The Safety Of Cycling On Salem Church Road

Big shout out to BFF Productions for making this possible!

This video is a collaboration of Frank Warnock of 1st State Bikes and Mario Nappa. With Mario hosting, Frank Warnock answers questions about the hazards of riding on a 1/2-mile stretch of Salem Church Road between the I95 overpass on the north end to Old Baltimore Pike on the southern end.

At the end of the video we give you contact information so you can connect with your state representative to encourage that bike lanes are added along this section for the safety of cyclists, pedestrians, and motorists.

Thank you for watching and for your help in making Bike Route One a safer place to ride.

East Coast Greenway Fail in Ogletown

According to the East Coast Greenway (ECG) website greenway.org:

The East Coast Greenway is a walking and biking route stretching 3,000 miles from Maine to Florida, connecting our nation’s most populated corridor. The East Coast Greenway is designed to transform the 15 states and 450 communities it connects through active and healthy lifestyles, sustainable transportation, community engagement, climate resilience, tourism, and more. The Greenway offers a safe place for bicyclists, walkers, runners, and more — of all ages and abilities — to commute, exercise, and visit new destinations.

For Delaware's portion of the ECG: Enjoy the charming historic city of New Castle before continuing on the New Castle Riverfront Greenway along the Delaware River and heading westward to Newark, starting out on the Penn Farm Trail. The route incorporates a mix of side paths and roads to Newark, a small college town near the Maryland border where travelers will find themselves on the James F. Hall Trail before hitting the road again to the Maryland border.

There are numerous infrastructure and safety issues with the East Coast Greenway (ECG) in Delaware. Among them a section of shared use path (SUP) along Route 4 in Ogletown, where it crosses Augusta Drive to a 1 block section of shared Route 4 frontage street. This crossing is impeded by a raised N-S center median and there is no marked crossing through it. Crossing here is taking your life in your hands, with high speed traffic blindly turning onto Augusta exactly where ECG users attempt to cross.

Very recently, this intersection was marked out for a traffic signal upgrade (photo left). In contacting DelDOT, it turns out that other features are being replaced as well, including pedestrian refuge islands and corner curb ramps. An existing pedestrian crosswalk across Route 4 to the "Shops at Augusta" (a small strip mall) will also be refreshed, but DelDOT will not be adding a crossing of Augusta to maintain ECG continuity.

Why isn't the ECG part of this upgrade? Even leveling the median for an unmarked at-grade crossing would be of help, as bicyclists are likely to circumvent around nearer to the lanes of Route 4. We wrote to DelDOT to inquire, and learned that none of this would be considered. In their words, "this signal rebuild has a limited scope and would not be able to address the geometric issues regarding the installation of a new crossing on SB Augusta Drive. However, as you requested we can add the R10-15 (turning vehicles yield to pedestrians sign) on the right side of SB Augusta Drive. It will be added at the end of the construction. In addition, we will forward your request for this intersection to DelDOT Project Development or the PAR program for further investigation or consideration in future projects" and "it would have doubled the scope of the project in both time and cost".

Adding a R10-15 on southbound Augusta is hardly solace for what should have been. This was a big pathways opportunity missed that could and should have earned the scope of this signal project. Minus any fix -- even a simple median leveling as suggested -- Augusta will now remain an impediment, as an unmarked and unsafe crossing in the ECG for years to come. It will still require stepping over or biking around a median in an uncontrolled manner (YouTube video). Meanwhile, there are plenty of examples of crosswalks added in similar rehab projects around Delaware one could point to. And, It has been understood for a decade now that Complete Streets improvements should be considered via reconstruction & rehab projects if at all possible -- even if additional funds might be needed. The ECG right of way should be of no exception.

Par for the course. Just like the loss of the Orphanage Property as a park and pathways system (the region's last chance), privilege does indeed matter. Ogletown-S. Newark is 'undeserving' of these amenities based largely on socio-economic status. Other regions of higher rank and privilege fair much better in Delaware when it comes to multi-modal and community investment. Think: would it be the same outcome if this involved the Delaware Greenway in North Wilmington?

For the record: As we have seen over and over again, it was just another failure on the part of oversight orgs such as Bike Delaware, Wilmapco, DE Greenways, and area Legislators that a critical greenways/pathways improvement opportunity came and went with nary a peep. If they weren't made aware, perhaps DelDOT lacks the mechanism to reach out when a rehab or reconstruction project impacts a SUP pathway system like the ECG? Each of these org's missions emphasizes the need for multi-modal connectivity and networks that facilitate safe bicycling and walking. Bike Delaware in particular has a dismal track record in this regard.

Above: Google Streetview. East Coast Greenway 8' wide SUP is seen coming down from the above left straddling the Route 4 shoulder/bike lane to the side street intersection of Augusta Drive. A narrow sidewalk continues north on Augusta but there lacks any safe crossing of Augusta to continue east bound on the ECG (or vice versa).

WNJ: DelDOT turns to crowdsourcing to find best bike routes

Piecing together low stress roads is a major challenge in DE.

Featured in the Wilmington News Journal --  Transportation officials are seeking feedback from cyclists to find out where in Delaware the best bike routes are located and where barriers to safe cycling lie.

It is a crowdsourcing effort that will help the Delaware Department of Transportation formulate its statewide bicycle policy plan, officials said.

DelDOT this week published an interactive website online that allows cyclists to draw the location of a preferred bike route and label with a red exclamation mark any obstructions that lie along the path. Users can also view other cyclists' routes, and state whether they agree with listed barriers.

