First bicycle-friendly rumble strips spotted south of the C&D Canal

Just as Maryland's State Highway Administration worked with Delaware advocates on safer rumble strip design guidance, DelDOT also came through recently, as promised. 1st State BIKES advocates, as well as bicyclists from the Sussex Cyclists bicycle club were the first to discover the original design, which destroyed miles of usable shoulders. They were even placed in a few bike lanes. Once alerted, DelDOT dispatched crews to repair the damage in areas where the rumble strip reduced the shoulder to less than 4' wide.

We sincerely thank the officials from both states who immediately acknowledged the problem, and acted quickly to revise the manuals and guidelines to include a much safer design. A huge tip of the helmet to Michael Jackson (MD DOT), Anthony Aglio (DelDOT Planning), Mark Luszcz (DelDOT Traffic), and several others who worked with 1st State Bikes advocates to make it all happen!

Above/below: The new design, while not perfect, is a huge improvement. These rumble strips are shallower, narrower, and offset about 6" from the edge line. They also have regular breaks, allowing bicyclists to escape without hitting them. Even so, crossing this rumble strip is not nearly has dangerous or bone jarring as the original design.

The offset is clearly visible here. Despite our sincere gratitude for this design in the spirit of compromise, we will continue to advocate that rumble strips be placed at the white line, or as part of it, leaving maximum space for bicyclists to avoid debris and other hazards that sometimes appear in the shoulders or bike lanes.

This is the design that was first implemented by Maryland's SHA, and then DelDOT. These were an absolute terror for bicyclists, being deep and wide and sitting exactly where bicyclists need to ride to avoid shoulder debris.

Inside Line Bike Expo ramping up

The inaugural Inside Line bike expo will take place on Saturday March 7, 2015 in Newark, Delaware, and will feature 100+ bike (and related) industry vendors of all stripes, across all bicycling disciplines, in a fun, vibrant, festival-like atmosphere featuring music, beer, games, raffles, things to ride bikes on, and of course, bikes, bikes and more BIKES!! You see, this is no ordinary tradeshow. At its core this event is designed to be a FUN, first-class celebration of bike culture in the Mid-Atlantic region, with the goal of getting people more excited about riding bikes. [Visit the event website for more ...]

Take the Scofflaw Bicycling Survey

The University of Colorado Denver is conducting a study about bicyclist behavior. They request your participation in this survey, which will take about 10 or 15 minutes of your time. Your participation is completely voluntary. The results of the survey will be used for research and planning purposes, and your responses are confidential.

If you have any questions about this survey, please contact Dr. Wes Marshall (principal investigator) at 303.352.3741 or wesley.marshall@ucdenver.edu. If you have any questions for the Institutional Review Board at the University of Colorado Denver, they may be contacted at: (303) 724-1055 or COMIRB@ucdenver.edu.

Description of Survey:
This survey asks questions about your travel patterns and experiences as a bicyclist under various situations. The survey is part of a larger study intending to better understand our transportation system and what factors might correlate with different behavior patterns. [Visit the survey site for more ...]

Poster's note: A few years ago, we conducted our own survey in Delaware, and the results showed that bicyclists would be less inclined to break the law if properly designed bicycle facilities were provided. Check it out here, including a link to the actual survey results. Check out the results of a study conducted in Portland OR, showing a 94% compliance rate.

Surveys show overwhelming support for striping, signage, and other treatments that safely integrate bicycling with other road users. Properly designed, they should place the bicyclist in an optimal position against right turning vehicles, and never hug curbs or door zones. The above bike lane was added after the road was already striped for cars only; the erased taper lines can still be seen cutting across just ahead of the bicyclist in the picture.

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.

Shop Spotlight: Earn-A-Bike Co-op, San Antonio, TX

The San Antonio Earn-A-Bike Co-op (EAB) is a volunteer driven initiative with a mission to to create equitable access to bicycling by providing affordable bicycle maintenance, services and education. Their shop provides a central forum for sharing equipment, materials and expertise, and facilitates affordable, practical, hands-on support for cyclist of all ages and skill levels.

