STOP coverage in 1st State Bikes

As most of you know, Save the Orphanage Property (STOP) is getting regular coverage on 1st State Bikes. Regional parks are crucial for our quality of life, which includes walking, running, relaxing, taking in nature, etc. For bicycling, they make wonderful destinations. It is also the primary news topic of Ogletown Resilience; once there is an outcome, that group will begin to diversify in the areas of active transportation, environmental stewardship, and sustainable living -- their current mission statement. Also, visit STOP on Facebook and like them to receive all the latest updates.

STOP will remain linked at the top of 1st State Bikes for the duration of the campaign, since we have first time visitors as a result of our yard signs. If you are one of these folks, please view STOP and land use coverage in general. If you are looking to acquire a yard sign, please email: mtn2lion@yahoo.com and provide your home address, and we will deliver. The area surrounding the Orphanage Property is the priority, which includes Todd Estates, Breezewood, Scottfield, and Brookside. Our first 100 are going fast, so email us today!

Red Mill Road and Route 273 Intersection "Improvements" set for 2018

A major rework is coming to the Red Mill Road intersection at Route 273. According to DelDOT's project page:

The proposed safety and capacity improvements for this project will take place on Red Mill Road between SR 273 and the northern entrance of the Liberty Square apartment complex. Project improvements extend northward to Diminish Drive.

This project was identified by the 2012 Hazard Elimination Program study (Site V) due to a large number of crashes in the area. Left turning traffic from Red Mill Road to eastbound SR 273 backs up, making left turns onto Red Mill Road Spur and turns from Red Mill Road Spur more difficult. An additional left turn lane onto eastbound SR 273 was recommended.

The project is currently proposed to add a left turn lane from Red Mill Road to eastbound SR 273. Realigning the Red Mill Road / Red Mill Road Spur intersection will also help increase the distance to the SR 273 intersection, allowing longer left turn lanes to eastbound SR 273. Additionally, pedestrian improvements will be made by adding sidewalks to connect the existing crosswalk at SR 273 to Liberty Square Apartments and Harmony Woods.

Bicycling safety improvements are not mentioned, and they very much need to be. This section of Red Mill Road is sandwiched between two retention ponds with steep drop-offs, so it would appear that adding the additional left turn-only lane for cars and a sidewalk for pedestrians could meet or exceed the limits of the ROW. Therefore, it's quite possible that bike lanes will not fit. We'll know more if a project workshop is scheduled, or if/when we see the drawings.

Projects like these should be the priority of our State's Advocacy Organization, Bike Delaware. They should be on top of, and advocating for safe routes for bicyclists with all road safety improvement and reconstruction projects. But they are not, despite their stated mission of "bikeway networks that everyone can use to get where they want to go on a bike". They are on record as not supporting on-road bike facilities, yet if bike lanes cannot be worked into this project, bicyclists will have no accommodations whatsoever. They will be left to use either the lanes of traffic or hop on the sidewalk to reach the intersection with Route 273. Consistent with Bike Delaware's focus on separated facilities, it could be an area that finds asphalt multi-use pathways (MUPs) -- instead of sidewalks -- are the best all around solution for non-motorized users.

Below is a video, and a couple of photos. Pedestrians and bicyclists can be seen throughout the day traversing the intersection and its roads, even parents with their children on bikes. It's an area that DelDOT needs to make safe and comfortable for everyone, never mind so much emphasis on vehicle LOS.

Catching the 2017 Legislator's Ride in Ogletown

May 10th was the Legislators Bike to Work Ride, starting at the Polly Drummond Hill Shopping Center en-route to Dover. This was an event that was started in May 1990, with State Representative Roger Roy leading bicycling enthusiasts to the steps of the State Capitol. In that first year, bicyclists witnessed the signing of the bill that created the Delaware Bicycle Council. Since then, it has become an annual event lead by Senator Dave Sokola to promote bicycling during national bicycling month.

As luck would have it, I encountered the "Peloton" on my own commute to work, catching and then filming them from behind as they biked through Ogletown on Route 4.

