Greed, Moral Bankruptcy, and the "WaWa Effect"

The massive growth of "convenience" superstores, and their vast array of mega-gas pumps and car-infested parking lots is fast destroying any notion of a bikeable greater Newark. In the past, residents from within City limits have been able to defeat the plans of these greedy corporations and their billionaire CEOs and investors -- particularly along Elkton Rd/new S. Main Street. Such spotty success, however, sends the message that bicycling for transportation is unique to select small areas, like college towns. Yet the vast majority of car trips made in the U.S. are generated in suburbs and are less than a mile long. This is a distance easily biked or walked by at least 2/3 of Americans, but our so-called leaders in local and State govt and their supporting organizations aren't interested in that.

First of two Wawas proposed for South College Avenue advances

Key Excerpts:
Commissioner Christopher Williamson expressed dismay that Wawa is seeking to come to an area already crowded with gas stations. Wawa would be the fifth gas station in the 1-mile stretch of South College Avenue leading up to the I-95 interchange. A sixth gas station, a Dash In, is proposed for across the street at the site of the Rodeway Inn.

“Talk about a bleak landscape between West Chestnut Hill Road and the freeway. It’s disappointing it’s turned out this way. I know it meets code, I know that it’s economics that drives what you can put there,” Williamson said. “That one little shopping center and Jersey Mike’s, there’s hardly a blade of green grass in there. It’s pretty bleak looking. I just wish the city could have gotten ahead of it, but it’s too late, the train is out of the station.”

Despite expressing concerns about the project, the planning commission voted 6-0 to recommend city council approve a minor subdivision and special-use permit for the Wawa. A date for council consideration has not yet been scheduled.

The Wawa proposal voted on Tuesday is one [FOUR MORE] being proposed in and around Newark [Full article . . .]

Newark is even on board for annexing the necessary land to encourage WaWa's gross expansion. As such, the promotion and approval of these cancerous blights will be the City leader's 'legacy'. Instead of planting trees, in their minds, it is more important to destroy the environment, lock in car-dependency, and ruin any sense of placemaking. They, and their New Castle County cohorts in "Planning" and Land Use are the antithesis of One Less Car and are equally to blame for this disaster. Shame on everyone involved.

Related:
NO to Super WaWa at Apple and Elkton Roads in Newark
Is this what we really want for South Main Street?
Where is Bike Delaware on projects that really matter?
Mayor: WaWa out of the picture for Park n' Shop

U-Dud: Who is driving UD's anti-bicycling sentiment?

From the Newark Post article:

"[McBride] added that another key component to improving cycling in Newark is working with the University of Delaware, which he said has fallen behind competitors like Penn State and the University of Maryland as it relates to cycling infrastructure. McBride said UD “hasn’t been all that interested in helping us,” noting that UD’s interest in cycling waned after a student was fatally struck by a bike outside the Trabant University Center in 2015."

It is no secret that Earl "Rusty" Lee of  the University of Delaware's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty is anti-bicycling. We have heard it from past students and overheard U.D. alumni saying as much. It was objectively obvious during the Shared Right Turn-Only Lane project 12 years ago. DelDOT tasked U.D. with conducting field and human factors testing and providing the data necessary to have this vital modification added to the Delaware MUTCD.

Surely, we cannot prove Mr Lee's complicity in UD's attitude in the Post article above. But their unwillingness to help Newark move toward a green sustainable transportation future is repugnant at best. Apparently, it is based this on a single bike-ped accident at Trabant Student Center that resulted in a fatality.

The University and Mr Lee should be reminded that bike collisions with pedestrians (resulting in death or serious injury) are exceptionally rare compared to cars. People dependent on cars result in 38,000 road deaths per year in the U.S. (this includes in Newark) and costs everyone many billions of dollars in medical services and property damage. There are also the health implications of driving costing 10s of thousands of lives every year. These include respiratory illness, noise anxiety/stress, obesity etc. Instead of holding a grudge, U.D. should be at the forefront getting people out of cars and into active (pdf) modes like bicycling. They should also provide a car-share system instead of minimum parking requirements for students.

The revolution in e-Bike and scooter technology alone all but mandates U.D. to act, as hundreds if not thousands of their students depend on these modes to get to class. Needless to say, oil-dependent transportation accounts for the largest share of heat trapping emissions, ultimately dooming our planet. U.D. should also provide multi-modal education and provide a monthly stipend to the Newark Bike Project. NBP is a huge asset, helping their students fix and maintain their bikes while teaching them self-reliance in this manner.

Shame on the University of Delaware for waving the environmental baton while jamming it in the spokes of people on bikes, those trying to be "one less car".