EAB welcomes anyone who wants to learn about cycling, repairs, maintenance or safe riding. Aside from the pleasure of fixing and riding bicycles, members of the EAB believe that bicycles are vital for socio-economic gain, and offer an environmentally sustainable option to the automobile. The Earn-A-Bike program pairs those in need with skilled volunteers to rebuild and repair donated bicycles.

At EAB, participation in advocacy would be encouraged. They view the co-op model as one that promotes cooperation from everyone in the community. If someone has a passion to advocate for policy, they can go forward representing EAB. The organization would support the effort as long as it promotes bicycling and safety.

In the words of Cristian Sandoval, Executive Director and Founder "We don't push our agenda, we prove our points. At the moment, we are tracking the benefits of implementing the Earn A Bike program in a lower income community as a means to reduce high school drop out rates and improve the health of the participant. If successful, we will publish and raise funds from the community to expand the program".

In the spirit of giving and sustainability, EAB embraces researchers, advocates, philanthropists, writers, photographers, sociologists and other members of the community collaborating to prove the outcomes. Un-like the Newark Bike Project, events and activities must be bicycling-related, or they will not be considered. They even have a soldering class that uses old bicycle frames for labs and teaching.

EAB rents their facility for $800 a month. Currently, the lease is volunteer paid, and will be until the organization is solvent - hopefully by the end of 2015. EAB operates with transparency and accountability in all aspects, including program planning and operations, finances, etc. Their primary goal is to provide equitable, affordable and practical services with a priority to those in need.

In the interest of safety, Cristian Sandoval demonstrates the importance of using a helmet.

Close Call Database Tracks Bad Drivers

Members are encouraged to submit incident reports to help build cases against aggressive drivers

Bicycling Magazine -- Almost every bike rider has experienced it: A hostile driver cuts you off, buzzes by within inches, or yells obscenities as you pedal. The experience is more than frightening - it’s potentially life-threatening. Unfortunately, cyclists have had little recourse. Until now. Ernest Ezis of Boulder, CO, was tired of hearing about riders being harassed by motorists with no way to warn their peers of repeatedly dangerous drivers. His solution? He created the Close Call Database, a website where cyclists can identify and track aggressive motorists.

The concept is simple. Cyclists involved in an episode of car-on-bike ire can report the encounter on the site. As reports accrue, patterns of serial aggressive driving should become evident.  If one of those drivers is ever involved in an incident with a cyclist, the compiled information could help to build a legal case against him or her. Ezis also hopes that police will use the information to confront hostile drivers and encourage them to change their habits before an accident occurs. [Full article ...]

Rideye has the ultimate HD surveillance system, aka "black box" for bicyclists, that can record the details of an incident or accident. It can also catch a belligerent motorist in the act, and record the tag number. Unfortunately, because a front license plate is not required in Delaware, using a rear-facing camera (seatpost mount) won't be much help.

Related: 
Horn-Crazy Driver Busted for Harassing Cyclists
Cameras Are Cyclists’ ‘Black Boxes’ in Accidents

Bicycling is the Fountain of Youth

How Exercise Keeps Us Young

New York Times -- Active older people resemble much younger people physiologically, according to a new study of the effects of exercise on aging. The findings suggest that many of our expectations about the inevitability of physical decline with advancing years may be incorrect and that how we age is, to a large degree, up to us.

Aging remains a surprisingly mysterious process. A wealth of past scientific research has shown that many bodily and cellular processes change in undesirable ways as we grow older. But science has not been able to establish definitively whether such changes result primarily from the passage of time - in which case they are inevitable for anyone with birthdays - or result at least in part from lifestyle, meaning that they are mutable.

This conundrum is particularly true in terms of inactivity. Older people tend to be quite sedentary nowadays, and being sedentary affects health, making it difficult to separate the effects of not moving from those of getting older. [Full article ...]

"Iron Man" Jim Eads powers his way through the White Mountains of NH in 2007. Jim will turn 80 in April, and thinks nothing of  riding over 10,000 miles per year, every year. Check out this special interview with Jim HERE.