1st State Bikes to introduce USB UPS system for bicycles

1st State Bikes is working overtime to produce an uninterrupted power supply (UPS) system for bicycles. We have prototypes undergoing real time testing as we write. It is designed to work with bicycle generator systems that include front hub, sidewall (tire), bottom bracket, or any other dynamo types that produce 6 Volts AC. The device will convert that output to a clean and reliable 5 Volts DC, suitable for any USB charging or power connection. But that's not all; when you stop for any reason, e.g. at a red light, power remains on for 10+ minutes, usually more depending on how many devices are connected.

Suitable devices include Smart Phones, GPS units, Video Cameras, or anything else that accepts the standard micro-USB connection. Adapters can be used to convert to mini-USB. A 3-way toggle switch allows for the connection of a Dynamo-compatible head/tail lamp. The beautifully wood finished console clamps on to your handlebar next to the stem, and positions below the plain of the bar and out of the way as seen in the photos. Buyers must specify standard or over-sized bar clamp diameter.

We are also working on a non-dynamo, rechargeable Lithium battery system -- similar in appearance to the dynamo -- that will keep the power on long after a device's internal batteries drain down. A package that includes a mini video camera is also in the works. Watch for future announcements.

1st State Bikes has you covered, not only with balanced bicycle advocacy, but keeping the power on! Production is pending. If you are interested in these products, or would like updates on our upcoming Lithium system, email us today at: info@1stbikes.org and we will place you on our first notification list.

No response from Democrats on Open Space Platform Plank

In the Autumn of 2016, STOP advocates worked hard on a campaign to have the Delaware Democratic Party include open space preservation as a plank in their 2017 platform. This was not an endorsement of a particular party; the Democrats just happen to be our State's controlling party at this time. Unfortunately, despite repeated asks, it has either not come up for vote or has been tabled.

Open Space and Farmland Preservation is supported by the overwhelming majority of the electorate, regardless of party affiliation. Countless studies have shown the importance of parkland, natural habitat, and bio-diversity in a community's overall health and well being. Ordinary folks know this. Yet the party that sells itself as stewards of the environment is nowhere to be found, as evidenced by their silence on STOP.

Below is the breakdown of those who signed on in support of the plank. Conspicuously absent is newly elected Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester, whom advocates reached out to  on multiple occasions without success. Obviously, we cannot, and will not tell our followers who to vote for. But we hope that open space preservation is at least one of the deciding factors when they enter the voting booth!

Green STOP Signs coming to Ogletown

The above is but one concept being planned for a STOP
campaign yard sign. Make plans to join in the effort today!

Advocates at Save the Orphanage Property are moving ahead with "STOP" signs. Bumper stickers may follow. Countless residents are eagerly waiting for something that they can place in their yard or at curbside, to bring the campaign that much closer to the region. With deafening silence from our Legislators and Councilwoman Diller concerning the property's fate, the organization has no choice but to raise the stakes. Despite Executive Meyer's unswerving "commitment" (made at the last NCC Civic League Meeting) to making the park a reality, planning for the Chestnut Hill "Preserve" is all but wrapped up according to the project's page on the NCC Dept of Land Use (DLU) website.

Nobody understands the political implications of the effort more than STOP advocates, yet the distrust on the part of our leaders -- usually on display at meetings and with poor decorum in general -- persists. If we were approached in confidence that indeed, a parkland deal was coming together, and that its success hinged upon a pullback of STOP campaign activities, we would go eerily silent until the wonderful news broke. Instead, for reasons we have yet to grasp, advocates are viewed as carrying bullhorns, ready to mouth off at every opportunity.

Stay tuned in the coming few weeks for more about STOP's new campaign signs, including pickup or delivery information. Followers will also be given the opportunity to donate the wholesale cost of the sign, which is expected to fall well under $5/piece. Said donation will not be mandatory, of course, as the goal is to distribute the signs far and wide.

A yard sign for open space funding via referendum. Unlike other States, DE does not permit referendums at the voting booth. Such a lesser form of democracy leaves citizens with little choice but to advocate for existing government funds, or to hope for benefactor(s).

