ACTION ALERT: Tell DelDOT to Save Our Shoulders

Rumble strip in a Sussex County bike lane. Photo by Mike Tyler

By Amy Wilburn -- Recent Rumble Strip applications have reduced valuable shoulder space along roads throughout Delaware. The presence of usable shoulders is often all that stands between allowing our citizens to bike for transportation and recreation and forcing them to either leave their bikes at home or rack the bikes up and drive to a trail for a short, recreational ride. It is entirely unacceptable for the nation’s fourth most bike friendly state to discourage active transportation and encourage added motor vehicle congestion on our roadways.

Inappropriately placed rumble strips have already been installed on several roads throughout the state, including Route 72, Route 24 and Route 9. The positioning of the rumble strips on these roads is in violation of DelDOT’s guidelines. It is also not in agreement with best practice, including federal guidelines. Furthermore, placement is not even consistent. The rumble strips are being cut anywhere from directly on the white line (Route 1 south of Dartmouth Road in Lewes) to several feet to the right of the white line. On Route 72, cyclists are forced to either ride in debris or in the travel lane. On Route 24, narrow sections of shoulder that were still viable for biking have now been almost or completely obliterated by the rumble strips, forcing cyclists into the travel lane. Just east of Banks Road the shoulder is completely occupied by the rumble strip in a high crash area. On Route 9 in Sussex County, rumble strips have been installed inside the bike lane. All three of these routes are important roads for bicyclists. 

In a promising development, Mark Luszcz is leading a DelDOT team that will review and update the current policy on rumble strips. In addition, Mark informs us that no additional rumble strips are planned at the current time. However, that something this egregious could happen in the first place does not bode well. We need to ensure that the damage is corrected immediately, that the policy is updated and that it considers cyclists’ needs, that policy is consistently applied and that oversight is provided to ensure quality control at the various stages of a project, and that DelDOT begins to consistently consider the needs of bicyclists in all projects except on limited access highways where bicycling is prohibited. We should not have to constantly do damage control or fight for every single facility. 

Above: Other states, including South Carolina (among the least bicycle-
friendly states) puts their rumble strips at the white line, a safer choice
for all road users.

Installing rumble strips in a bike lane is not some trivial mistake. It is instead a monumental error that demonstrates that our needs are not taken into account, barely on the radar. It is disappointing that DelDOT does not consistently consult the cycling community or even the state bicycle coordinator before making decisions that seriously impact bicyclists, and that might even result in a life or death situation. Some DelDOT employees are certainly stellar and should not be faulted, and some projects are certainly appropriate, even excellent. But we need to ensure that all DelDOT departments and employees take our health and well-being seriously. We are, after all, members of the travelling public.

So what can you do? Attend the Delaware Bicycle Council meeting on Wednesday June 4 at 5 PM in the DelDOT Administration Building in Dover (map/directions). Mark Luszcz will be at that meeting to discuss the rumble strips. If a dozen members of the cycling public attend this meeting, our voices may very well be heard. You can also contact DelDOT by other means to express your concerns. Report poorly positioned rumble strips (or any other problems) under “Report a Road Condition”, or contact Anthony Aglio (Anthony.Aglio@state.de.us) and Mark Luszcz (Mark.Luszcz@state.de.us) to express your concerns about the recent developments. Anthony and Mark are working to address this problem, but it can’t wait. Let them know that you support efforts to solve the problem now, before any more bike lanes and shoulders are made unbikeable. Insist that the bike lanes and shoulders that have already been ruined by the rumble strips are repaired. This is one of the most critical problems we face as cyclists. If we want our needs addressed, we need to speak up and not rely on others to represent us or on DelDOT to figure out what it is that we need and want. Please take action now.

Recent posts on this issue:
New rumble strips pose major safety threat for Delaware bicyclists
Bad timing for Rumble Strips on Route 72

New rumble strips pose major safety threat for Delaware bicyclists

Recent Rumble Strip applications have reduced valuable shoulder space along New Castle County roads. According to DelDOT guidance as of 2011:

"To accommodate bicyclists, a minimum effective clear shoulder width of 4 feet should be provided from the outside edge of the rumble strip groove to the outside edge of the paved shoulder, or 5 feet from the outside edge of the rumble strip groove to the front face of barrier (including curb) or guardrail. Rumble strips should be discontinued 50 feet before and started 50 feet after when adjacent to guardrail where there is less than 5 feet between the outside edge of the rumble strip and the face of the guardrail."