Dover Bike and Pedestrian Plan Workshop set for January 20

The Dover/Kent County MPO and the City of Dover will hold a public workshop from 4-7 p.m. on Tuesday, January 20 for people to view and discuss the final drafts of Dover’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan updates. The workshop will take place at the John W. Pitts Center at Schutte Park in Dover off of Hazlettville Road.

For more information, call the Dover Parks and Recreation office at (302) 736-7050. Stop by and visit the event webpage HERE.

View Larger Map

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.

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.

Safe Routes To School workshops planned for Spring 2015

In early 2015, the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) will hold two "hands-on" Safe Routes to School (SRTS) workshops for all interested school administrators, physical education teachers, health/wellness practitioners and bicycle/pedestrian advocates. The purpose of the workshops is to provide participants the tools and resources needed to facilitate their own local Safe Routes to School programs, identify local projects for DelDOT Safe Routes to School planning and infrastructure grants, and conduct a school-based bike rodeo appropriate for grades 3-6.

The first workshop will be held in New Castle County, with a follow-up workshop in either Kent or Sussex County. The format for each workshop will include a morning session on infrastructure planning, followed by an afternoon session on bike rodeo planning. Time would be allocated during each workshop for sidebar discussions and FAQs from trainees.

Please provide your availability and workshop location preference for dates in March, April and May 2015. Based on responses, DelDOT will schedule the workshops and send out an official agenda.

Please contact Sarah Coakley, AICP, SRTS Coordinator at 302-760-2236, fax: 302-739-2251
Email: sarah.coakley@state.de.us

Connor Cunneely is the only child that rides his bike to Wilmington Manner ES. Much of the area surrounding the school is walkable-bikeable, so is this truly an issue of safety, or more one of laziness and/or lack of awareness? Interview with Connor HERE.

Why we need accurate signage on our pathways and bike routes

"Bike Boulevards" typically use wayfinding signs and/or road markings (Courtesy of NACTO.org)

Delaware’s rate of cycle commuting is lower than the national average. With tens of millions of dollars put into connected cycle pathways and shoulders, I found a mostly safe and easy way to ride my bicycle all the way from Arden, (near our northeastern border with Pennsylvania), to Newark, Delaware as part of my workplace commute. When I’d relate this at the bicycle shop I was working for to customers, most would stare at me with amazement, and ask ‘what route did you take?’ I explained that I was then having to explain the route as being in chunks of bike trail or along more notable landmarks, and that there was no official designation for this route. It simply said ‘bike route,’ and without using a GPS, I’d never have found out where each part went. Additional information regarding the various trails and locations they connect would only serve to encourage cycle-commuting, and would help cyclists relate to other cyclists which trails to visit, if each trail was given a name. I realized then that the only signage I had to go on was inconsistently present, and never once had spotted a destination list of areas the trail led to.

The Pomeroy Trail in Newark, at the Junction of Cleveland Ave
and N. Chapel.  Not only is the intersection not designed for
bicycling, there is also no wayfinding signage whatsoever.

Can you imagine driving your car down the interstate if the state never placed down any roadway signs indicating what the next city is on the road? Imagine if you also had no idea when or if the interstate would just end, effectively leaving you to have to turn around and find an alternate route to the city you are aiming for. This is a what cycle commuting can be like for beginning cyclists who are trying to find a route to and from work without the aid of a GPS. Some of the more major routes do have some small indicators at intersections. These small signs state which way to go to stay on the ‘bike route.’ What is not explained is what the route goes to, or if it’s best to exit the bike route if you are near your destination, or if the right turn will take you further from your destination, if it will duck into a neighborhood for a few blocks before continuing onward, or if it will only dead-end in a mile or two next to an expressway without warning. Sometimes indicators are simply a spray painted arrow indicating which way to go to continue on the trail (where the trail continues towards, it says not; it also says nothing of where the branch-off goes). There needs to be more information posted at each sign.