Advocacy opportunities in the coming weeks

Civic League of NCC Annual Meeting 
All are welcome. Keynote speaker will be Jennifer Cohan, DelDOT Secretary of Transportation. This is an excellent opportunity to raise bike-ped infrastructure safety issues and concerns.  Date: Tuesday May 16. Time:  7:00 - 9:00 p.m. Location: Christiana Presbyterian Church, 15 North Old Baltimore Pike, Christiana, DE 19702.

Glasgow Avenue Main Street Study
WILMAPCO, DelDOT, and New Castle County have kicked off a year-long transportation and land use study for Glasgow Avenue, between US 40 and SR 896/Porter Road (about 1.3 miles).  The study is intended to create a “Main Street” vision plan to guide transportation improvements and land use along Glasgow Avenue. You are invited to this final community workshop. During the meeting, project partners will share the study recommendations and collect your input. Date: Monday, May 22. Time: from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Location: Hodgson Vo-tech High School Cafeteria.

Blueprint for a Bicycle-Friendly Delaware
The State and other organizations are working on a bicycle policy plan to support the development of a safe, connected, and equitable network of bicycle facilities throughout the state! Your input will help planners better understand where people want to bike and problematic locations and corridors for people trying to bike. It's easy; simply input a valid email address, and start marking your trouble points and recommended routes. You can also comment on what others have already submitted.

Have you taken the survey yet? If not, please do ASAP. Your responses are very important. Completion of this survey takes less than 5 minutes and will help DelDOT set priorities for the Statewide Bicycle Policy Plan.

Abandoned Roads in NCC: Gender Road

The first in a series about abandoned roads in New Castle County. Like abandoned railroads, "old roads" sometimes make valuable connectors (or a trip back in time).

Gender Road was at one time planned as an exchange on I-95. The idea was abandoned due to inland wetlands, a high water table, and severe flooding, hence the lack of an Exit 2 in Delaware. This film was taken on a bicycle, heading westbound on Gender from Salem Church Road. Several features of the old road can still be seen, including broken street lights, phone poles, and the double yellow line from time to time.

The area is heavily saturated and nearby homes routinely experience erosion and flooding issues. The New Castle County Dept of Land Use (NCC DLU), however, went ahead and authorized a 260 unit, high density development on the former Orphanage Property (marked below with green stop sign below) just north of Breezewood in Ogletown. An effort by the organization Save The Orphanage Property (STOP, on facebook) is underway to halt it in favor of a regional park. If the development does go forward, it will pave over nearly all of the open fields and a significant portion of the forest and wetlands abutting Todd Estates 2 and Breezewood. But according to the DLU Flood Plane Administrator for the project:

"... the design will reduce surface water runoff at each of the discharge locations and much of the runoff generated by the site design will be infiltrated into the soils. In addition, a significant portion of storm water from the site will be piped to an existing DelDOT system in Gender Road, rather than impacting homes in Breezewood. 

Gender Road, abandoned due to flooding, is marked with the green dotted line. STOP is just to the north.

Originally, this wasn't the case. At a meeting with the NCC DLU in February, advocates learned that the storm water would be channeled to the Christina River, under I95 via Leatherman's Run. With this latest revelation, will it now impact residents of Breezewood 2 near the abandoned Gender Road?

The double yellow line remains just barely visible.

Abandoned poles and lighting fixtures are readily visible looking up.

Wetlands and vernal pools are visible from both sides of the road.

Adjacent homes face standing water after a recent rainfall.

WNJ: DelDOT turns to crowdsourcing to find best bike routes

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Will CA become second State to legalize rolling stops for bicyclists?

California is set to make a go at the Idaho Stop law. Excerpts from the article in the Fresno Bee:

. . . That’s the gist of Assembly Bill 1103, now awaiting a vote at the committee level. Introduced by Assemblyman Jay Obernolte (R-Big Bear) and Assemblyman Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), the bill would “authorize a person operating a bicycle approaching a stop sign, after slowing to a reasonable speed and yielding the right-of-way, to cautiously make a turn or proceed through the intersection without stopping, unless safety considerations require otherwise.”

