Community Discusses Ideas For Newark Bicycle Plan

By Heather Dunigan -- On June 26, the community gathered at the Newark Bike Project to share ideas for bicycling in Newark. The Newark Bicycle Plan is being developed by the City of Newark, WILMAPCO and the Newark Bicycle Committee to make bicycling a more safe and convenient choice for transportation and recreation for people of all ages and abilities.

At the public meeting, the community

• Got an overview of the Draft Newark Bicycle Plan.
• Discussed what programs & policies can promote safer bicycling.
• Brainstormed ways to encourage more people to bicycle and education the community about where and how to ride.
• Learned about suggested bike routes and other improvements and offer additional ideas.
• Told planners their top priorities for improvements.

Suggestions that where discussed

• Conduct additional public outreach for draft Plan including coordination with the Trailspinners and White Clay Bike Club.
• Coordinate bicycle education with drivers education classes at Newark High School. Drivers education improvement is a current project of the Delaware Bicycle Council and Newark High School could serve as a pilot location.
• Challenging location where discussed, particularly access to Newark from points east along DE 273 and Kirkwood Highway. DelDOT planning for a Newark to Wilmington bicycle route is currently underway but feasible routes and timing for implementation is still not know.
• Cleveland Avenue/Paper Mill/Pomeroy Trail intersection is a significant challenging and makes the Pomeroy less suitable for children. Suggestions included wayfinding signs to guide people across the intersection and working with DelDOT and the City on signal and crosswalk improvements. A mountable curb was also suggested to ease the transition for cyclists who wish to take the lane.
• The poor condition of roads near University construction sites was discussed including Lovett, Academy and Wyoming. Around these locations it was also noted that crossing Chapel Street at Wyoming and Lovett streets is challenging.
• Delaware Avenue has an issue with vehicles parking on the bicycle lane.
• Signs should indicate continuation of Pomeroy Trail onto Creek Road.
• Concerns exist about the proposed South Main Street WAWA’s potential impact on bicycle safety. It was noted that a Traffic Impact Study is required and will examine the impacts.
• South Main Street should have additional bicycle racks installed at existing residential and commercial.

Heather Dunigan

Top priority projects identified

• Go after low-hanging fruit - project done along with paving and rehabilitation, land use development, etc.
• Prioritize connecting gaps to create low-stress routes where people feel safe.
• Leverage low cost connections to complete the network.
• Complete Frazer Field connections and permanently retain link added during Carpenter Sports Building construction.
• Address safety and convenience of Papermill/Cleveland/Pomeroy intersection.
• Expand youth education including greater promotion of Bike to School Day.
• Provide information for drivers with signs and other means to improve bicycle/driver cooperation.
• Provide sharrow information to overall community using brochures, posters, variable message signs.

In addition to the public meeting, you can visit our ongoing Bicycle Plan Online Workshop. Here, participants can review the draft plan, see the presentation from June 26, fill out a survey, and add ideas to the map including where they would like more bike racks, locations where it is challenging to ride, and recommended bike routes.

Recommendations will include bicycle routes and other infrastructure, education and safety programs, programs to encourage cycling, and maintenance programs. Development of the plan is being done in coordination with the update of Newark’s Comprehensive Plan with an anticipated completion this Fall.

Example goals and recommendations include a much improved bicycle transportation network:

Mix of on-street and pathway projects

• This May, City of Newark implemented the top priority short term recommendation of adding sharrows (shared pavement markings) to Main Street.

Encourage adequate and secure bicycle parking at all major trip destinations

• Bicycle racks throughout the downtown and University are being added or upgraded based on public and committee input. In addition, Newark is currently revising bicycle parking requirements in the zoning codes based on the draft plan.

Improve safety for bicycling through design, maintenance, and enforcement practices

• The draft plan recommends safe design and maintenance best practices, enforcement measures and educational and promotional programs. Programs like the DelDOT led bicycle safety checkpoints and Newark Bike Project are helping to ensure that bicycles are fully functioning, have lights for nighttime use, and that cyclists are better informed about the laws and techniques for safer cycling.

The City of Newark is the region’s only League of American Bicyclists Bicycle Friendly Community and is a place where bicycling is popular for both transportation and recreation. Four percent of Newark residents bicycle to work (2007-2011 American Community Survey) and 65 percent in Newark households engage in bicycling for recreation (Delaware Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan survey).

