The Last Post (for now)

1st State BIKES was started by the need for on-road safety and advocacy in Delaware, and to support the Delaware Bicycle Council. In doing so, it filled an obvious void left by Bike Delaware, the State's League of American Bicyclists supported bicycling advocacy organization. In nearly two years, 400 articles were written or cross-posted, that run the gamut of bicycle advocacy as described in the LAB's 5 Es. These included Engineering, Education, Encouragement, Enforcement, and Evaluation, mostly as they pertain to riding on our public roads. Missing from LAB's equation, however, is a 6th "E" that was somehow forgotten: Equality. As described by the American Bicyclist Education Association, it stands for the following:

Equal Level of Service is a critical part
of bicycle advocacy.

• Uniformity: Ensuring uniform laws throughout a state to protect against access, movement, and equipment ordinances that discriminate against cyclists.
• Access: Affirming the legal rights of bicyclists to use all highways, and all parts and features of those highways, particularly the roadway itself (i.e. the part designated for driving of vehicles, excluding shoulders, sidewalks, etc.), except possibly for controlled access freeways for which sound and reasonable alternatives are available.
• Movement: Affirming that the default behavior for motorists, lane control on laned roadways, is also the default behavior for bicyclists. This means no bicyclist (class) specific movement rules that prohibit lane control or restrict turning movements or the use of turn lanes. Also unacceptable are any laws that prevent cyclists from making the same movements as other drivers or subject them to more restrictive lane usage rules than other drivers. This equal legal roadway movement status does not prevent or inhibit bicyclists from using special facilities, which serve as options for bicycle travel.
• Equipment: Ensuring that minimum bike propulsion, fit, braking and lighting requirements are adequate for effective operation and precluding restrictions unrelated to safety or effective operation.

Due to our high percentage of arterial roads, however, equality is not always safe, easy, or desirable. Geographically, only a small percentage of Delaware is truly urbanized or early 20th century suburban where bicycle driving (aka "vehicular cycling") can be effective. For those wishing to ride away from the road for transportation, very few rail trail or other right of way (row) possibilities exist. As a result, shoulder and bike lane riding with high speed traffic is very common here compared to many other States. It is for this reason that we have advocated for well designed infrastructure treatments that define a bicyclist's safest position on the roadway, especially leading up to and through intersections. We also worked with DelDOT to improve our warning signs for bicyclists, and offered to help with the targeted removal of generic (symbol only) signs over time. Known in the manuals as the W11-1, this sign is no longer applicable in most locations, since Bike Delaware campaigned to eliminate "Share the Road" from DelDOT's manuals based on a technicality. Another notable success was bicycle-friendly rumble strips - not only in Delaware, but in Maryland as well (though in recent applications, some important specs have been ignored, hence the need for continued advocacy).

Jennifer Wallace stresses the importance of non-profit accountability
during the 2015 Delaware Environmental Summit in Dover. Transparency
is a foreign concept to some bicycling organizations in Delaware,
including co-ops.

With the LAB refusing to help our cause, having stated as much in writing, we have little choice but to accept the fact that separated infrastructure (sidepaths and off-alignment trails) is the first choice among Delaware's bicyclists. As a result, riding for transportation and recreation in the built environment - at least for those that appreciate leaving from home - will remain a huge uphill battle. Bicyclists are a virtual no-show for even the simplest of action items that could positively impact bicycle-friendliness in the 1st State. They seldom show up at DelDOT public workshops, or sign petitions regardless of how well publicized. Progress will be difficult, as long as Delaware's bicycling community - including its cooperatives and mountain bicyclists - refuse to unite in a single front that works together for its own common good.

There needs to be one large tent that all of us can work under, as seen in other bicycle-friendly States. The approach needs to be holistic, and all-inclusive. Unfortunately, even Delaware's most committed road bicyclists are content to follow the lead of an organization with a very small tent - akin to a Chinese cocktail umbrella - that lobbies exclusively for separated facilities. In doing so, they are undermining the efforts of those that do advocate for on-road safety and infrastructure. Further, the State's recreational clubs continue with monetary support of said organization, despite the lack of an annual report, and the lowest level of transparency and accountability for a non-profit. No one even questions the acceptance of charitable donations collected on behalf of the Phillip Bishop tragedy, and why at least some of it wasn't allocated for PSA campaigns like this one.