The Failure of Newark's South Main Street

S. Main Street facing South, median section

Why has Newark's "New" South Main Street failed to capture the cultural and historic richness that every U.S. Main Street should enjoy? Why hasn't it lived up to the civic and place-making ambiance (albeit eroded) of the City's East Main Street?

Writer and journalist James Howard Kunstler demonstrates the failure of modern U.S. architecture and civic design in this 19 minute TED Talk. The failure of South Main Street begins at 9:22, or HERE, and could not be more apparent.

Unfortunately, such reckless design continues in development and "revitalization" projects today. It remains to be seen if, for example, College Square is truly walkable & bikeable. Odds are, it will be the usual hellscape designed to encourage everyone to drive, and to park as many cars as possible. Place-making and multi-modal provisions, if included, are an afterthought at best. But maybe we'll be lucky, and College Square will be an improvement. You can read about it HERE.

Architecture is but one component failure of South Main Street. This "street" was designed with a mix of highway (12'+ wide) car lanes, numerous high speed slip (turn-only lanes) and even a 18' center turn lane for a portion of it. Traffic calming is all but absent except in the area of Amstel Ave, for the sake of University of Delaware foot traffic. Beyond that, induced motorist speed is much higher than the posted 30 mph, which in a true Main Street environment would be 25 mph or less. Sadly, South Main Street is little more than a "Stroad". Stephen Lee Davis points out the failure of this design in his brilliant piece HERE:

Slip lanes on roads and streets are emblematic of what it looks like in practice to sacrifice safety on the altar of speed, where this underlying goal of “keep cars moving fast at all times” runs counter to the goal of “keep everyone safe while moving from A to B”—even if you say that safety is important. If we truly prioritize safety, as T4America is suggesting in our second principle, we would never build a slip lane on a local street again.

Conclusion: S. Main Street planners ignored good civic design by combining separated and/or raised retail frontage with speed-inducing highway design. They hoped it would appeal at the human scale, but even in the early planning phase of this project 15 years ago, this was a known fail (note: JHK's TED Talk is from 2004).  Marginal sidewalks and bike lanes alone cannot replace traffic calming and facilitate a return to the public realm. Because of this, foot traffic on South Main Street is a fraction of East Main Street, and many (if not most) storefronts remain vacant for years, some occupied by UD or the developers themselves. Unfortunately, this built environment is built and baked in for many years to come.

Divorce complete: The relationship between retail, the sidewalk and street is destroyed upon separation.

Newark's Main Street Rehabilitation Workshop set for 8/15 at 7pm

Project Overview:
The scope of work for this project includes the replacement of the existing bituminous concrete pavement, pcc curb, sidewalk, drainage improvements, signal upgrades, curb extensions, pavement markings and signage. Visit the workshop page HERE for location and further details.

What a disappointment that advocates aren't pushing for this. We discussed the possibility with DelDOT's Mark Luszcz, Chief P.E. in Dec. 2016, and found that it basically requires the City getting on board with it, at least with a proposal.

An attractive and livable downtown for Newark will stay an impossible dream until traffic is sharply reduced (one lane, with serious bike lanes and sidewalks) or eliminated from Main Street. The congestion, noise, fumes, etc is oppressive, to say the least. This project won't change that. The City needs to reconfigure its traffic pattern to allow Main Street -- or at least a good stretch of it (i.e. Tyre to Academy) -- to close to motor traffic. It could become one of a growing number of Pedestrian Malls in the U.S.

Since everyone knows that this level of change -- one that would actually reduce motor vehicles on Main Street -- is too progressive for Newark, everything else must be considered. Treatments like a green sharrow lane will at least help bicycle (and indirectly, pedestrian) safety, and wonderfully compliment other traffic calming measures.

Most of the cars in downtown Newark are University of Delaware students that live nearby (within easy walking/biking distance) and out of town cruisers checking out the "scenery". What a waste. So many other cities are transforming their Main Streets now (Charlottesville VA, Cumberland MD to name a few) in favor of non-motorized traffic. Sad that Newark can't take lessons from them.

Unique opportunity to transform Newark's Main Street

Newark's Main Street is up for Pave & Rehab in 2017. Advocates have a historic opportunity to greatly improve bicycle safety and comfort downtown, if the City communicates to DelDOT their desire to participate in a national green lane experiment. DelDOT will not initiate this on their own; it will take the City, or the Newark Bicycle Committee, to spearhead the effort, with DelDOT in a supporting (and application) role. According to NACTO's website:

. . . in 2009, the city of Long Beach received FHWA and CTCDC approval to experiment with a shared lane marking that is set within a 5’ green painted area at the midpoint of the roadway in the left-most and right-most lanes.  A study conducted as part of the experiment measured a 100% increase in cyclists and an improvement in bicyclist lateral position in the roadway.