For more information, visit us on line or call (302) 737-6205

Newark Sharrows: Phase 2

Representative Paul Baumbach of Newark has submitted a funding request associated with Phase 2 of the sharrows project. Tom Meyer, P.E. with DelDOT, has completed plans for additional sharrows through the Main Street split, adjacent to the Newark Bike Project's current location. They will also be added to Hillside Avenue between West Main Street and New London Road. Some new sections of bike lane will also be added on West Main Street, given such generous lane width.

It's time we all give a huge round of applause to Heather Dunigan (Wilmapco), Mike Fortner (Newark Bicycle Committee), Tom Coleman (Newark DPW), and everyone else involved for moving this forward. The Newark Bicycle Plan is mainly dependent on road resurfacing projects to move things along, but some components - in this case sharrow implementation - are a relatively low cost, easy way to get things started.

Pike 2 Bike: Exploring the Abandoned PA Turnpike

WCBC's Tour of Central PA, led by Wally Hertler, paid a visit to the Abandoned Turnpike in 2004.

The Abandoned Pennsylvania Turnpike is a common name for the 13-mile section that was bypassed in 1968 when a modern stretch opened to ease traffic congestion in the tunnels. In this case, the Sideling Hill Tunnel and Rays Hill Tunnel were bypassed, as was one of the Turnpike's travel plazas. The bypass is located just east of the heavily congested Breezewood interchange for Interstate 70 (I-70) eastbound at what is now I-76 exit 161.

Visit the Abandoned PA Turnpike homepage for a wealth of information, including a history of the tunnels.

2013 Tour of Erie, Revisited

Wally Hertler leads his 38th sojourn for the White Clay Bicycle Club, this time to Lake Erie

This unsupported bicycle tour across Pennsylvania to Erie began in Gap on Saturday, June 8, and ended in Chadds Ford on Wednesday, June 19th. Overnights were in Jonestown, Lewisburg, Milesburg, Ridgway, Titusville, Erie, Warren, Wellsville (NY), Wellsboro, Williamsport, and Cressona. Points of interest included the Millersburg Ferry across the Susquehanna River, Presque Isle State Park in Erie, and the Grand Canyon of PA.

The author uploaded the GPS track data to Google Earth at the conclusion of the Tour of Erie

Reminiscent of June 1989, when the tour visited Saratoga Springs NY for LAB's Greater Eastern Area Rally (GEAR), there was some very challenging weather. For at least 4 days, riders experienced significant rainfall, including the final 40 miles into Erie PA on Day 6. Fortunately, skies cleared by mid-afternoon, and some in the group chose to ride the additional 35 miles round trip to Presque Island.

Despite several days of rain, this tour was destined for greatness. There were no serious breakdowns or injuries, and no one abandoned the tour from stress or exhaustion. I look forward to next year's Tour of Vermont and New Hampshire, a 1-way sojourn from St. Albans Vermont back to Delaware, using Amtrak for the trip north.

Roger and Mary Clare Matsumoto enjoy pristine roads and stunning scenery as the Tour takes them northbound through Amish Country

The group arrives at Allegheny National Forest

Art Berger contemplates a prophetic warning

Lake Erie, at last

Hallelujah!

A view of the Grand Canyon, and yours truly ...

One of many beautiful scenes along the Pine Creek Rail Trail

A bike share station in Williamsport, PA ... despite an absence of on-road bicycle facilities

View the Tour slideshow on Shutterfly. Details about future tours, when planned, will be posted HERE. A huge tip of the helmet to Wally Hertler, tour architect and planning guru, for making this all happen - every year since 1976. Read a Wilmington News Journal article on Wally from 2004.

Sea of Bikes Swamps Dutch Capital

From the New York Times

No wonder our cities and streets are clogged with traffic. Imagine if most here drove a car instead.

AMSTERDAM - About 6:30 weekday mornings, throngs of bicycles, with a smattering of motor scooters and pedestrians, pour off the ferries that carry bikers and other passengers free of charge across the IJ (pronounced “eye”) harbor, clogging the streets and causing traffic jams down behind Amsterdam’s main train station.

“In the afternoon it’s even more,” moaned Erwin Schoof, a metalworker in his 20s who lives in the canal-laced center of town and battles the chaos daily to cross to his job.

Willem van Heijningen, a railway official responsible for bikes around the station, said, “It’s not a war zone, but it’s the next thing to it.”