Here is a sampling of the issues, where said organization (Bike Delaware) has damaged the cause of road bicycling:

• Absent on anything to do with the Vulnerable Road Users Law. Never supported the Delaware Bicycle Council on matters of legislation, i.e. Refused to "babysit" the 3' passing law by attending its hearing, and only agreed with it in principle.
• Hijacked the LAB's Bicycle Friendly State's year to year rankings, providing instead what appeared a linear climb to the top for Delaware. Has everyone believing that our Top 5 ranking is based almost exclusively on pathway funding, when in fact it was also due to State legislation and policy changes/additions that address bicycle safety (the work of others).
• Undermined a bus PSA banner that read "Same Roads, Same Rules, Same Rights", to where DelDOT replaced it with "Safety Begins With Sharing".
• In a negative letter giving borderline support, the E.D. almost undermined AASHTO standard bike lanes on Rt.13 in Dover, which have since improved the safety of hundreds of commuters including migrant workers along the corridor.
• Did not support a joint survey with RideShare Delaware, aimed at the users of the Rt.13 bike lanes, to find out whether or not they felt safer as a result.
• Publicly stated that bike pocket lanes are "human meat grinders".
• Despite initial support, and DelDOT's requesting it, the E.D. steadfastly maintained that SB-120 (a law to provide legal protections for bicyclists using a dedicated right turn-only lane as a continuation of a bike lane) wasn't necessary.
• Pushed for the removal of our widespread (on most major roads) Share the Road signs, but did not support the efforts of others to redesign and replace them with something better (i.e. Bicycles "In Lane").
• Has never once supported the application of Complete Streets during a Pave & Rehab project. Unfortunately, most often, these are the only chance we have at improvements.
• Did not support an on-line petition for the enforcement of bicycle parking ordinances in New Castle County, given how often they are waived.
• Did not support an on-line petition for the creation of an on-road Wilmington to Newark marked route, one that DelDOT would watch for enhanced safety improvements.
• Never rallies attention to DelDOT public workshops unless it's for a separated facility or pathways project. It was the work of other advocates that drew attention to and won bicycle accommodations through Delaware's first "Diverging Diamond" Rt.1 overpass on Rt.72, coming next year.
• Does little to memorialize bicycling fatalities, unless it benefits their agenda or bottom line. Did nothing to rally bicyclists to attend the Eloy Sandoval and Phillip Bishop vehicular manslaughter hearings, despite the proven advantages of doing so. For the latter, a Bike Delaware board member did attend and actually said that "it could've been any one of us" when referring to the defendant's horrific crime.

As of April 1, 2015 1st State Bikes is discontinued. We urge those of you that are following us until now (if you support road bicycling safety) to rethink your membership with the League of American Bicyclists, and instead support the American Bicyclists Education Association. This is an organization that, much to the chagrin of the LAB, is trying to address the needs of today's bicyclists in the built environment (an environment that won't be changing much for most Americans, for many generations to come) in the form of education, enforcement, and correctly designed infrastructure. This blog, as you see it now, will remain on-line indefinitely as an archive for those who might stumble upon it for the first time, and wish to read about our former projects and/or progress.

Pedestrian Channelizing Islands, aka "Pork Chops", are an ongoing problem in Delaware. In 2009, DelDOT committed in writing to maintain 5 feet of offset for bike lanes through intersections and side streets. This requirement is also in their Bicycle Policy. In the May 2013 picture above, a bicyclist is unnecessarily forced out into the lane of high speed traffic to continue in a bike lane. Without continued oversight, guidelines such as these will continue to be ignored or forgotten.

The future? Delaware bicyclists show overwhelming support for facilities that remove them from public roads, and thus, sacrifices their legal rights as vehicles. As very few actually use these facilities, they fall into serious disrepair, and are left to abandonment by DelDOT or adjacent landowners who are supposedly responsible for their maintenance.

NCC secure bicycle parking campaign canceled

After a month posted on line, and circulating among social media outlets that were expected to show interest, our campaign for New Castle County bicycle parking reform and enforcement is being canceled. The number of signatories jumped to 14 shortly after introduction, and hasn't increased since. To even begin tackling an issue that involves changing a law or policy, this lack of interest can only hurt the effort.

To compare, let's take a look at all recent petitions that were started by 1st State Bikes, or started by others and supported through our blog and social media connections:

1. Extending trail hours beyond dawn to dusk (1,158)
2. Newark-Wilmington on road bicycle route (237)
3. Bicycles on Roadway warning signs (33)
4. New Castle County bicycle parking enforcement (14)

Petition 1, we have not been told of any progress. 2 & 3 are moving forward. Support for 3 is also weak, but we are fortunate that DelDOT Traffic is a willing partner with advocates and recognizes the need regardless of the numbers.