Why on Earth would two assemblymen, from both sides of the political aisle, craft such a bill? Because although it may sound misguided or counterintuitive, such a measure would make our streets safer for cyclists without having any impact on motorists.

Although certainly part of it, this is about more than saving energy or not wanting to lose pedaling momentum. Cyclists are at their most vulnerable while stopped at intersections. This is where they’re most likely going to get hit from behind or sideswiped by an inattentive motorist – with no way to take evasive action.

When I’m on my bike and approaching stop sign I do so with the goal of getting out of the danger zone as soon as safely possible. I squeeze the brakes to slow down, check both ways to make sure the coast is clear and roll on my merry way. No harm, no foul and no need to be a sitting duck for any longer than necessary. [Full story . . .]

Making the case for BMUFL signs on S. Chapel Road

A safe N-S route that crosses I95 has been an ongoing challenge for Delaware bicyclists. Among the few viable options, none have been as frustrating as Route 72 (S. Chapel Rd) south of Newark. It's often viewed as the "safest" choice for most trips, given its parallel multi-user pathway (MUP) and no interstate access ramps. However, as appealing as this may sound, the MUP is narrow, debris-filled, often times obstructed, and presents a bone-jarring ride between Route 4 and Old Baltimore Pike.

Advocates first started asking for its repair in 2004, hoping to attach it to a Pave & Rehab project for the four lanes of road (high speed, no shoulder) itself, but unfortunately, that was denied. Relatively high bike-ped usage isn't enough justification, apparently, as it continues to be neglected with conditions going from bad to deplorable since that time. It even shares a parking lot with an auto repair facility, where vehicles completely block the MUP just south of I95. This video is just one example of numerous occasions, and when confronted, the manager makes it clear that the parking lot extends to the curb and that "people walking or biking through there do so at their own risk".

With several appeals to DelDOT's bicycle coordinator, we are told to contact the Canal District, or the Roadside Control Hotline. Unfortunately, by the time they arrive, the problem is cleared. The blocking vehicles come and go throughout the day, and DelDOT will not accept photos or video as evidence of the problem.

If history is any measure, we cannot count on a new and safe bi-directional MUP along this section of Route 72 anytime soon. The video above makes that abundantly clear. DelDOT could help increase safety now for the many bicyclists using the Route 72 corridor by designating the right lane as shared use. "Bicycles May Use Full Lane" is the most appropriate signage, with at least two in each direction.

It is time to stop waiting and hoping this MUP will be rehabbed someday. Installing "Bicycles May Use Full Lane" will help increase the safety and comfort of those already riding in the right lane -- especially when it's crowded like the above. Any parallel path, regardless of its condition, makes motorists much less tolerant of bicycles being on the roadway and in the "car lane". Because we don't educate our drivers, most of them think bicyclists only belong on the sidewalk, in parks or on bike paths in any case.

STOP Final Survey Results

Early in the STOP campaign, an on-line survey was launched. The goal was to better understand the vision Ogletown residents have for the 170+ acre Orphanage Property should it be saved from the ravages of development. The results quickly rolled in, putting it past SurveyMonkey's complimentary user limit. Rather than pay the service charge and promote the survey beyond that, we decided to let it expire and use the data gathered from the first 100 results. We sincerely thank everyone who participated. Doing so showed faith in democratic ideals and principles; that the will of citizens -- not profiteering -- must be honored first and foremost by our govt leaders. We remain confident that they will come through for us in this manner, thereby saving the Orphanage Property as a regional park for all to enjoy.

Newark Post: Push for county park on former orphanage site remains strong

Lisa Diller, NCC 5th District

A tip of the helmet goes to Karie Simmons for an excellent article in the Newark Post. Hope for a regional park in Ogletown remains strong, but with Councilwoman Diller an unwilling champion, it will be difficult to track Exec Meyer's progress. As much as we would like to back off and trust that our leaders will follow through, episodes of poor decorum and lack of communication remains a stumbling block. Excerpts:

New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer says he is “committed” to finding the funding the county needs to buy the Felician Sisters’ 181-acre parcel on East Chestnut Hill Road and turn it into a public park.