This clogged stream of cyclists is just one of many in a city as renowned for bikes as Los Angeles is for automobiles or Venice for gondolas. Cyclists young and old pedal through narrow lanes and along canals. Mothers and fathers balance toddlers in spacious wooden boxes affixed to their bikes, ferrying them to school or day care. Carpenters carry tools and supplies in similar contraptions and electricians their cables. Few wear helmets. Increasingly, some are saying what was simply unthinkable just a few years ago: There are too many bikes. [full article ...]

Newark Bicycle Planning Meeting to be held at NBP

Cross-posted from the Newark Bike Project's website

Love the Sharrows on Main Street? Well, come and tell City transportation planners all about it! And provide feedback about future bicycle planning in Newark!

This upcoming Community Meeting (Wednesday, June 26th at 6:30pm) will have a special presentation from Heather Dunigan of WILMAPCO about the status of bicycle planning in Delaware. You will also have the opportunity to share your thoughts about where the City should be placing its efforts to create a more bike-friendly community!

This is a very exciting time for us all as bicyclists in Newark! The city is proud of the recent Sharrows on Main Street, and will be having further meetings to plot additional locations, including right in front of the bike shop! [more here ...]

Sweeping reform enters home stretch

DelDOT's revised sweeping plan is still in draft form, but nearing completion. Once final, it will require DNREC's approval at the time DelDOT submits their Stormwater Management Plan. Currently, they are conducting a pilot study to work out any potential issues. Every bike route that was originally submitted through Bike Delaware has been considered in the sweeping plan. However, several of the roads are non-DelDOT, and owned by the City of Newark. These include:

• Elkton Road at Christina Pkwy
• Rt. 72/Library Ave Railroad Crossing
• Marrows Road Railroad Bridge
• Otts Chapel Railroad Bridge

Many of those owned by DelDOT will receive more sweeping than in the past as they fell within targeted areas (potential pollutant hot spots). However, other road sections will still be handled under special work orders. Perhaps we can work through the Newark Bicycle Committee and the City's Public Works Department to improve on the sections outlined above.

I will continue to report on developments as they occur. Prior posts related to this project can be viewed on Bike Delaware HERE. Many thanks to Randy Cole of DelDOT M&O for keeping us up to date.

  

2013-2014 NBP Board, Mechanics Class Schedule

by Nicole Suto, NBP Founder and Past President --

The following seven community members have been voted in to serve the larger NBP
community for the next year (in no specific order):

Elections happen every year and they are based on community participation – premised on a voting process that is free from campaigning. As such, it is important for everyone in the community to get to know one another, so when the time comes next year for board elections, all members will be able to identify individuals who will best represent the interest of the Newark Bike Project. View this on NBP's website HERE.

Summer Mechanic's Training Classes:

The Newark Bike Project offers wheel/tire repair workshops and scheduled multi-session general mechanic training courses that will train you to work on the most common repairs and adjustments to several types of bicycles. This is a great way to jump start your participation as a volunteer mechanic in our shop helping others fix their bikes. Additionally, we offer scheduled customized classes for private groups of 6 to 12 people, which can be a great way to have some fun with your friends while learning how to have more fun with your bikes! No prior experience is required for our classes, and you do not have to bring a bicycle or any tools. If you do wish to bring a bike, there is time after each class to work on your own bike.

Contact NBP today at training@newarkbikeproject.org for further details on any training interests or to pre-register. Visit the classes page for the full schedule. This page will be updated with class dates for future months, which will likely include weekend options (TBD), so a different month may work better for your schedule. Each class session is only $10.

For the love of two wheels and the wind

Featured in the Newark Post -

^Click to open^

What can I say. The Newark Bike Project has been a smashing success. The NBP community equally represents both the UD student population, as well as the surrounding Newark community. The enthusiasm has even extended to the outlying areas of Cecil County MD, with the volunteer base including participants from the Elkton area.

Many thanks to NBP volunteer Michael Caruso for bringing our story to the attention of the Newark Post. And congratulations, Niki, for an award very well deserved!

Visit NBP's website and Facebook page.

Introducing Delaware's BEST (Bringing Education and Safety Together)

By John and Ceci McCormick, Co-Chairs -- Last November, a small group got together to discuss the advantages of all advocates of active transportation in Delaware (e.g. bicycle, pedestrian, bus transportation, safety, healthy lifestyle) to work together to promote active lifestyles (see Vision Statement below). We discussed the need to understand what the current advocacy efforts were and how to identify people who could organize our efforts.