It is important that cities participate in these studies, in order for new infrastructure concepts to be adopted into National and State manuals as standard treatments. For example, in 2007, Ithaca NY was among several cities that participated in the use of Sharrows, and having them included in the 2009 MUTCD for the first time.

Newark is moving forward with "Parkettes". It goes without saying that designating Main Street's right lane (clearly marked) for mixed use would only increase safety. Sitting outside within the confines of a parking space, immediately adjacent to passing traffic will be a leap of faith for most people in the current environment. Though uncommon, parkettes have been struck by cars.

It should also be noted that for many years, Newark officials (most notably Mayor Vance Funk) declared that they had a vision for a Main Street bike lane, even if it came at the expense of one side of car parking. Instead, we have businesses and city planners scrambling to add a parking garage.

Though it has been strictly outlawed, most UD students and locals that bike Newark simply refuse to ride in Main Street's right lane in its current configuration (sharrows only). Aggressive and distracted driving are among the top reasons cited, and that's not about to change anytime soon.

Conclusion: Though there would need a push, and some initial work involved, Newark has a unique opportunity to improve bicycle and (future) parkette safety on Main Street. They would encourage more folks to ride in the right lane where they belong. Mode share for non-motorized traffic would increase. The City would be participating in a national process to have shared green lane infrastructure nationally approved. They would be making due on their long promised Main Street bike lane, though a shared lane compromise (but one we could all embrace). It would be a great shame if Newark did not pursue this idea, and chose to commit this upcoming Pave & Rehab project with only Sharrows to show for it, for the duration of its life, which could be 15 years or more.

"Bicycle-Friendly" South Main Street in Newark

Tuesday, March 17 was about as ordinary as one could expect riding into Newark via S. Main Street (formerly Elkton Road). But even with bike lanes, that still isn't enough for some motorists who simply detest those not driving being on 'their' road.

Not only is it sad beyond belief that bicyclists must endure this kind of harassment, it is also sad that the City and DelDOT planners saw fit to include 12' travel lanes in a 30 mph zone, in an up and coming "village-like" part of town. The result, as seen in the video above, is narrow bike lanes straddling long stretches of curb. Savvy bicyclists will ride near the white line, or even in the lane to avoid debris and keep a safe distance from curbs and pedestrians, as cars wiz by at induced speeds far exceeding the speed limit in most cases. For a very compelling argument on why 12' travel lanes are disastrous for safety, visit HERE.

A center turn lane further north - on the approach to Delaware Ave - is 16' wide. It comes at the expense of wider bike lanes, which is completely uncalled for in a 25 mph zone. One excuse offered by Wilmapco was that transit routes require 12' lanes, due to the possibility of sideswipe collisions with buses. No evidence has been found to substantiate this claim. In fact, it is not uncommon to find 10'-11' lanes in other U.S. cities that provide bus service.

Where wide center turn lanes are concerned, today's DelDOT engineers are beginning to realize this absurdity, as evidenced by the upcoming Route 72 widening project. Having them reduced to 11', and thus adding a couple extra feet of bike lane was a major victory. This would not have happened without the intervention of a few dedicated road bicycling advocates, and a project engineer that was willing to consider non-motorized safety.

Unfortunately, today's offender will probably strike again; next time against someone a lot more skittish and not wearing hearing protection. Someone that might be startled, swerve, and possibly fall into the lane next to them (or on the curb). The Tag number is 965952. I will forward a link to this blog post to the Newark Police, in the hopes that they will follow up and ticket this motorist. But I'm not holding my breath, given such widespread lack of enforcement for even the most basic traffic violations, never mind where a bicyclist or pedestrian is concerned.

Most drivers are too stupid to realize the speed that an infuriated bicyclist can travel, especially in an urban environment. The motorist's tag number was easily captured further up the road, along Delaware Avenue.

Cycle track video highlights need for better education and enforcement

The author, preparing to take a relaxed ride to Main Street

By Angela Connolly -- It was with great interest that I watched this video, and read the article. I was especially curious, as these roads are part of my regular ride to and from Downtown Newark, and I ride them often. Even as a new cyclist, several years ago, I was not terrified to ride on these roads - only eager to learn from my mentors how to take my proper place on them. To support the need for this cycle track, this video presents Ms. Jones's view of cycling these roads, and while I agree that they can be challenging to ride, her behavior at times had me concerned.