More than two dozen commenters posted notes on the map by Friday morning. Examples included a cyclist who pinned an obstruction on Hercules Road west of Wilmington, stating there is "NO SAFE WAY TO TRAVEL EITHER DIRECTION from RT 41 to Hercules Road."

A Lewes bike rider stated the "Junction & Breakwater Trail under the Freeman Highway overpass has no marking to separate bicycles from street traffic. Also Bikes traveling down hill Northbound on Trail have no warning going into blind corner."

Those kinds of comments will help DelDOT identify problems "and prioritize needs for bicycling, including connections for separated facilities," agency officials said in a statement.

The map will remain online until October. [Cont. Reading ...]

Poster's note: Very important that bicyclists participate in this.

Cross-county bicycle route(s) proposed for Cecil

1st State BIKES advocates have been discussing how to make Cecil County Maryland more bicycle friendly. Many view Cecil as being "orphaned" and in a world by itself when it comes to State bicycling improvements and Complete Streets. It shows in the lack of even minimal infrastructure. Yet, for both DE and MD bicyclists alike, it provides some of the best scenery in tri-state area. It is the first choice for several area bicycle clubs, as they head out for both weekend and weeknight rides from Newark.

Advocates began by asking Michael Jackson, Maryland DOT's Director of Bicycle and Pedestrian Access, for "Share the Road" signs along the 1/3 mile stretch of Route 896 in Maryland. His department not only obliged, but recommended the use of  "Bicycles May Use Full Lane" warning signs instead. The discussion then shifted to Barksdale Road, given its existing high volume of bicyclists - many that ride to and from Millburn Orchards. Barksdale Road in Newark already has some bike lanes and warning signs (MUTCD W11-1) which abruptly end at the Cecil County line where the road narrows to 2 lanes with no shoulder.

From there, the discussion shifted to the fact that Cecil County in general is long overdue for more widespread improvements, including the establishment of a few marked bicycle routes. As most are aware, DelDOT has been installing Share the Road signs (now W11-1 warning signs only) throughout New Castle County for many years - maybe even decades. Many were focused around the Bike Route 1 corridor. That resulted in many more connecting roads in New Castle County having at least 1 or more signs in each direction, and the majority of bicyclists will agree that they have made a difference and may have saved lives we will never know about.

Michael then put us in touch with Maryland advocates, who are eager to assist in this project. A meeting will be scheduled to discuss several route possibilities and appropriate signage. Stay tuned for more info as the project unfolds. You can also view the Cecil County Bicycle Plan, an amazing project that was thoughtfully organized by Wilmapco with very few bicyclists supporting them.

Introducing the Newark to Wilmington Bikeway Proposal

 

Laura Wilburn biked XC in 2012

Introduced at the Delaware Walk-Bike Summit, the Newark to Wilmington Bikeway is a collaborative effort between the Delaware Bicycle Council, Delaware Bikes, and Laura Wilburn of the Urban Bike Project (Laura is car-free and bike/bus commutes daily between the 2 cities). Two route concepts begin on Route 4 in Newark by the entrance to Tubby Raymond Field. The center of Newark can be accessed several ways, including via Route 72, Wyoming Road, the Hall Trail, etc.

Option #1 utilizes both Route 4 and Kirkwood Highway, before bypassing areas around Price’s Corner. The second route spends more time on Route 4. Route 4 has wide shoulders all the way between Newark and Limestone Road, and a sidepath along much of the route. After Stanton Road, it turns to 4 lanes with intermittent shoulders, making it difficult to use Route 4 all the way into Wilmington.

Option #2 spends more time on Route 4. Route 4 has wide shoulders all the way between Newark and Limestone Road, and a sidepath along much of the route. After Stanton Road, it turns to 4 lanes with intermittent shoulders, making it difficult to use Route 4 all the way into Wilmington.

We will be collecting feedback from our readers as we gather support and present this proposal to DelDOT. You can click on each of the options above to view close-up segments, or view Option #1 in Google Maps.

Newark to Wilmington Bikeway unveiled at Heels and Wheels Summit

The 2014 Delaware Walk-Bike Summit "Heels and Wheels" was a fabulous success. A capacity crowd of 250+ arrived to hear an exceptional array of speakers covering all facets of bicycling and walking advocacy. The event was focused primarily on Complete Streets and the Trails and Pathways initiative, but on-road bicycle safety was also covered. This included the powerful new driver awareness video "It Only Takes a Second", a project spearheaded by the Delaware Bicycle Council.

Heels and Wheels was also Delaware Bikes' first major tabling opportunity, and every minute counted. We chose this time to debut our wildly popular "Newark to Wilmington Bikeway", a project of Delaware Bikes and the DBC. The route was created by cyclists who ride the route on their daily commutes, including Laura Wilburn, Executive Director of the Urban Bike Project. Enthusiastically learning about the route, scores of attendees signed our petition that will formally ask DelDOT for a feasibility study connecting these two major cities via on-road bicycle facilities. We will keep everyone updated on this initiative, and hope that you will join the groundswell of support!

A big round of applause goes to everyone who made this event possible, including the sponsoring organizations. A complete list can be found HERE.

The audience enjoying Dan Burdan, of the Walkable and Liveable Communities Institute, at one of the several break-out  sessions featuring noted speakers.

A man visits our table to sign the petition during a breakout session.

Governor Jack Markell addresses the crowd.

A jam packed crowd for lunch, waiting to hear Delaware Bicycle Council Chair Amy Wilburn present the poignant Driver's Awareness video. The audience was visibly moved by the powerful content.

Senator Dave Sokola introduces Transportation Secretary Shailen Bhatt.

Visit HERE for additional photos of the event.