Stay tuned for more advocacy projects in 2015 that will need your support, and participate with us in spreading the word. 1st State Bikes is an all volunteer committee with no formal membership and no budget to back our efforts. Without the support of the LAB and Bike Delaware for road bicycling advocacy, we can only rely on our followers to step up and make the difference. Donating a few minutes of your time for a zero-commitment, easy to sign petition really isn't asking much.

Helping and Facilitating the "Invisible Cyclist"

Cross-posted from WalkBikeJersey Blog -- While it has been frustrating for me to sit on the professional sidelines of bicycle and pedestrian planning, my recent job foray as a professional driver has given me the ability to see and observe a great deal of the real-world transportation environment of northeastern New Jersey.  Recently I had to get the vehicle washed that I was driving at the Super Car Wash of Elizabeth on Rt 1 & 9 just south of the Bayway Circle.  Super Car Wash employs an army of men to do the detail work of sweeping the inside of the car and drying it off everywhere when it comes out of the mechanized washed. Nearly all of these hardworking men are from Spanish speaking America.

Well, to my surprise Super Car Wash provided a bike rack for its employees and from the look of the rack in the photos, it would seem that a large number of its employees get there by bike.  While the rack is of the less than ideal "wheel bender" variety, it seems to work rather well here as the employees can keep an eye on their wheels. [Full article, including photos ...]

The scene outside Dover Downs Casino and Resort on Route 13 is very similar to the one described above. The racks are also of the wheelbending variety, however, commuters enjoy some peace of mind knowing the casino provides full surveillance. Please help us put an end to wheelbending racks in the New Castle County code once and for all, by signing this petition.

DelDOT to install "Bicycles IN LANE" signs at key I95 crossings

Despite poor results with our petition drive, a new and unique bicycle warning sign is heading for approval. Working with 1st State BIKES advocates, Mark Luszcz (P.E, DelDOT) designed the sign that will give Delaware another 1st on the national stage, rolling out the words "IN LANE" in conjunction with the standard bicycle warning sign (bicycle symbol on yellow sign). Safe to say, this wouldn't be happening without a Chief Traffic Engineer who takes a pro-active approach toward bicycle and pedestrian safety.

According to the Federal Highway Administration and the Manual for Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), the bicycle warning sign by itself is used to indicate that bicycles are ahead, i.e. crossing or entering the roadway. But if you add a message in a sub-sign or "plaque", or in conjunction with the symbol on the sign itself, it then becomes useful for whatever the conditions dictate.

Few will argue that something more is needed on non-shouldered roads with sub-standard width lanes. Something like a warning sign, yet carries an educational message that bicyclists are legally entitled to ride in the lane of traffic. DelDOT had considered wider spread use of the "Bicycles May Use Full Lane" (BMUFL) regulatory sign, and tested it on Gills Neck - a 2 lane non-shouldered road in Sussex County. But it raised the ire of motorists and legislators, who claimed that bicyclists were abusing the privilege and deliberately impeding traffic. Under pressure, DelDOT removed the signs. Fortunately, a second location, at the bridge crossing the White Clay Creek on Papermill Road in Newark, is doing very well and will remain. Main Street in Newark is also working very well. Both are placed in conjunction with sharrows, of which have their own safety benefit. So it appears that DelDOT will limit use of the BMUFL sign to downtown environments and pinch points like the above.

It has not yet been determined when the first "IN LANE" warning signs will be installed, but it should be in time for Spring. For pinch points, the following four I95 crossings were selected: Chapman Road, Salem Church Road, Otts Chapel Road, and Welsh Tract Road. Each has limited shoulders or no shoulder space at all, yet draw regular bicycle traffic because they are direct spans with no I95 access.

Though Welsh Tract Road appears to have a narrow shoulder, it isn't usable. Occasional storm grates and debris collection, and a close proximity to the curb make it very dangerous to ride in. Safest position here is the traffic lane.

DelDOT agrees on test sites for enhanced bicycle warning signs

According to Mark Luszcz, our Chief Traffic Engineer, DelDOT will not consider putting "Bicycles May Use Full Lane" on a yellow warning sign. It is their view that this is a regulatory message, which requires a sign with a white background.