What if we had consistent signage at every intersection, where branch-offs have neighborhoods labeled with signs for which neighborhoods and businesses they are servicing, along with any other connected trails listed. We could also use a mileage marker to indicate how far each destination is from the trail’s branch-off junction. The main line could then indicate remaining mileage towards its terminus or towards a major city, such as Newark and Wilmington, or proximity to other trails that the trail is headed to. Additionally, new riders would feel safer being guided towards a destination than having to make an educated guess based on the signs.

The advantages of doing this are numerous; cyclists could have some understanding of where they are headed, which can only be a positive. Many cyclists choose to ride on segments of trails that are near their houses, but have no inkling of how far the trail goes, or that the trail might even branch conveniently into a place of work, recreation, or commercial site that they frequent. It is my belief that if we had better signage, more cyclists would become encouraged to travel further along them and aware of where they can travel on their bicycles.

Joel Schwaber lives in North Wilmington. A caring advocate, he operates the Wilmington Bike Recycling co-op. Joel's only goal is to put more people on bikes, at little or no cost. Email Joel at schwabthedeck@gmail.com if you would like to volunteer to help, or donate a bicycle(s). Anne G. of Newark, advocate and co-author, is also pictured.

DelDOT's Bhatt leaving for Colorado agency

Sec. Bhatt, riding the Amish Country Tour in 2011

Delaware On-Line -- Transportation Secretary Shailen Bhatt is leaving Delaware after 31/2 years to head the Colorado Department of Transportation, starting in mid-February.

"I want to wrap up a revenue package for DelDOT before then. That's the biggest challenge," Bhatt said. "I want to ensure the transition is as seamless as it can be, and that I leave the agency in a good place."

Gov. Jack Markell said Monday afternoon he's nominating Division of Motor Vehicles Director Jennifer Cohan to succeed Bhatt at the top of the 2,800-employee agency, pending her confirmation by the state Senate.
Jennifer Cohan2.jpg

In recent years, Cohan managed nearly all of DelDOT's divisions during vacancies in senior posts, while still running the DMV. [Full article ...]

Poster's note:  We wish Shailen and his family all the best in his new endeavor. Colorado has some of the most bicycle-friendly cities in America. During his time DelDOT Secretrary, he presided over a more bicycle-friendly DelDOT and promoted the Trails and Pathways initiative. Most notably, he worked closely with Bike Delaware to expedite the completion of the Industrial Track Rail Trail between Old New Castle and Wilmington.

UPDATE! And please invite your friends to follow 1st State BIKES

What has made 1st State BIKES so successful in its first full year of existence? Our loyal followers have played a huge part. But we need more of you, in order to mature and become a true force in Delaware bicycle advocacy. And really, we shouldn't have any trouble at all, considering the popularity of bicycling and that we're not even looking for paid members. Supporting 1st State BIKES is absolutely free! And always will be.

We launched 3 petitions in 2014. The first, advocating for a Newark to Wilmington on-road bikeway did quite well, clearing well over 200 signatures. As a result, several cyclists and three key folks from DelDOT rode the route. They took notes on the various obstacles, and many of the fixes involve some traffic signals, parking, and striping. Remediation could begin as early as Spring. Look for updates on this project as we get further into 2015.

The other two petitions, not so well. We collected just over 30 for the Bicycle Warning Sign "In Lane" enhancement, and are still struggling below 15 for enforcement of New Castle County's Unified Development Code where bicycle parking is concerned. The latter is a truly dismal showing, and very discouraging when considering it involves equal level of service. Folks, we have to do better. Signing these petitions truly means something. The signatures are real, and collected in a printable form, and submitted to those in charge. Simply put, projects like this will fail if the bicycling community doesn't support them in the simplest terms.

A huge barrier to gaining support is Bike Delaware. The State's #1 advocacy organization (according to the League of American Bicyclists) is not only ignoring our petitions, and not cross-posting our action alerts, but some of us are even blocked from posting on their Facebook page. This, despite us promoting Bike Delaware's projects and programs. So we definitely have our work cut out for us, in gaining the support we need to not only defend current policies and legislation, but improve or add to what we already have.