According to DelDOT, nearly 50% of fatalities in Delaware are roadway departure crashes. A new initiative requires systematic safety upgrades (in this case, rumble strips) to the types of roads that certain crashes are occurring on, rather than focusing on individual crash hot spots. DelDOT's construction section and the contractor have gotten off to a fast start on this project and have already installed rumble strips on many miles of roadway. So far, the results are a degradation to the comfort and safety that our uniquely shouldered roads have to offer bicyclists, that untold thousands have enjoyed for many, many years in Delaware.

Why has this happened, despite DelDOT's choosing of "Bicycle-Friendly" Rumble Strips? It's all in the consideration of placement and design. Below, in pictures, we will make the case for why we believe the design guidance must change. Failure to do so might cost Delaware its prestigious Top-10 ranking as a Bicycle-Friendly State.

This recent application on Route 72 in Bear violates the guidance, in terms of 4' feet remaining between the rumble strip and the outside shoulder edge. DelDOT has acknowledged that errors have been made, and this will be repaired.

The current DelDOT guidance calls for a 1' wide rumble strip, as well as a 1' offset to the white line. Effectively, this removes 2' of comfort zone from the shoulder, which may not be a big issue in rural areas that have wider shoulders and significantly less traffic. However, in New Castle County - where debris collection is a chronic issue - the safest position is usually the left half of the shoulder. This creates a dilemma for bicyclists, especially those with road bikes trying to protect their tires from sharps. The 1' offset to the left of the rumble strip, or the lane itself will likely become the more attractive option, placing them immediately adjacent to high speed traffic.

This very unbike-friendly rumble strip on Route 273 in Cecil County - with no escape breaks - has many bicyclists now riding in the offset or in the lane, instead of in the shoulder. At the behest of Delaware advocates, Maryland's State Highway Administration moved quickly to revise its guidelines, to ensure this design is not repeated. A history of that advocacy effort can be seen HERE.

If they were to cut rumble strips on Otts Chapel Road in Newark, bicyclists would either ride in the debris, ride in the offset, or be forced to take the lane. And this is a very fast road, with speeds in access of 60 mph. You can clearly see where the cleanest section of shoulder is; the leftmost 1/3 or 1/4. Not all roads are this bad, but varying debris in the middle to right portion of the shoulder is common, and unsafe to ride in. Quite possibly, not having rumble strips is what has allowed us to forego sweeping, because the area that will now be occupied by rumble strips is generally clear.

The Solution? 

If they are going to commit folks to bicycling in the shoulder - which is normally the case when riding on higher speed arterial roads - then the full width of the shoulder must be maintained. A possible compromise involves placing the rumble strip as part of, or on the white line. A number of other states, including South Carolina (below), Minnesota and Ohio already incorporate this design.

Rumble strip placement 1' outside the white line robs critical space needed to ride clear of debris, whereas placing it at the white line (as seen above in S. Carolina) preserves most of the shoulder.

Another example of a white line rumble strip (whereabouts unknown). Further examples can be found in the MN and OH links above.

In summary, rumble strips are here to stay, to serve the role of "lane police". They are charged with keeping drivers in their lane, largely because cell phone laws are toothless and go unenforced. That's not set to change anytime soon, therefore, we must work toward the middle ground and find solutions. While all rumble strips reduce the rideable area of a shoulder, placing them correctly - as part of the white line - could be acceptable for all road users:

• White line rumble strips have an advantage for motorists, in that they give early warning and also increase the visibility of the edge line in dark or stormy conditions.
• Many bicyclists have adapted to bicycle-friendly white line rumble strips, citing their presence as an audible incursion warning system.

Motorist lane drift is readily apparent to anyone who bikes for transportation in this era of electronic devices and lax law enforcement. White line rumble strips should begin to sound as the motorist drifts from the shoulder, not after. This 1' offset that DelDOT currently employs (between the white line and rumble strip) is enormous; by the time a car begins to traverse them, they are already well in the shoulder and could strike a bicyclist of pedestrian.

We strongly encourage DelDOT to re-think its current rumble strip policy and guidelines, to preserve maximum shoulder space while helping to protect the vulnerable from vehicle roadway departures. According to the FHWA, rumble strips with no offset are most effective at reducing crash rates.

Bad timing for Rumble Strips on Route 72

Clearly, this could have waited
 
It's not often that we see Rumble Strips cut in a road that's in imminent need of rehabilitation, but that's exactly what just happened along Route 72/Sunset Lake Road in Bear. Even though DelDOT uses a more bicycle-friendly Rumble Strip allowing cyclists to exit and enter through breaks, bike safety has been compromised in several areas because the shoulder is in very poor condition. It is also thick with debris from potholes and crumbling blacktop, and several stretches require a mountain bike - or entering the lane of high speed traffic to circumvent. A "Report a Road Condition" on-line request was submitted a few months ago for one bad section near Reybold Road, but so far there has been no repair activities.