For myself, I have learned that in order to be safe, in Newark and anywhere else, I must ride responsibly and predictably. To me, that means cycling defensively, and anticipating different possibilities at all times. That means slowing down at crosswalks, especially around the busy University, or the Newark High School, and anticipating that I might encounter pedestrians. Pedestrians approaching the crosswalk are intending to cross, and must be yielded to. When sharrows are present, I ride right down the middle of the lane, keeping myself visible and out of the door zone. And when no sharrows are present, and I must take the lane to get where I need to go, I behave predictably - I don't stay near the curb unless I am intending to turn right. I don't hesitate or slow down in the bike lane when it is clear to move ahead. That sends mixed signals - where will motorists think you are going? Take your proper place on the road, and behave appropriately. And tell yourself this, as I have many times, while motorists honk at me and call me names - I am traffic. I belong here. It is my right to be in this lane. Put simply, if drivers are harassing and threatening bicyclists that are in the lane, the City and its police department are not doing their job (we already know that DMV - here and nationally - are not doing their jobs in terms of education and re-testing).

This isn't to say it's always easy. Is it always safe? No. And it's not always fun. But when cyclists don't claim their rightful place on the roads, it sends a signal loud and clear that we are letting ourselves continue to be treated as second class citizens, and not valid road users. Whether we ride for recreation, transportation, or both, we have the right to infrastructure that encourages us, not scares us. And that includes on-road facilities as well as off road. And while I agree that trails, pathways, and cycle tracks do have a place in the overall network, they are only part of the solution.

I feel like, instead of promoting the proposed cycle track, this article and video made a better argument for education and enforcement, both for bicyclists and motorists. It was an eye-opener that made me look at my behavior, and the sometimes inappropriate behaviors of my fellow cyclists, as seen in the video, who sometimes need to be educated, and more importantly, encouraged to ride the roads. A cycle track won't cure those bad behaviors. The use of the word "terrifying" to describe cycling on our LAB designated Bike Friendly hometown newspaper's front page is discouraging, and inappropriate. And it undermines the positive efforts that the Newark Bicycle Committee, and other advocates, have put forth. Fear-mongering will discourage cyclists and keep them from cycling in Newark until years pass and the cycle track might be built. This is Ms. Jones's experience, and it does not reflect all of our experiences. Cyclists have been made to feel like they do not belong in traffic for too long. 

In summary, this proposed cycle track might be a good idea, but it won't immediately address the concerns of those who need to commute and navigate all of the areas of Newark. Even if the cycle track is built, there will have to be education provided, so that those who ride it will do so properly, with the proper etiquette. So in the meantime, as we anticipate Newark's first cycle track, it's also important that bicyclists remain a steady and accepted presence on the road as well.

The author (not terrified) rides Delaware Avenue past S. Chapel Street in 2011. In its current condition, bicyclists need to have confidence and take the lane as needed, especially where the bike lane narrows across from the 7-11.  Surface conditions also demand lane control, as cracks and holes from shifts in the asphalt present a safety hazard. Lane control is necessary on many roads in Newark, especially those with sub-standard or door zone bike lanes.

Grad student's video highlights need for cycle track on Delaware Avenue

From the Newark Post -- Kirsten Jones is no stranger to the perilous Delaware Avenue bicycle lane.

The University of Delaware graduate student uses her bike as her primary means of travel around Newark and estimates she treks down Delaware Avenue at least five times a week.

In her daily travels on the road, she’s learned to be ready for anything: pedestrians stepping out into the street, cars abruptly turning in front of her, buses pulled over in her path and cars parked in the bike lane in front of Newark High School.

“Those are pretty standard experiences,” Jones said, noting that she knows several cyclists who have been in accidents on Delaware Avenue.

Recently, Jones strapped a camera on her bike to create a video documenting the obstacles cyclists face on Newark’s main west-to-east route. It was part of a study Jones did looking at the feasibility of building a two-way cycle track on Delaware Avenue. [Complete article ...]

 Delaware Avenue at the S. Chapel Street intersection in 2010. A brand new "pork chop" (concrete) island was recently installed, nudging bicyclists much closer to the lane of traffic than before.

Poster's note: A cycle track segregates bicyclists from traffic. How they will safely negotiate intersections and other access points from within, that remains to be seen. Many advocates for education and enforcement oppose such facilities, because they reduce or eliminate the bicyclist's rights as a participant in vehicular traffic.

Study: Hall, Pomeroy trails most popular in Delaware

Newark Post -- As the winter sun set on Monday, David Blickwedel was skateboarding down the James F. Hall Trail, even as temperatures dipped near freezing. The University of Delaware senior frequents the trail, as well as the adjoining Pomeroy Trail, several times a week. “You can go all the way to White Clay, which is great,” Blickwedel said. “It's also sort of nestled away from people, which I like.” Blickwedel is not alone.