So please everyone, spread the word! Tell your friends to stop by and check out 1st State BIKES. Likes tell us lots about how we are doing, and we urge you to please invite your friends - via your own page - to like our page. We prefer to grow organically, as opposed to paying Facebook to grow fake numbers for us.

Gail's Assault on Rittenhouse Park in Newark

The American Bicycle Corps at Fort Missoula in 1897 (courtesy of Wikipedia)

On January 2nd, the 1st State Bicycle Corps launched a mining siege at the Iron Hill territory of Rittenhouse Park in Newark, Delaware. Light infantry, commanded by "Gunga" Gail Robillard, were sent ahead to clear a pathway and dig the first trenches. In the video below, Gail demonstrates invincible leadership skills, tackling rocks, roots, and even the trees themselves!

Seriously -- Rittenhouse Park is a beautiful natural area with nearly 2 miles of natural hiking trails and access to the Christina River. It does not appear that the trails - 100% natural surface - are maintained well enough to recommend mountain biking, though it appears many do. The park looks small on a map, but feels quite large once inside. It contains substantial tracts of intact mature forest and is also a great place to go bird watching!

The Rittenhouse Park Trail is supposed to connect between W. Chestnut Hill Road and Elkton Road. However, the video above tells a different story. The trail goes from semi-bikeable to treacherous to non-existent.

Injustice at the Intersection

Featured on Dissent -- On April 10, 2010, four-year-old A.J. Newman was killed just steps from his home. Along with his mother and two sisters, he was trying to get back to his apartment building from a bus stop on the far side of a five-lane highway. As they waited on a narrow concrete median, A.J. broke loose from Raquel Nelson’s hand, following the lead of his older sister, who took advantage of a short break in traffic to dash across the road. A drunk driver struck him dead before his mother’s eyes.

Raquel Nelson’s troubles didn’t end there. In the wake of her son’s death, she was charged with vehicular homicide because, with three young children and an armful of groceries, she chose not to walk a third of a mile to the nearest marked crosswalk. A jury whose members never ride local buses found Nelson guilty of a crime whose true perpetrators were poverty and traffic engineering. She nearly went to jail, but after a national outcry, the judge reversed her conviction. [Cont ...]

America's Streets Are Safer for Drivers, But Not for Pedestrians

From CityLab -- The continued decline in traffic fatalities is one of the brightest trends in public health these days, and according to the latest figures from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, it continued in 2013, with the overall number of people killed on roads in the United States down 3.1 percent over 2012 numbers. Far too many people still died on the nation’s streets and highways -- 32,719, to be precise. But that number represents a remarkable 25 percent decrease in traffic deaths since 2004.

For people outside of cars rather than inside them, however, the news is less reassuring: “non-occupant fatalities” have gone from 14 percent of the total number of deaths to 17 percent over a 10-year period. The raw number of pedestrians killed by drivers did go down down between 2012 and 2013, but by only 1.7 percent, to 4,735. And the longer-term trend is not positive. In fact, pedestrian fatalities in 2013 were 15 percent higher than they were in 2009 [Full article ...]

The standard cross-road is nearing extinction in suburban Delaware, replaced by configurations like the above. Instead of right turns in the traditional sense, radius turns keep motor traffic moving as quickly as possible through intersections. This comes at the expense of bicycle and pedestrian safety, since bike lanes seldom fit and the beginning and end of the crosswalk isn't even signalized. Induced to drive faster, motorists seldom yield, and usually just barrel on through even when pedestrians are present. Whether directly related or not, Delaware recently tied its 2014 per-capita record for pedestrian fatalities - enough for 1st place even ahead of Florida one year ago.

See also:
Why crosswalks are so dangerous in Delaware
Delaware pedestrian fatalities rise 6.4% from last year
Trying to rank Delaware for Pedestrian and Bicyclist Fatalities
In Delaware, yielding to pedestrians is a joke
Fighting Traffic: The Dawn of the Motor Age in the American City

1st State BIKES Transition Follow-up

We're almost there!