Route 72 between Old Baltimore Pike and Route 40 was last resurfaced in 2004, ten years ago. It was milled (the process by which the old existing road surface is removed by machine to expose the road base) to a depth that exposed the dirt under the shoulders. Once paved, the new surface started out smooth, but began deteriorating within a few years given the soft ballast.

The freshly cut Rumble Strip is plainly seen in the picture above. Deterioration is especially bad along the seam between the traffic lane and shoulder, narrowing available space and creating a safety hazard.

A view showing the brand new Rumble Strip following directly into a large area of potholes.

The view facing south on Route 72/Sunset Lake Road. This stretch, just south of Reybold Road, is quite challenging - especially for those on road bikes.

Though it is seldom cited, distracted and inattentive driving are largely what's behind lane departure crashes.

Unfortunately, Rumble Strips are little more than "lane police", or a way of keeping drivers in their lane, because cell phone laws are toothless and go unenforced. Engaging in a phone conversation - or worse, texting - has been proven at least as dangerous as DUI. Sadly, this is largely ignored because the vast majority of drivers - including the police themselves - engage in this deadly activity. The result? Vulnerable road users end up paying the ultimate penalty - with their lives.

Related: Are more cyclists getting hit from behind than ever before?

DelDOT, and the Legend of Purgatory Swamp

From the Pencader Heritage Association -- William Ditto Lewis, who served the University of Delaware as librarian and archivist for 31 years, described one of the main roads leading south from Newark as follows: “From time out of mind the southern continuation of this street [Chapel Street] had led into the Purgatory Swamp and had been known as the Purgatory Road.” [More ...]

View Larger Map

According to Wiki -- The word "Purgatory", derived through Anglo-Norman and Old French from the Latin word purgatorium, has come to refer to a wide range of historical and modern conceptions of postmortem suffering short of everlasting damnation, and is used, in a non-specific sense, to mean any place or condition of suffering or torment, especially one that is temporary.

Users of the Route 72 corridor (aka "Purgatory Swamp Road") are hoping that, indeed, the dangerous conditions are short lived. This legendary road has become the scene of much risk and suffering as folks on bikes try to negotiate numerous potholes, old patches, crumbling rumble strips and debris among the fury of high speed traffic. And appeals to DelDOT's on-line reporting system so far this year have gone unanswered.

Because Route 72 is centrally located in Delaware, and offers one of a very few truly safe crossings of I95 further north on Chapel Street, it is very popular with bicyclists and pedestrians. Some commute to work, others ride for recreational purposes. Usually, they are heading south to Route 40, Delaware City or the C&D Canal. Whatever the reason, pavement conditions along Route 72 are atrocious, and have been for years.

Sandy Schriever manages a smile in the Spring of 2014, just south of Reybold Road. Sandy commutes several times a week on Route 72 between Newark and Glasgow. In the above photo, the shoulders were recently swept by DelDOT, though long rifts of gravel debris remained. The situation today is much, much worse; crews recently applied loose tar and chip patches that only further added to the chaos.

In July of 2014, the author loaded his bike on a fishing boat, and was able to circumvent a portion of Route 72 thanks to "Indian Ed" Yoder, a chief with the Newarquois Indian Tribe. Ed is a real Native American, and spends full time hours overseeing Sunset Lake and the Newark Anglers Association. Read all about it HERE.

We are praying that DelDOT will see us out of Route 72 Purgatory - soon. Conditions like these are evidence that DelDOT is in financial distress. Unless new sources of income are found, they may become insolvent and conditions like these will become the new normal. This clearly doesn't have to happen. It is shameful that, after years of gas prices in the mid to upper $3 range - now in the low-mid $2 range - they refuse to raise the gas tax by even a nickel to cover such desperate repairs. Our legislators should be deeply ashamed of themselves for putting such a small pittance before safety.

A look in January, form just south of DuPont's Glasgow Site.

Action Alert: Route 72 "Improvement" Project a threat to bicycle safety

Back in November of 2012, while serving with Bike Delaware, I posted a notice calling on bicyclists to attend a public workshop for "Route 72 Intersection Improvements". It is not clear how many bicyclists showed up, or what their comments were, because such information is (normally) not published or followed up. In fact, the biggest complaint we have about these workshops is that nobody really knows if their comments are even considered. In any case, in my own experience attending that night, public turnout appeared to be light.