However, in response to our recent petition, DelDOT is willing to entertain ideas for a smaller sub-sign (or "plaque"). It would simply be added under the normal bicycle (black on yellow) warning sign where appropriate. A leading favorite now among advocates is "In Lane" as opposed to "On Roadway" as called for in the petition. It would only be used on non-shouldered roads, or added to signs that may have formerly carried "Share the Road". Also included would be pinch points, such as bridges and overpasses where the shoulder is limited or vanishes entirely. The majority of warning signs now along shouldered and arterial roads will remain as is, since in those environments, the shoulder is the preferred travel path of most bicyclists.

For approval, test sites will be selected on a handful of roadways throughout Delaware to gauge how they work (ideas for locations will be solicited from the bicycling community). The “gauge” will simply be comments from road users. Stay tuned for news and updates as we move this forward!

See also: MDOT to install "Bicycles May Use Full Lane" warning signs on Route 896

Petition: STOP waiving bicycle parking, update the UDC to APBP-compliant

Please sign this PETITION

Enough is enough. Bicyclists are doing their part to reduce auto dependency, reduce emissions and clean up the environment. Providing a bike rack is the least that a business can do to encourage more folks to leave the car home. It is cost effective and easy to install, yet requiring one with a certificate of occupancy still isn't enough to guarantee it will happen.

It is rare or never that a place of business in Delaware provides secure bike parking on its own, and riders are left in search of anything they can find that will take a lock and hold a bike upright. Often times we see multiple bikes scattered about the front of a fast food or grocery store, or other retail outlet. In nearly every case, a tree or sign post becomes the only choice. This is why advocates fought hard and won provisions in New Castle County's Unified Development Code that make bicycle parking mandatory with all new and reconstructed buildings. It is but one reason that Delaware is recognized as a Bicycle-Friendly State, among many others won in past decades. So why is this allowed to slide? Help put an end to routine bicycle parking waivers today by signing the petition above.

Secure bicycle parking is not rocket science, but few business owners are bicyclists so "a rack is a rack". Therefore, the end result - if the code is enforced - is usually a wheelbender. This is why we need the code changed and routinely enforced. As with the model pictured above, a rack must have both wheel and frame support, or two points of frame contact that allows locking the frame and front wheel together.

The classic "wheelbender" or "toast rack", as it's often called. Note how no one is actually in the rack, because the only thing holding the bike upright is the front or rear wheel. If your bike topples or is pushed over, it can destroy the wheel.

Check in with our Bicycle Parking category to learn more about this critical aspect of bicycle advocacy.

Rehoboth looks to ban or severely limit bicycling on the Boardwalk

Right now, the Rehoboth Board of City Commissioners is considering an ordinance that would ban or severely limit bicycling on the Boardwalk. If you disagree, let them know.

Cape Gazette -- Summer bike rides on the Boardwalk in Rehoboth Beach could be a thing of the past.

While at least one business owner warned against overreacting, Rehoboth officials are considering banning bicycles during the summer or reducing the hours they are permitted. Another option is changing the dates bicycles can be ridden on the Boardwalk.

Police Chief Keith Banks said this year saw more complaints about bicyclists speeding down the Boardwalk coming from both citizens and from city police officers, who reported several close calls.

Banks said the Boardwalk was overcrowded during the summer; adding to the problem was the number of joggers wearing headphones not able to hear their surroundings.

Two children were struck by cyclists, and other incidents may not have been reported, Banks said.

City ordinance bans bicycles on the Boardwalk after 10 a.m. from May 15 to Sept. 15. Banks said the ordinance has become difficult to enforce; during the past summer, he said, Rehoboth Beach Patrol helped alert people to get their bikes off the Boardwalk after 10 a.m.

The commissioners were wary banning bicycles entirely. [Full story ...]

You can sign the petition HERE.

Trails community lends little support for on-road advocacy

Rachel Anderson promotes a brand new off-road connection in Pike Creek, between Paper Mill Park and neighboring communities ... on her road bike.

The evidence suggests that mountain bicyclists seldom participate in efforts to improve on-road bicycle safety. Despite this, the League of American Bicyclists has embraced mountain biking as part of the National Bike Summit. Here at home, the Delaware Trails Summit was combined with the Delaware Bike Summit in 2014, creating the first annual "Heels and Wheels" Summit. It all sounds like one big happy family, however ...

• In a recent petition for an on-road bicycle route between Newark and Wilmington, there was no evidence of support from the Delaware Trailspinners (whom 1st State Bikes advocates helped promote a petition to keep trails open at night), and Bike Delaware (whom Delaware Bikes advocates helped promote a candidate survey).

• No evidence of support for a recent petition asking DelDOT to develop a new road sign warning motorists of bicyclists using the roadway. The response so far has been dismal.

