and will remain dismal as long as the following continues:
  • We only apply Complete Streets with total road reconstruction, when we should be applying it with all projects including repaving and re-striping (this was in the original Complete Streets policy draft, but was pulled shortly before Gov. Markell signed it).
  • For those who try to bike, what they find is a smattering of network facility pieces (occasional bike lanes and pathways), usually leading nowhere or feeding into a dangerous situation.
  • The WNJ is rife with stories - every few days it seems - about high speed crashes resulting in death and carnage (here, here, and here of late).
  • Drivers, including new and inexperienced teens, are splitting their attention between i-Phones and the road in front of them with no fear of prosecution.
  • Gas prices are plunging, resulting in a renaissance of Truck and SUV sales (by contrast, when nearly $4/gal was reached, bicycle sales measurably increased).
All things considered, the prospects are bleak that modeshare will increase anytime soon - not just here but most of the U.S.

College Ave in Newark
Salem Church Road in Bear

"I'm not  100% convinced everyone at DelDOT is following the same rules, but my understanding is that typically when a bike lane stops there is no paint at all. It looks like someone is saying there is no approved design, so they will use their unapproved design that tells motorists that bicyclists and pedestrians are painted off the road, rather than an unapproved design that recognizes the ROW of bicyclists or pedestrians”  ~ Steve Bertolini

1 comment:

  1. OMG! That Salem Church Road bike lane treatment is worse than anything I've EVER seen! How the hell does Delaware rank at #6?!?!?

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