Now, 2 years later, we find ourselves surprised to learn that this project is moving forward, expanding this very popular bicycle route from 2 lanes to 4. Bike lanes are included, but what is now an 8'-10' shoulder will be effectively reduced to 4' (5' through intersections) for most of the length. The project also calls for curbs, which means that debris collection could be a problem, minus frequent sweeping of the corridor. In other words, even with marked bike lanes, the experience riding on Route 72 (Wrangle Hill Road) could end up even more stressful than it already is.

Advocates from the White Clay Bicycle Club and Delaware Bikes recently met with Anthony Aglio, our trusted Bicycle Coordinator within DelDOT, to discuss what - if anything can be done at this late juncture. We were relieved to find out that DelDOT is still open to suggestions to improve bicycle safety, and will take in our concerns.

In a formal letter, we included the following:

• Narrow the center turn lane from 15' to 11', thereby adding 2' to the bike lanes on both sides. The result will now be 6' bike lanes, 8' when including the curb offset (which normally doesn't count).
  
• Instead of vertical curbs, use the standard sloped curb (or mounted, gutter pan, etc.) allowing bicyclists the option to bail out under extreme or threatening circumstances.
  
• Use bicycle-friendly rumble "stripes", as opposed to rumble strips. The latter tend to be offset from the white line, thus robbing valuable shoulder space, while the former are part of the white line itself.
  
• To accommodate the many bicyclists that ride to and from Delaware City and points east, connect the bike lanes through the SR1 ramps to the project limits, connecting them to the existing shoulders.
  
• Provide a 5' bike lane on McCoy. Where bike lanes transition back to the travel lane, place a Bikes May Use Full Lane Sign.

 

View Larger Map

Above: Curbside bike lanes can be found in Centerville along Route 52, what may be the most popular bicycle route in Delaware. 2 lanes at 35 mph, however, is a much safer environment than a 4 lane 50 mph arterial highway. Hence, the need for a carefully considered Complete Streets design on Route 72.

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).

DelDOT unable to patch dangerous rumble strips

Cross-posted from Bike Delaware

On Thursday, DelDOT contractor Safety Improvements LLC made a second try at fixing improperly installed rumble strips.

The second test took place on the eastbound side of Route 9, west of Lakeview Boulevard near Lewes (map). 

Several weeks earlier, Safety Improvements made a first try at fixing the bad rumble strips on Route 24 near Robinsonville Road (see image at right). Bike Delaware evaluated the fix and, reluctantly, reported back to DelDOT that it was a failure. The patch material formed mounds that were not flush with the surrounding pavement and was, as a result, effectively unrideable.

For the first test on Route 24, DelDOT’s contractor used a hand-operated, gas-powered tamper to fill in the rumble strips. For the second test on Thursday, the contractor used a roller. [Full story ...]

So far, all the attention has been focused downstate. The same hazardous rumble strips were also cut on several roads in New Castle County, including  Route 72 (above).

Poster's note: Delaware Bikes first reported on this issue well over a month before it drew Bike Delaware's attention away from Trails and Pathways. We are encouraged to see this rare and unexpected interest in road advocacy.

Rumble Strip repairs are underway in Sussex County

By Mark Luszcz, DelDOT's Chief Traffic Engineer -- As requested at the Bicycle Council meeting last week, attached is a map of locations that need to be repaired due to residual shoulders/bike lanes being less than 4 feet wide. Approximately 2 miles out of 70 installed need to be repaired.

The test section of the patching repair on SR 24 near Robinsonville Road was installed yesterday.  A photo is attached.  For those of you in Sussex, any comments on the patched section would be appreciated.

     

Several sections in New Castle County also need repair, as seen here on Route 72 in Bear.

Poster's note: We truly appreciate Mark's investigation and quick response in getting this problem addressed. We are looking forward to revised Rumble Strip guidelines, that place them at the shoulder line instead of offset by 1' or more. For a full history of this problem, visit our section on Rumble Strips.

Why does DelDOT repave good, smooth roads?

A major concern among our followers is DelDOT's penchant for repaving roads that show few signs of wear or distress. Several examples have been noted over the past several years, including some where we collected before and after photos. Among the most recent is Harmony Road in Ogletown, currently being stripped (milled) of its surface, in preparation for fresh blacktop.

A wide angle view of the Harmony Road/Ruthar Drive intersection reveals little, if anything in the way of potholes, cracks, or uneven road surface. Area readers are at a loss to understand how or why this road needs repaving, but it is currently being done.

A closer look at the lanes on Harmony Road shows an excellent road surface. What few potholes or cracks there are could easily be patched, as opposed to repaving the entire road.