• For the upcoming "Indoor Line Bike Expo", the cost is $300 for 6' exhibitor table. There is no formal discount for non-profits, including those without a paid membership, i.e. 1st State Bikes.

• 1st State Bikes offered to assist promoting the Indoor Line Bike Expo in exchange for hanging our banner. There was no response from the event Chair, leading one to believe that organizers have little interest in promoting bicycle advocacy, or that which doesn't involve a profit.

It is our hope that Delaware's mountain bike community will one day join forces with bicycling advocates, recognizing the benefits of riding safely from home, for commuting, errands, and other transportation needs. If we cannot work together, divided we will fall.

Amy Wilburn, Chair of the Delaware Bicycle Council, addresses the crowd at the 2014 "Heels and Wheels" Walk/Bike Summit in Newark.

Petition: "Bicycles On Roadway" Warning Signs

Please click above to have a voice!

Delaware Department of Transportation: Install signs that serve a dual purpose of warning motorists that bicycles will be in the roadway and educating motorists that bicyclists have the right to ride in the lane, or the right to use the full lane if necessary.

As it stands now, DelDOT is generously installing generic bicycle warning signs (yellow diamond with a bicycle symbol) on a widespread basis, and we applaud their willingness to do so. The "Share the Road" sub-sign below it has been discontinued.

According to Federal Highway Administration and the Manual for Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), the bicycle warning sign by itself is used to indicate "bicycles ahead", i.e. crossing or entering the roadway. While no one is suggesting that DelDOT refrain from using the sign to raise awareness of bicyclists on the roadway, something more is needed on non-shouldered roads with sub-standard width lanes, something that is both a warning sign and that carries an educational message to drivers that bicyclists are legally entitled to ride in the lane of traffic.

DelDOT’s first attempt to use the standard "Bicycles May Use Full Lane" (BMUFL) sign on a 2 lane non-shouldered road in Sussex County - Gills Neck – raised the ire of motorists and legislators, and the signs were removed. A second sign, at a bridge crossing the White Clay Creek on Papermill Road in Newark, is still in place. These are black on a white background, and are intended to inform motorists about the law, but are not as visible as the larger and brighter yellow warning signs.

Given the issues surrounding BMUFL signs used for any distance along Delaware's non-shouldered roads, a sign that is a customized version of the bicycle warning sign and that includes the words “On Roadway” would make an excellent compromise, and should be installed on roads where substandard width lanes and higher speeds present a safety hazard. This sign would not be intended to replace the bicycle warning sign in widespread use. It would be used going forward, only in areas where substandard width lanes, aggressive driving, and/or higher speeds present a safety hazard.

Major justification for this initiative comes from Maryland's State Highway Administration. SHA combined the bicycle warning sign with the Bicycles May Use Full Lane sign, and are using it on 2 lane non-shouldered roads. This appears as a standard yellow diamond with a bicycle symbol, and the words "Bicycles May Use Full Lane". This is a custom design and not found in any of the national manuals, yet the signs are used with much success in Cecil County and will soon be installed on Route 896 just north of Newark. The story behind that advocacy effort can be viewed HERE.

Does this sign increase safety? If you think so, please sign our petition!

PETITION REMINDER: Newark-Wilmington On-Road Bicycle Route

Click above to join this campaign!

Have you signed in favor of this proposal, that could provide an official on-road bike route between Newark and Wilmington?

Although there are stretches of roadway with good bicycle facilities, Delaware lacks complete bike routes between destinations. In surveys of cyclists, Kirkwood Highway and Route 4 are consistently among the highest priority for the development of bicycle routes. These corridors already have a good base of viable infrastructure. With paint and signage, plus a few projects to remedy pinch points, a route can be created at relatively low cost.

The proposed routes were created by cyclists who regularly bike this corridor for transportation. DelDOT is aware of the routes and is willing to consider implementation. However, the agency lacks funding and a plan to proceed with their creation. We are therefore asking the public to lend support for these routes and to encourage DelDOT to move forward.

Creation of an on-road bicycle route between Wilmington and Newark is an important step towards creating bicycle route networks that will allow the residents of Delaware to safely get where they need to go by bike.

When you sign this PETITION, please note why it is important to you, as this will help DelDOT take the petition more seriously. And, make sure you forward this link to anyone else who's interested!