“Not only am I committed to it, I’ve already made numerous phone calls about it,” Meyer said Tuesday during a Civic League for New Castle County meeting.

Several members of the group Save The Orphanage Property (STOP) – formerly Save Ogletown Pond – turned out to the meeting at the Christiana Presbyterian Church on North Old Baltimore Pike to protest the controversial housing development planned for the land at 487 E. Chestnut Hill Road, which is just east of Newark, and press Meyer for updates on the community’s desire for a park there instead.

Angela Connolly, a Todd Estates resident and STOP co-founder, said that over the past two years she has spent fighting the project, she has often heard the words “last chance.”
[Full article . . .]

Yours truly commenting to Executive Meyer that the TIS (Transportation Impact Study) for the Chestnut Hill "Preserve" is all but worthless. It was doctored in favor of the developer, to fall short of nearby failed signalized intersections thus giving the project the go-ahead. Angela Connolly is seated to my left. (photo by Karie Simmons)

Cycle For Cecil set for April 29th

Cycle for Cecil begins at 8:00 a.m.at the beautiful Fair Hill Natural Resource Management Area and travels through scenic Cecil County, Maryland. There are three distances to be traveled on the ride - 15 miles, 50K (31 miles), or 100K (62 miles). All routes have multiple well-manned rest stops that provide drinks, snacks, and restrooms. Upon completion of the ride, cyclists are rewarded with Kilby Cream Ice Cream and homemade goodies. Cycle for Cecil benefits the Cecil Land Trust, which works to preserve the open space and farmland that makes Cecil County so unique. Registration is available through Active.com and on the day of the event, this year on April 29th, 2017.

This is a beautiful ride through the beautiful countryside of Cecil County Maryland. Cecil County is located in the north east corner of Maryland, on the Delaware border. The ride will take you through some of the vast open space that Cecil County Land Trust has worked to protect. The ride has multiple stops for drinks, snacks, and restrooms. The roads are very well marked, and the views are amazing!

Your participation not only supports a great ride, but helps fund the preservation of farmland, woodlands, natural habitat and historic rural communities in Cecil County. The efforts of the Cecil Land Trust may be what keeps Cecil County a rural landscape, the one that our recreational, touring, and competitive cyclists enjoy today. To that end, bicycling organizations in Delaware should actively support this event. Let's hope they do!

View Larger Map

NCC Executive Matt Meyer to speak at Civic League meeting

NCC Executive Matt Meyer will be the featured guest at the next New Castle County Civic League meeting on April 18. The topic will be land use. It is critical that bicyclists attend, as over-development and endless widening of arterial roads and intersections directly impacts the safety of non-motorized users.

The meeting is being held at the Christiana Presbyterian Church, 15 North Old Baltimore Pike in Christiana. A google map link is included on the meeting page.

Help us spread the word, and encourage others to attend! Responsible development, historical preservation, and saving open space are all critical for healthy communities. Biodiversity, fresh water, clean air, and limiting traffic congestion are also key. Curbing suburban sprawl also relieves the pressure to increase property taxes. Land use policy is critical, and that is exactly what Matt plans to discuss. Hope to see you there!

John Allen: Suburban sprawl as it affects bicyclists

Easily one of the best studies you will find on the challenges that bicyclists and pedestrians face in the modern suburban environment. John Allen is one of the most thorough and distinguished advocates in the U.S., and mirrors virtually everything we struggle for at 1st State Bikes. Excerpts:

The large, low building in the top center of the picture is a school. Consider how your child would get to that school if you lived in one of the houses in the foreground. Your child would probably ride a school bus, provided at considerable expense to the community.

Photo by John S. Allen

The major impediment to use of the bicycle for transportation in sprawled suburbs is lack of connectivity. The school would be an easy bicycle ride away -- even an easy walk -- with a reasonably direct route (And there may be something approaching that in this example -- read on.). Much suburban residential development in the United States is like this, with only informal connectivity on dirt paths, if any.