According to a Delaware State Parks report, the Hall and Pomeroy are the two most heavily used trails in the State. By installing trail counters, Delaware State Parks workers determined how many people used the trails for walking, running or biking. The strategically located trail counters registered an average of 92,437 users per year on the Hall Trail and 71,738 on the Pomeroy Trail, placing these two trails at the top of the list. [Full article ...]

Even on the coldest days, bicyclists and pedestrians are seen on the Hall and Pomeroy Trails.

Newark Bicycle Committee's 20 Greatest Hits for 2014

A HUGE tip of the helmet to Mark Deshon and the Newark Bicycle Committee for another stellar year:

1. Launched a Facebook page.
2. Bicycle Friendly Community application was submitted to the League of American Bicyclists (LAB).
3. Newark City Council approved NBC-crafted Newark Bike Plan.
4. Pomeroy Trail was designated a National Recreational Trail.
5. Four Bicycle Safety Checkpoint events were held on UD campus (two each semester).
6. UD and Newark Bike Project partnered to present bike-commuting workshop.
7. UD's HealthyU Employee Wellness hosted bike-safety event.
8. Heals & Wheels Delaware Walk & Bike Summit was held at UD's Clayton Hall in March.
9. Walkable/Bikeable Delaware Summit was held in May in Dover.
10. Bike to Work Day event was held in Newark on May 19.
11. In May, LAB announced Newark again had received Bronze status as a Bicycle Friendly Community (BFC).
12. Dialogue began on setting project goals for our committee; a cycle track on Delaware Avenue emerged as a key project.
13. Newark City Council approved its sending a partnership request letter to DelDOT for a cycle track project on Delaware Avenue.
14. Newark Bike Project (NBP) opened a new shop location on South Main Street.
15. NBC displayed at Newark Community Day.
16. UD Parking announced that plans for a BikeShare program for UD and the community are being developed.
17. NBC made recommendations for adjustments to UD's STAR Campus master plan with respect to improving bicycle accommodations.
18. Committee discussed LAB's post-BFC award feedback.
19. Plans have begun for a Mayor's Ride event in Newark.
20. NBP has started discussing ways to encourage local businesses to apply for Bicycle Friendly Business status through the LAB.

Want to know more? The Newark Bicycle Committee gives ongoing advice and support to the City of Newark and the Delaware Department of Transportation. Meetings are held at WILMAPCO on the 3rd Thursday of the month, at 4 p.m. Visit their webpage for complete details, and how you can become involved!

Mark Deshon, NBC Chair, addresses throngs of bicyclists at the 2012 Bike to Work Day event in Newark, as does Cleon Cauley of Wilmington's DPW (below) in 2011.

DelDOT: Too late to add 4th crosswalk at Elkton Rd/Christina Parkway

Delaware Bikes advocates asked DelDOT to install a crosswalk on the SW side of the Elkton Road/Christina Parkway intersection, but it appears those efforts have failed. The plans have already been drawn up, and the project should begin next year. Read all about it here, including photos.

According to Mark Luszcz, Chief Traffic Engineer:

"Summer 2015 is best case, and ADA or other issues could further delay the repaving project. I understand your concerns with the proposed crosswalks at 4/Elkton Rd, but design is (and has been) complete and there is not the time or money to redesign at this point. After we get this implemented we can consider if the 4th crosswalk can be added, or if it can be added as part of the widening project."

We cannot really predict how popular the Christina Parkway parallel bike path will be among the hundreds of students housed at "The Retreat". Time will tell how many will want or need to use it, and the only thing we can do is hope that safety will not be a problem.

In the map above, bicyclists wishing to exit "The Retreat" to the north and west of this intersection will find themselves dealing with an array of pedestrian facilities and a curb-hugging bike lane that does nothing to help them navigate through the intersection. The 3 sides of crosswalk are not likely until Summer or Fall of 2015 - well after Retreat students are moved in. Legend: Orange: Sidewalks, which are technically illegal (and dangerous) to ride on . Green: Existing parallel bike path facilities. Red: non-crosswalk side and direct connection to Christina Parkway bike path.

Car-nage in one of Newark's most un-bike friendly areas

Delaware On-line -- A bicyclist was hit by a car Friday evening in Newark and critically injured, authorities said.

The incident was reported just before 6 p.m. in the 600 block of S. College Ave.

New Castle County Paramedics found the bicyclist – identified only as a 23-year-old man – with possible head and back injuries, Paramedic Cpl. Abigail E. Haas said.

Paramedics treated him at the scene before he was transported to Christiana Hospital, where he was admitted in critical condition, she said. [Full article ...]

View Larger Map

Poster's note:  In this area of Newark, the sidewalk is the only refuge against the onslaught of cars and trucks. There is no place to ride except in the lane of traffic, ruling it out for all but the most skillful and brazen among us. To make matters worse, the Newark Bicycle Plan fails to include this area for future safety improvements. Another example is the Library Ave (Route 72) corridor between Route 273 and Wyoming Road.