Special note from Amy Wilburn:  DelDOT has the proposed routes and they are positive enough, but they have no plans or funding to see it through. We want to show them that this matters to cyclists. The entire emphasis has been on the trail route, but the trail will take decades to become a reality, will be time-consuming and circuitous, will be costly, and will not provide access to most of the major destinations along this corridor. We not only need to get a low cost fix in the interim, but it would be helpful to have an efficient route that accesses important destinations. Please spread the word to others who might like to sign.

Petition: Create an on-road bicycle route between Wilmington and Newark

Click above to join this campaign!

Although there are stretches of roadway with good bicycle facilities, Delaware lacks complete bike routes between destinations. In surveys of cyclists, Kirkwood Highway and Route 4 are consistently among the highest priority for the development of bicycle routes. These corridors already have a good base of viable infrastructure. With paint and signage, plus a few projects to remedy pinch points, a route can be created at relatively low cost.

The proposed routes were created by cyclists who regularly bike this corridor for transportation. DelDOT is aware of the routes and is willing to consider implementation. However, the agency lacks funding and a plan to proceed with their creation. We are therefore asking the public to lend support for these routes and to encourage DelDOT to move forward.

Creation of an on-road bicycle route between Wilmington and Newark is an important step towards creating bicycle route networks that will allow the residents of Delaware to safely get where they need to go by bike.

When you sign this PETITION, please note why it is important to you, as this will help DelDOT take the petition more seriously. And, make sure you forward this link to anyone else who's interested!

Special note from Amy Wilburn:  DelDOT has the proposed routes and they are positive enough, but they have no plans or funding to see it through. We want to show them that this matters to cyclists. The entire emphasis has been on the trail route, but the trail will take decades to become a reality, will be time-consuming and circuitous, will be costly, and will not provide access to most of the major destinations along this corridor. We not only need to get a low cost fix in the interim, but it would be helpful to have an efficient route that accesses important destinations. Please spread the word to others who might like to sign.

Petition: Save the Historic Chandler Mill Bridge for biking and walking

Create a nature preserve, leave a legacy in nearby Chester County.  Sign the petition.

The Kennett Township Supervisors have a few short years together as an administration. This is their chance to create a legacy for generations to come by rehabilititing the closed historic Chandler Mill Bridge into a pedestrian/biking only bridge as part of  a nature preserve and historic district for all to enjoy in perpetuity. Converting the Chandler Mill Bridge to a pedestrian and bicycle only bridge will enable the creation of the Chandler Mill Nature Preserve, a 50-acre public access preserve with an interpretive nature center. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to save a historic bridge from demolition while creating an amazing community resource, enhancing our township, and protecting our quality of life for generations to come.

The one-lane Chandler Mill Bridge, circa 1910, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Since its closing to vehicular traffic in 2011, the bridge has been used extensively by dog walkers, hikers and bikers. The bridge is located at the terminus of 300 acres of conserved private lands within the emerging Red Clay Greenway public access trail. Over $11 million in today’s dollars have already been contributed to the trails and conserved lands over the past 30 years. Let's celebrate and enhance this investment.

Full article and petition details HERE.

April 28th: Susquehanna River Crossing Meeting

BikeAAA has joined an East Coast Greenway Alliance called the Safe Crossing Susquehanna Coalition supporting the creation of a new bike/ped Susquehanna River crossing in conjunction with a new Amtrak bridge that is being planned. There is a public meeting Monday April 28th @ 5:00 open house at the Havre de Grace Activity Center, 351 Lewis Lane, Havre de Grace MD. This is where public comments will be gathered and the voices for a bicycle and pedestrian bridge can be heard.

Other organizations signed onto the coalition include the League of American Bicyclists, Bike Maryland, Washington Area Bicycle Association, Bikemore, and the September Eleventh National Memorial Trail at this time. Sign the petition HERE.

Poster's note:  The White Clay Bicycle Club might consider signing on, as they often lead rides across the Susquehanna River further north. This would make an excellent southern connection.

View Larger Map

Blue Hens For Clean Air: Is this what YOU want at UD?

Learn all about the power plant slated for the University of Delaware STAR campus in this short video put together by a group of UD students and alumni. Residents, students and alumni are all questioning why the University administration is pushing this power plant.

 

On Earth Day 2009 the University of Delaware announced detailed plans to cut campus‐wide emissions by 20% by 2020. This action plan is among the most aggressive commitments by any University or College in the world. In announcing the University's Climate Action Plan, President Harker also set interim targets for carbon emissions, including reductions of 5 percent by 2012 and 10 percent by 2015, compared with the 2008 levels that were measured in a comprehensive carbon inventory of the campus. ~ UD's Climate Action Plan (not)

Poster's note: A promise broken in the name of lucrative profits and short term economic gain. It appears making money trumps all sense of environmental responsibility and stewardship. UD President Patrick Harker, Governor Jack Markell, and the City of Newark should all be ashamed of themselves. Sign the petition now, demanding an end to this backwards proposal.