Lack of connectivity reflects a lack of coordination between different developers, and a lack of vision and leadership by local government. This situation also reflects the preferences of residents to some degree, by keeping through motor traffic out of residential areas. But the baby has been thrown out with the bathwater, so to speak. A house you can see out your back window could be a mile or two away by road, or by any route that avoids trespassing on the private property of strangers.

Arterial streets may -- and should -- have wide outside lanes, shoulders or bike lanes to allow bicycles and motor vehicles to share them comfortably, and have traffic signals that work well for bicyclists. Bicyclists must ride on the arterial streets, or cross them, for some trips, especially, longer trips. But residents should not have to take a long trip around on the arterial streets to get to a neighbor's house they can see out their back window!  [Cont . . .]

Most of Delaware's modern suburbs were planned as John describes, but you can still find a few older suburbs that were built with interconnectivity. These are usually before WWII until sometime in the 1970s, and closer to town centers and services.

High profile cases of child abduction (i.e. Etan Patz, Adam Walsh), and the unfounded notion that pathways can only facilitate crime also played its part. Hence, the situation we're in today that forces non-motorized users out onto arterial roads.

Fortunately, at least in New Castle County, the Unified Development Code has been updated and now calls for developments to include -- at minimum -- a pathway connection to existing communities. But with the County almost entirely built out, this amounts to a few drops in the bucket. Unless challenged, NIMBY sentiments will also reduce or even eliminate pathway and road connectivity altogether.

A pathway connection in Todd Estates, S. Newark, bridges two parallel streets so kids can safely walk or bike to school. It is a non-issue for these adjacent residents, because they bought their homes after the fact. Bike Delaware has made connectivity their mission, which includes piecing together such streets to create low stress networks. But they have yet to demonstrate how this can be accomplished without violating private property rights and/or invoking imminent domain -- never mind the high costs involved.

News Journal: Bring Ogletown Its First Regional Park

The concept of a regional park for Ogletown residents recently came under fire in the Wilmington News Journal, likely driven by developer interests. 1st State Bikes, partnered with STOP, responded with this letter. We're asking our followers to write their own letters too. Email: letters@delawareonline.com and include your name and full time phone number for verification.

Dear Editor, Wilmington News Journal:
In response to a recent letter about the Our Lady of Grace (aka Orphanage) property, nothing could be farther from the truth. It isn't so much about NIMBYs, but rather, the last chance for a walkable-bikeable regional park for Ogletown residents. And that's just one reason. Neighbors now are plagued with severe flooding and runoff issues that will be grossly hastened by paving over what is now vast permeable soils. For commuters, multiple intersections along Route 4 already fail level of service (LOS) requirements, according to DelDOT's Traffic Impact Study. Peak congestion is unbearable now, and this project would add thousands of more car trips per day.

A regional park, on the other hand, has enormous benefits. Studies conclude that those living within so many miles of parkland are healthier and are more likely to exercise, and this leads to lower healthcare costs. According to science, we are running out of time to halt climate change. We can't keep replacing carbon sinks with major sources of emissions, which defies the State's own greenhouse targets. And finally, the writer is wrong about jobs and tax rolls. Demand is flat because NCC is already saturated with tens of thousands of existing vacant homes. Any jobs that new housing creates will be very short lived, and at what cost? It's a fact that for every $1 in tax base that one household brings in, it costs about $1.25 in government and civil services to maintain that residence. That is why as urbanization increases, taxes follow suit. It's why DE residents pay a mere fraction of the taxes and cost of living expenses compared to our neighbors in NJ and NE PA, increasing steadily as you approach NYC. Is that what we want here?

Delaware has done a fair job preserving open space and farmlands, but most of it is not nearby or readily accessible for most of its residents. Minus a 20+ minute car ride, vast stretches of suburbia remain far away and disconnected. Ogletown is one of those places. We ask our Legislators and NCC Councilwoman to please bring a regional park to fruition.