Below are some important tips that will help our followers make a seamless transition to 1st State BIKES. As of today, our official web address is http://www.1stbikes.org

• For a period yet to be determined, http://www.delawarebikes.org will re-direct.
• If you follow us on Facebook, you will need to open our new page and LIKE us. Our original page will be off-line soon, so try not to delay.
• If you follow our posts via RSS Feed, you may need to re-subscribe, or click HERE.
• Twitter followers should remain unaffected.
• If you check in with our primary blog, please update your bookmarks (or create new) to reflect our new web address at: http://www.1stbikes.org

Thanks for your patience!

 

1st State BIKES 2014 Year In Review

2014 was the first full year of 1st State BIKES (formerly known as Delaware Bikes) existence. It was a year full of challenges, and hard earned successes. Much work remains to be done; 2015 promises at least as much, if not more action. Below we highlight the highs - and a few lows - of the past year in bicycle advocacy. Some are joint projects with the Delaware Bicycle Council and the White Clay Bicycle Club.

January-March:

• DelDOT Pave & Rehab Projects opened for comment
• Who is advocating for on-road safety in Delaware (series)
• Building the case for the Newark to Wilmington Bikeway Proposal

April:

• Bicycle-unfriendly rumble strips first brought to DelDOT's attention
• Bike Delaware hires attorney, demands Delaware Bikes forfeit name and domain
• SUCCESS: Promoted Cycle for Cecil for land conservation in neighboring Cecil County
• Building the case against bicycle-unfriendly rumble strips

May:

• Building the case for updating the penalty for failure to yield in a crosswalk
• SUCCESS: New crosswalk and bike lane added at key Ogletown intersection
• Petitioned DelDOT to Save Our Shoulders (cease adding rumble strips) 

July-August:

• Petitioned DelDOT to create a Newark to Wilmington on-road bikeway
• Building the case for updating the penalty for failure to yield in a crosswalk
• Survey: Is Route 13 in Dover safer with Bike Lanes?
• SUCCESS: DelDOT sweeping reform comes to fruition
• Building the case for complete crosswalks at Elkton Road/Christina Parkway

September:

• New DelDOT rumble strip design opened for comment  
• SUCCESS: First bicycle-friendly rumble strips installed south of Middletown
• Building the case for bollards instead of gates in New Castle County

October:

• Building the case for Share the Road signs on Route 896 in Cecil County
• EZ Roller Rides introduced
• SUCCESS: Bicycles May Use Full Lane signs to be installed on Route 896 in Cecil County

November:

• Petitioned DelDOT to upgrade bicycle warning sign to include "On Roadway"
• SUCCESS: Inaugural EZ Roller Ride
• Building the case for bike lanes with the next Elkton Road resurfacing project

December:

• Building the case for safe bicycle facilities with the Route 72 widening project
• FAIL: Too late to add 4th crosswalk at Elkton Rd/Christina Parkway 
• Building the case against bicycle parking waivers in New Castle County
• Petitioning New Castle County to enforce APBP compliant bicycle parking in the UDC
• SUCCESS: Test sites for bicycle warning signs, to include "In Lane" goes forward

Want to know more? 1st State BIKES is a committee made up of advocates from different organizations that believe in on-road infrastructure and safety. In the quest for a balanced network of bicycle facilities, our advocates also support the surveys, petitions, and projects from trails and pathways organizations such as Bike Delaware, Delaware Greenways, Trailspinners, etc. We also support education, including B.E.S.T. (Bringing Education and Safety Together).

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.

New for 2015! Delaware Bikes is now 1st State BIKES

For reasons we cannot disclose at this time, Delaware Bikes will be changing to 1st State BIKES as of 2015. We urge our followers to make changes ASAP in order to continue supporting our mission. We strive to be your 1-stop shop for all things bicycling advocacy in Delaware, which includes both on and off-road infrastructure and safety. There is no paid membership required to join with us, and participate in advocacy projects and action alerts that cover the 6 Es of bicycle advocacy.

For now, please check in with our new Facebook page, and LIKE us. All future posts will be re-directed here, but still cross-posted to the original page as well for a limited time.

If you are subscribed via email, please check our blog periodically for the next few weeks to ensure you don't miss anything.

More updates will follow. Please bear with us through this difficult time.