The crash area is circled in red above. Note the proposed pathway to the west, however, this adds hills and does not service destinations along the Route 896/College Ave corridor. Hence, the need for a balanced approach to bicycle advocacy; one that includes on-road facilities in addition to Trails and Pathways.

3 ways that parklets could help [Newark] businesses

Cross-posted from CityLab -- How you feel about parklets - street-parking spaces converted into temporary gathering spots - depends in large part on how you get around the city. If you walk or take a bike, and generally prefer a more human scale to the urban environment, you probably love these little plazas and sitting places. If you drive and spend much of your life in the endless Costanzian battle that is finding a parking spot, you probably don't.

Those positions aren't likely to budge anytime soon. So the real tiebreaking question, at least in terms of public opinion, is how businesses themselves feel about repurposing their storefront parking spots for pedestrians. If Chicago retailers are any indication, get ready for the parklets.

Chicago started allowing businesses to create parklets called People Spots a few years ago. Nine emerged across the city: two in Andersonville, four in Lake View, one in the downtown Loop, and two in Bronzeville. This past summer, the local Metropolitan Planning Council evaluated the business impact of these spots by recording a full day's activity at each and interviewing parklet users and retailer owners alike. [Full article ...]

Poster's note: This could be a wonderful opportunity for Newark if the space was available for proper buffering - and some kind of noise protection. According to the Newark Post, City staff is currently discussing the concept. With sidewalk space already tight, parklets would have to occupy parallel parking spaces between the curb and lane of traffic. With drivers texting and on cell phones, and deafening noise from modified exhaust systems in motorcycles and cars, it's doubtful many will want to sit immediately adjacent to the traffic lanes. At least one instance of a vehicle crashing into a parklet has been recorded. Unless the Newark police start enforcing the law where quality of life is concerned, including vehicle noise ordinances, a better use would be to install a few bicycle parking corrals. This would help maintain space on the sidewalk, while providing the same benefit of greater pedestrian visibility.

“Like locusts eating the fields, so do cars take possession of our streets and squares”  ~ W. Forst

Of course, true progress would mean full or at least partial pedestrianization of Main Street, as seen below in the City of Charlottesville VA. Here, residents relax and enjoy a peaceful, non-threatening 8 blocks of totally car-free space. On Main Street in Newark, that is anything but the case, and may never be.

View Larger Map

"Retreat" housing fails Main Street, UD commuters

This article recently appeared in the Newark Post --

After several months of construction, hundreds of residents can finally call The Retreat home sweet home now that they officially moved their belongings in on Monday.

The complex, owned by Georgia-based Landmark Properties, which manages several student housing communities around the country, opened at Suburban Plaza off Elkton Road and flanks both sides of the shopping center with its 169 newly constructed units that include 39 two-story cottages and 130 lodge-style apartments for a total of 597 beds.

According to Retreat representatives, over 60 percent of the units are currently leased, with the one and two-bedroom units completely booked. [Full article ...]

Mark Morehead appears to be the only member of City Council who gets it. Yes, Suburban Plaza is immediately adjacent and (hopefully) most will walk or bike the hundred or so yards to shop and dine. But for commuting to Newark's downtown and University of Delaware campus, the "Retreat" is a casualty waiting to happen. No attempt was made to address the needs of bicycle commuters in planning and construction. Residents who still choose (or must) bike into town will need to pedal up a dangerous sidewalk on Elkton Road (technically illegal) to Casho Mill and cross to the frontage road on the opposite side. Those wishing to use the Christina Parkway bike path facility (or wishing to legally ride the shoulder on Elkton Road in the NE direction) will be crossing a very dangerous intersection with no crosswalks until Spring of 2015. And even then, only one is planned across Elkton Road on the NE side, which will tempt potential pathway users to cross on the non-crosswalk (SW) side rather than wait through 2 or 3 signal phase changes. Such poor planning sends a clear message to students and residents - 400+ of them - that they should take their cars to the downtown and campus, where parking and congestion is already intolerable.

It is an epic fail that Newark did not require the developer to provide safe bicycling connections to the Elkton Road bike lanes and the Christina Parkway bike path. This should have been developer funded with an implementation timeline to coincide with the completion of the project. Shame on the Newark Post, for not even mentioning bicycling as a viable means of transportation throughout the entire article above!

Even the bicycle racks shown here are out of compliance with Newark's parking code. "Wave" or "Ribbon" racks provide little frame support to locked bicycles, causing them to fall on to each other - sometimes in a pile. They were also phased out by the University of Delaware, and replaced with the more stable "Inverted U" design. So what are they doing here?