Important: DelDOT Bicycle-Friendly Public Workshops

Don't forget to mark your calendar, and attend a DelDOT public workshop for bicycle-friendliness and safety in the First State!

• 4–7 pm, Feb. 22, Sussex County Council Chambers (2 The Circle, Georgetown)
• 4–7 pm, Feb. 27, Middletown HS Commons (120 Silver Lake Rd, Middletown)
• 4:30–7:30 pm, Feb. 28, Dover Public Library (35 East Loockerman St, Dover)
• 4–7 pm, March 1, Wilmington Public Library (10 East 10th St, Wilmington)

Balanced advocacy includes supporting on and off the road bicycle-specific infrastructure, as long as they are designed to best practices. Though we are seeing better quality as time goes by, it would be a serious mistake for advocates to assume equal level of service with vehicle drivers. Many are still being designed to relegate bicyclists to little more than wheeled pedestrians. Equal road rights and access cannot be ignored, because bicyclists will always depend on them for virtually every trip we make.

In any comments you make at these workshops, it is important to stress this fact. For example, a nearby bike path should never trump safety considerations on the roads they parallel. Failure here will lead to increased bullying from motorists, who see it as confirmation of "their" road given the nearby facility. In a worst case - as seen in some States now - the road itself may even go off limits to bicycling with mandatory use laws. Visit the workshop page HERE, and stand up for bicyclists as legitimate road users, facilities or no facilities. See you there!

DelDOT May Revise Elkton Road Reconstruction Plan

In light of recent comments, DelDOT may scale back the Elkton Road reconstruction/expansion project by nearly 2/3 to reflect actual needs. This number is derived from a reduction in added lanes between Otts Chapel Road and Route 4/896 (Christina Parkway).

Courtesy of Heather Dunigan, Wilmapco

The revision would ensure that only one additional lane will be added on the NE-bound side, to serve as an extended right turn-only lane. The SW-bound direction would maintain two through lanes similar to the existing design as we see it.

Excerpts from the Project Manager:
Based on the analysis, the alternative that could provide an effective alternative to the recommendations from the Planning study is the third option, which maintains two westbound lanes and adds a third eastbound lane from Otts Chapel Road that would end at the Route 4 intersection. With this option, the widening would be reduced in scope, but most importantly not sacrifice the needed safety improvement from Otts Chapel Road to Route 4.

We also recognize the comments that these improvements may facilitate toll evasion. Please note any roadway improvements in this part of Newark could be viewed as facilitating toll evasion; however, we feel limiting any capacity improvements to east of the Otts Chapel Road intersection should further minimize this potential issue.

We will post again on this project after a review of the updated drawings. We have also asked DelDOT to provide us the estimated cost savings over the original proposal. In the meantime, a tip of the helmet goes to Mark Tudor of DelDOT, for responding quickly and bringing our comments and concerns before the project team. Thanks so much, Mark!

DPM: Delaware wants to lead the peloton of bike friendly states

Anthony Aglio

Delaware is currently the nation’s third most bike friendly state, according to the League of American Bicyclists. But state officials aren’t satisfied with that ranking. So Delaware’s Department of Transportation is hosting a series of public meetings in late February to find out how it can make the state even more bike friendly.   

The workshops will be opening listening sessions, according to Anthony Aglio, a bicycle planning manager for DelDOT. “We’re trying to pull people in to ask them why they aren’t bicycling, what do they like about bicycling, how can we make it better for them?” he said.

The state has also created an online survey to learn about people’s cycling priorities. “Is it safety, is it convenience, is it access to schools?” Aglio said.

DelDOT will use the input from the meetings and surveys to determine if they should be building more bike lanes, trails or safe routes to schools.

DelDOT will present a draft plan in another round of public meetings this fall. And then will use that input to craft a final plan to be released in early 2018. [Full article, including meeting details . . . ]

A lovely Sunday morning for Anthony Aglio, as he rides Route 9 en-route to Wilmington for the 2010 Delaware Bike Summit.  The Industrial Track Rail Trail, if completed, will (mostly) eliminate the need for non-motorized commuters to travel this normally congested, high speed corridor.