Study: Evaluating of the health impact of the power plant
Video: Threat from global warming heightened in latest U.N. report (1:16)

Petition: Reject the Newark Natural Gas Power Plant

The Data Centers LLC wants to build a plant right next to one of the highest-density residential areas in Delaware. The manager and staff of the City of Newark have been working behind-the-scenes to bring the power plant to Newark for nearly a year before the public learned about the project. With more than adequate surplus on the grid, this is a terrible idea for the environment, our health, and quality of life for generations to come.

Greenhouse Gases:

• Carbon Dioxide (CO2): 899,692 tons/year (4th highest in New Castle County)
• Methane: 54 tons/year (11th highest in New Castle County)

Health Concerns:

• Nitrogen Oxides (NOx):  74 tons/year (7th highest in New Castle County)

Quantities not yet disclosed:

• Carbon Monoxide
• Sulfur Dioxides
• Particle Pollution
• Volatile Organic Compounds
• Sulfuric Acid Mist
• Hazardous Air Pollutants
• Ammonia

Sign this on-line petition today, demanding that University of Delaware President Patrick Harker withdraw this proposal.

Related: Gas Fired Power Plant Proposed For UD's STAR Campus

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.

Is this what we really want for South Main Street?

This footage was gathered over a weeklong period from four 24-hour Super WaWas with gas pumps in Pottstown, West Chester, Center Square, and Schwenksville PA. The video shows motorist's confusion coming in and out of the parking lots, congested side streets, and near-constant backups at traffic lights and stop signs. This congestion and erratic driving - and the accidents that come as a result - have been dubbed the “WaWa Effect” in an article by The News Journal about traffic studies being conducted by the University of Delaware as part of a larger, ongoing project for the Delaware Department of Transportation. The study suggests an increase in new traffic patterns and erratic driving around convenience stores like WaWa, citing U-turns, running red lights, and increased accidents as a result of the influx of traffic coming and going.

Typically, engineers will claim that the proposed Super WaWa will operate largely on existing traffic patterns, drawing minimal new congestion to the areas and residential streets that surround the site. This is false, given induced demand from a greater area - which the pumps are designed to do. They also fail to address the heavy truck traffic that is expected to frequent the store for deliveries and fuel, especially during night and early morning hours.

This increase in traffic is one of the main reasons more than 1,000 residents and business owners rallied to oppose a new Super WaWa in the Borough of Conshohocken, PA. More than seven hundred letters and petition signatures were mailed to Borough Council expressing the community’s opposition to the zoning text amendment WaWa submitted for a 24-hour diesel fuel Super WaWa. Read this update on how they prevailed.

It appears we are in for a similar battle to keep Newark's downtown as a walkable, bikeable, livable community. WaWa wants to build a major gas pump facility on South Main Street, at the intersection of Apple Road, across from the Municipal Building. As in Conshohocken, we can expect a fight to the bitter end - all in the name of profiteering - against residents who are justifiably opposed.

The Super WaWa on Route 273 and Marrows Road is anything but a "neighborhood store", regardless of what its PR Dept claims. With the help of the Newark Bicycle Committee, advocates even had to enforce ADA sidewalk compliance, and a city ordinance calling for bike parking - which resulted in a useless wheelbender.

Those on foot or bike are seldom seen around these mega-pump stores, because they are a safety nightmare. Wally Hertler, however, tries for a quick fill-up at a shuttered Citgo station in Cochranville PA a few years ago.

PETITION: Bike/Ped Accommodations With New Susquehanna River Bridge

East Coast Greenway Alliance -- The East Coast Greenway (ECG) is a 2,900-mile National Millennium Trail connecting 15 states and more than two dozen major cities throughout the Eastern seaboard. The ECG is now 29% complete as trail, with 71% of the route on carefully-selected roadways. There are many challenges to building trail on the route, but one rises high above the rest: crossing the Susquehanna River. Did you know that in the state of Maryland there is no safe way to cross the Susquehanna on foot or by bike? The closest safe crossing is in Pennsylvania, over 23 miles upstream from Havre de Grace. With your help, we can change that.  [Keep reading ...]