Old Ogletown Road, undergoing the milling (surface grinding) process a few years back. What appears to be a perfectly smooth surface was stripped and replaced.

Marrows Road in Newark also had its nice and smooth surface removed a few years ago, and replaced with fresh blacktop. In the photo above, the shoulders still remained - in perfect condition - but these too were milled and resurfaced shortly thereafter.

So why are they doing this? Removal and replacement of a road's surface is very costly, yet funding is supposed to be tight. Advocates are routinely told there is little money available for desperately needed projects like the Route 72 sidepath. And, not to mention, DelDOT's solvency is in question right now given a lack of reliable income.

So, we contacted DelDOT to inquire, and received this very thoughtful response:

In order to determine which roads will be worked on, a condition survey of every state-maintained road segment is performed every other year. This survey, which uses both computer based and visual measurements, that evaluates the condition of the roadway segment based on the severity and extent of pavement distresses such as cracking or rutting. The pavement management section prioritizes roadways using this condition data as well as other factors which include the amount of traffic on the road, the functional classification of the road, the facilities that are accessed from that road (employment centers, schools, fire houses, etc), and other circumstances that must be considered (project linkage, overall route continuity). A survey is performed by Pavement Management staff evaluating the roadway and a numerical value is assigned in each category.  We have a priority formula which uses these values to give each roadway segment a score. Road segments with a higher score are given higher priority. The highest scoring segments are reviewed in the field a second time by representatives throughout the department and a final treatment/plan for rehab is decided.

The Pavement and Rehabilitation program strives to maintain the condition of Delaware's roadways by systematically identifying candidates for rehabilitation and determining the most cost effective treatment. The program provides rehabilitation in the form of pavement preservation (patching, sealing, micro-surfacing, thinner overlays), replacement (mill and overlay), or reconstruction (cold in-place recycling, or full-depth reclamation). Because the cost of repairs increases disproportionately as the pavement condition worsens, it is important to balance rehabilitation work such that roads that may be in fair to good condition receive cost-effective preservation treatments, and poor condition roads are more substantially rehabilitated each year. The preservation treatments extend the life of the pavement, and result in not spending the annual budget on fixing only a few roads that are rated "poor".

To which I responded:

Thank you so much for the very thoughtful response. I have lived in several states, and traveled most others at some point, and can honestly say that I have never seen a system that pre-empts future deterioration and spending by replacing a good existing surface. It's usually moderate to severe deterioration and then act. North Jersey in particular is very bad, with roads rarely repaved until the surface is cratered throughout. Wheel alignment is all but a racket up there, yet property taxes are 5-7x higher than here in DE.
 
Even with your detailed explanation, it is still hard to wrap our heads around the removal and replacement of a smooth road surface. I have taken many pictures before and after, even the milling machine at one point on Old Ogletown Rd. As walking and bicycling advocates, we are routinely advised that funds are insufficient to include, i.e., the re-surfacing of parallel side paths as part of a road rehab project even when said paths are a safety hazard. This is our primary motivation for getting in touch on this issue.

Above: Sunset Lake Road/Route 72. Now here's a road that is far more in need of repaving than Harmony Road. Yet, DelDOT only recently installed rumble strips, which seems to indicate that the road is not on the schedule - at least for this year. Additionally, the rumble strips in the area of Reybold Road leave far less than the required shoulder width (4') to safely ride behind them. This issue was addressed and fixed in Sussex County, but so far it appears, not in New Castle County.

4 Seasons Parkway in Bear is also in desperate need. This road is an excellent bike lane candidate, with many key connections to schools and services. Again, much worse condition than Harmony Road.

Did DelDOT forget to turn on the vacuum?

Several of our followers recently notified DelDOT of the atrocious debris conditions on Route 72. Within a week, a sweeper was dispatched to clear the shoulders of loose debris, most of which was left over from the carving of rumble strips. However, on the southbound side, it would appear that instead of aspirating the debris, most of it was swished around into rifts and pools, and the brushes themselves didn't even cover the rightmost quarter or third of the shoulder.

A thick ridge of gravel still lines the middle of the shoulder, after the sweep operation was completed.

Sandy Schreiver, a new commuter this year with Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics in Glasgow, still manages to put on a smiling face despite the hazardous conditions.

The northbound direction was much cleaner, and safer to ride further to the right to avoid the dangerously positioned rumble strips. I know little about how a sweep truck operates, but perhaps the vacuum function was malfunctioning or not turned on? To find out how a street sweeper works (or is supposed to work), visit Ezine Articles HERE.

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.