This is what students have to look forward to when leaving "The Retreat" on the road. A lone bike lane hugs the far right curb, to the right of the right turn-only lane - a huge no no in any bike lane design. There isn't even a break, or dashes in the white line to suggest that bicyclists can move out and take the appropriate lane. Also note the bicyclist in the distance, riding through the intersection on Elkton Road. The corridor is a high volume bicycle commuter route, and we are advocating that correctly designed bike lanes also be included with the next resurfacing (pave & rehab) project due in about a year.

In the map above, bicyclists wishing to exit "The Retreat" to the north and west of this intersection will find themselves dealing with an array of pedestrian facilities and a curb-hugging bike lane that does nothing to help them navigate through the intersection.. The 3 sides of crosswalk are not scheduled until Spring 2015 - well after Retreat residents are moved in. Legend: Orange: Sidewalks, which are technically illegal (and dangerous) to ride on . Green: Existing parallel bike path facilities. Red: non-crosswalk side and direct connection to Christina Parkway bike path.

The long abandoned Christina Parkway parallel bike path is an advertisement for abandoning Bike Delaware's bike path fetish, given zero funding for even basic cleanup and maintenance. Yet some folks can still be seen walking and biking on this facility. And this can be expected to increase substantially, with the completion of "The Retreat" and ongoing development of the STAR Campus - both of which are excellent connections to this path.

View Larger Map

Above:  Elkton Road, on the approach to the intersection of Christina Parkway from the SW. The curb cut marking the start of the bike path is seen on the right, well before the intersection. One block further back is the entrance to the Newark Charter School, all but ruling it out for kids riding their bikes to school. Bike lanes are desperately needed on Elkton Road now, especially through here, given the long timeline of the project extending to the Maryland line. Bike lane symbols used to exist on Elkton Road many years ago, but were largely left out during the last surface repaving.

Newark Post: Cycle track continues to gain City's support

By Karie Simmons -- The city's Traffic Committee has decided to get behind a protected, two-way bike lane that would allow cyclists to travel safely from east to west on Delaware Avenue.

The proposed “cycle track” was included in this year's Newark Bicycle Plan and approved unanimously by council on Feb. 24 as an overall vision and concept for where efforts will be focused 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.

One area the plan focuses on is Delaware Avenue, and on Tuesday, Mark Deshon, chair of the Newark Bicycle Committee, explained to members of the Traffic Committee that although Delaware Avenue currently has one bike lane, the one-way street is rampant with wrong-way riding, motorists driving in the bike lanes and cyclists riding on the sidewalks.

“In terms of safety, we don't have a good east-to-west route through the city,” he said.
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A more rural version of a cycletrack is depicted here, using striped buffering and flexible bollards (aka "Duckies") for separation. Given such limited space on Delaware Avenue, the degree of separation remains a question mark.

Newark's LAB Report Card for 2014: Almost Silver

The League of American Bicyclists just released Newark's Bicycle-Friendly Communities (BFC) ranking . This program provides a roadmap to improve conditions for bicycling and the guidance to create a distinct vision for a better, bikeable community a reality. Building such a community can translate into a more connected, physically active, and environmentally sustainable citizenry that enjoys increased property values, business growth, increased tourism, and more transportation choices. Among the recommendations made to Newark:

• Continue to work with DelDOT to expand the bike network and to increase network connectivity, especially through the use of trails, protected bike lanes and bicycle boulevards. On-street improvements coupled with the expansion of the off- road system will encourage more people to cycle and will improve safety. Ensure smooth transitions for bicyclists between the local and regional trail network, and the street network.Implement the Newark Bicycle Plan. To move Newark ahead, focus especially on the more ambitious projects in the plan, including a protected bike lane for Delaware Avenue in downtown Newark.
  
• Ensure that all bicycle facilities conform to current best practices and guidelines.
• Bicycle-safety education should be a routine part of secondary education, and schools and the surrounding neighborhoods should be particularly safe and convenient for biking and walking.
• Offer bicycling skills training opportunities for adults more frequently and encourage the White Clay Bicycle Club and Newark Bike Project to help. There are options from short videos and 1-2 hour courses to more in-depth training incorporating in-classroom and on-bike instruction.
• Ask police officers to target both motorist and cyclist infractions to ensure that laws are being followed by all road users. Ensure that bicycle/motor vehicle crashes are investigated thoroughly and that citations are given fairly.

It appears Newark was oh so close to achieving a "Silver" award designation. Among the City's weaknesses is an advocacy group who's main focus is bicycling in Newark. Nonetheless, according to the report card, it won't take much to tip the award to Silver!