Poster's note: A safe non-motorized crossing of the Susquehanna River has been the dream of many White Clay Bicycle Club members, and others who ride west through Cecil County en-route to Havre de Grace and points in Harford County. This new bridge upcoming may be the last chance for generations to come, so please sign the petition and spread the word!

A railroad span is seen in the distance, not far from the Lower Susquehanna Greenway in Harford County. The remains of an abandoned railroad can be seen in the foreground, overhanging the river edge.

Gas Fired Power Plant Proposed For UD's STAR Campus

A proposed 279 MW gas fired power plant at the University of Delaware's STAR Campus in Newark would impact our health and the air we breath as bicyclists, and active Delawareans in general. Jamie Magee, a lifelong Newark resident and founding member of the Newark Bike Project, had this to say about the findings:

As someone who played outside daily in the 70s and 80s close enough to smell the Chrysler plant on some days, I feel a little insulted when supporters say the TDC project will be "better than Chrysler." Chrysler's problematic past is not one of the options right now. But to the extent that this comparison is made every week in editorials, I'm glad to finally see the following very factual rebuttal of that claim. Sadly, TDC's own projections of one of the worst pollutants, NOx, will in fact be HIGHER than that of Chrysler...

It has been found recently that vocal supporters of this project - most of whom it appears live outside of Newark - have been lying about source emissions as compared to the former Chrysler plant. Citizens and advocates are also dismayed given what we know about climate change, and the role fossil fueled power plants have in it. The University of Delaware tells us that STAR will be a center of innovation, including alternative energy and environmental sustainability "setting the stage for the campus as a vibrant healthy community by design". How a gas fired power plant with multiple smokestacks and visible fumes fits into this equation is not clear.

It's worth noting that Delaware City, adjacent to a refinery, is a noted cancer hot spot in the State. NOx, a pollutant with known negative human health effects, will be among the emissions from the power plant. The news has been kept very tightly under wraps by the City of Newark, the company proposing the power plant and the University of Delaware. City officials kept details of this proposed project private and have been in secret communications with Data Centers LLC, the West Chester, PA company behind the project, for over a year. View the timeline HERE.

Also gleaned from UD's STAR website:

An improved rail system will provide convenient, "green" transportation to the site for our clinical, academic, government, and business partners up and down the Eastern Seaboard in years to come.

As an earlier investigation showed, there appears to be no interest in bicycling as a form of "green transportation" on the campus. Plug-in cars are still largely dependent on fossil fuels as their ultimate source of power, and does nothing to address numerous socio-economic problems related to car dependency. Sadly, if you choose to ride your bike to work at Bloom Energy, or take it on the train to the Campus, there isn't even a bike rack to safely lock your bike. Maybe this will change in the future through the work of advocates, but it shouldn't have to be this way. Bicycle facilities, including bike lanes and pathways, should be on the drawing board well before actual construction.

Let's put a stop to STAR becoming industrial park instead of the Science, Technology, & Advanced Research center it was supposed to be. Let's help UD live up to its own mission of sustainability. Please Sign the petition today, and forward this link on to others!

Delaware bicyclists urged to help save The Valley

From savethevalley.org

More than 750 acres of woodland and farmland west of 202/Concord Pike on the PA/DE border are at stake. This area, known locally as "The Valley" but formally as "Beaver Valley", is known for its immense beauties, recreational wonders, historic significance, and ecologic values. The land at stake adjoins the newly recognized National Monument in Delaware and Chester County. Developers are attempting to purchase this land and change zoning laws so that it may be bulldozed and built upon before the remainder of the land joins our new National Monument. This land is currently owned by the Woodlawn Trustees. Don’t let the name fool you. The Woodlawn Trustees have every intention to develop this land. The only thing stopping the development is the current zoning. However, these developers are trying to change the zoning so that they may bulldoze the land and build almost a thousand houses and a big box retail store.

Trails wind throughout the 771 acres and have been used for generations by hundreds of walkers, runners, horse and bicycle riders, and nature lovers in general. The property is currently agricultural with several horse farms, open fields of hay for local stables, a winery and vineyard, woodlands, and streams which feed the Brandywine river and our local water table.

The Beaver Valley property also has immense historic significance. Located less than 2 miles from the famous Brandywine Battlefield, the Delaware County Planning Commission said that the area has “high potential” for archaeological resources given that it has remained undeveloped since the Township’s founding before 1683. In addition, there are intact historic structures, some of which date to the early 19th century, and the remains of many historic structures, all of which developers plan to bulldoze.

Visit Change.org and sign the petition today!