Introducing the Newark Residents Alliance Project

From NRAP's "About" page -- The Newark Residents’ Alliance Project was founded in 2014 with the goal of supporting and encouraging civic engagement by providing residents with useful resources and information. The Project was created by Jen Wallace and Amy Roe. Including Jen and Amy, there are a couple other contributors to the site (with plans to add more) who share posts in their particular areas of interest and expertise on topics of importance to Newarkers.

The idea for this project came out of the recent power plant/data center controversy in Newark, which highlighted the need for more transparency on the part of our City government and more engagement on the part of Newark residents. This site is not about the power plant/data center project, instead it will focus on many topics facing our town. [Continue reading ...]

Poster's note: I will be writing for NRAP at least once per month under the Transportation Issues category. There is much to cover in the City of Newark, especially with the implementation of a robust Bicycle Plan and the quest for a Bicycle-Friendly Community designation. The enactment of anti-idling laws, defeating a proposed WaWa on South Main Street, and rallying against a proposed gas Power Plant on the STAR Campus have all been remarkable victories for sustainability. Easy to forget, however, is that carbon based transportation is 2nd only to power generation as the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions. By U.S. standards, Newark's bicycle modeshare is a respectable 4.7%. We have a long way to go, however, if we're to match other cities around the world that have truly sustainable transportation systems.

Visit our Newark category for all past and present articles related to the City of Newark.

Mayor: WaWa out of the picture for Park n' Shop

With an extraordinary effort, it appears that residents have won the fight to keep South Main Street livable.

From NRAP -- In a recent Newark Post article, the Mayor says that WaWa is no longer a likely tenant of the new owners of the Park N Shop shopping center on the corner of Apple Rd. and S. Main St.

The Park N Shop was thrust into the spotlight in February 2013 when Wawa unveiled plans to build a 4,999-square-foot store and 12 gas pumps in the shopping center. The plans called for the store to be built at the corner of Apple Road and South Main Street, at the site of the vacant M&T Bank building.

Concerned about traffic and light pollution, many in the community formed a grassroots campaign and signed petitions to fight against the project. Debate over the Wawa drove the conversation in the city for several months and was a factor in the September resignation of Mayor Vance A Funk III.

Visit the all new Newark Residents Alliance Project for full coverage!

Related: Is this what we really want for South Main Street?

'Parkettes' on Main Street in Newark?

Newark Post -- One complaint Downtown Newark Partnership Administrator Ricky Nietubicz said he often hears about Main Street is the lack of public seating areas.

“We really don’t have any on Main Street,” he said.

To combat the problem, the DNP’s design committee looked to Philadelphia, where parkettes, also called parklets, have recently sprung up across the city as places for pedestrians to sit and hang out.

The parkettes take up one or more on-street parking spaces, typically extending out from the sidewalk and spanning the width of the parking space, and are a growing trend in cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle.

Nietubicz said the idea is still in the beginning stages for Newark. “Right now it’s really a conceptual kind of thing,” he said. [Full article ...]

Poster's note:  Who wouldn't support the concept, and desire to sit or dine out on Main Street? But the noise from modified motorcycles, muscle cars, and pickup trucks is so loud, it can gives folks an earache even on the sidewalk - never mind inches from the lane. Until police start enforcing noise laws, a better use would be to install a few bicycle parking corrals to help reduce clutter on the sidewalk and against trees. It would also provide the same benefit of greater pedestrian visibility.

With virtually no vehicle noise law enforcement in Newark, we recommend a variation of the above bicycle parking corral in Rehoboth - designed for parallel parking. It would have many of the same pedestrian safety benefits as a parkette, while reducing sidewalk bicycle clutter and damage to trees.

UD terminates Data Centers project for STAR Campus

UDaily, 9:30 a.m., July 10, 2014 -- The University of Delaware announced today it has terminated its lease agreement with The Data Centers, LLC (TDC), putting a halt to TDC’s plans to develop a data center on the University’s Science, Technology & Advanced Research (STAR) Campus. 

Following analysis of TDC’s plans, the UD Working Group concluded that the proposed facility, which included a 279-megawatt cogeneration power plant, is not consistent with a first class science and technology campus and high quality development to which UD is committed. The findings are detailed in the Group’s report. View the report PDF on UD’s website.

“The University is committed to providing economic development opportunities for the region and state,” says University of Delaware President Patrick T. Harker. “Moreover, it is extremely important that development on the STAR Campus, which is held to the highest standards, is appropriate both for the short and the long term, and that future generations of students will have a top-quality education. We have carefully examined The Data Centers’ plans, and have determined that they are not a good fit for the STAR Campus.” [Full article ...]

Now, let's get on with developing the STAR Campus in a green, sustainable manner.

Related: Coverage in the Wilmington News Journal.