The initial name of the group, Bicycle Education and Safety Training has changed to Bringing Education and Safety Together. We wanted to keep the initials the same for consistency – B.E.S.T. - but needed to show our interest in collaborating with a broader range of transportation options.

We have been meeting every two months since then to report out to the group on progress made by individuals and to decide on our next steps. Two guiding questions for these meeting are: What are the various advocacy efforts? Who would be responsible for each advocacy effort (component)? For example, Anthony Aglio & Sarah Coakley are Leads on 4^th & 5th Grade bicycle programs.

There are many people on our distribution list who can’t make every meeting but want to stay informed about our progress and are interested in contributing to the success of our group. If you would like to become a part of this effort, please contact Ceci & John McCormick at johnandcecimcc@gmail.com

Vision Statement: Promote bicycling, walking, and public transportation in a way that engages the talents, energies and influence of the various advocacy groups and local, county & state resources, so that our collective efforts are aligned and coordinated, and Delaware’s active transportation initiatives are recognized nationally as a model program.

DelDOT's struggle for equal level of service and accessibility

Unfortunately, our State's DOT (DelDOT) continues its struggle with equal level of service and accessibility for all users during roadway construction and maintenance, including those outlined under the American Disabilities Act (ADA):

As stated in their Civil Rights declaration,

DelDOT understands and is committed to providing accessibility for all users, customers, and beneficiaries of our programs, activities and public services, including persons with disabilities. [more...]

DelDOT endeavors to comply with the ADA through implementation of accessibility technical requirements described in the "Standards for Accessible Design" (issued as the "ADA Accessibility Guidelines - ADAAG") enforced by the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Transportation. [more ...]

Route 72 sidepath south of Newark. Legs from a portable sign could easily trip someone or cause a bicyclist to crash.

At least the barrels leave some space on the path to circumvent, but the signs are clearly placed in the middle or across the path.

South of I95, barrels are correctly placed outside the pathway, unlike north of I95 in the picture above.

On the flip side, DelDOT does an exceptional job here, a couple of years ago, at the corner of Rt.72 and Wyoming Ave in Newark.

We urge DelDOT, its contractors and others working in the public right of way to please consider non-motorized users when placing construction signs and equipment. At the very least, a "Pathway Closed" sign and detour is required according to ADA standards.

Why must it end here?

As most are well familiar, the Pomeroy Trail in Newark was completed last year from the James F. Hall Trail to Creek Road just north of UD's Laird Campus. This is a beautiful multi-use pathway facility that took over 10 years to complete, thanks to Newark Parks and Recreation, DelDOT, and numerous other stakeholders who banded together to make it all happen.

It begs to question, however, why they made extra sure to mark its beginning and end at Creek Road. Creek Road - mainly a state park and fishing access road - is every bit as popular as a bicycle and pedestrian facility, and if anything, should have "Bike Route", and/or "Share the Road" signage and be marked as such.

The Pomeroy Trail at its northern terminus with Creek Road. Note the Bike Route Ends sign, and bicyclists continuing on as though the trail continues, as most do.

The view heading south on Creek Road on the approach to the Pomeroy Trail. The yellow sign in the distance is the standard bicycle symbol, with "Ahead" below it.

Clearly, this is sending the wrong message to motorists, some of whom speed or even drag race due to Creek Road's isolation and straight sight lines.

If you agree Creek Road should be marked as a continuation of the Pomeroy Trail, or at least a shared roadway, email Anthony Aglio, Delaware's Bicycle Coordinator and be sure to let him know: Anthony.Aglio@state.de.us

Delbikes.blogspot.com is now delawarebikes.org

As of today, we have moved to a new domain: 

www.delawarebikes.org

If you have already bookmarked this blog at its current address, nothings needs to change - both will work just the same. Going to a primary domain name is easier to remember and refer to others than a two part (secondary) domain.

Stay tuned this week for a few more articles before I leave on a self-contained 12 day tour of Central PA and NY State, including Lake Ontario and the Erie Canal. There will be few, if any posts from June 8-19, so don't go away!

Grist: Do helmets really keep cyclists safer?

Grist takes an in depth look at the helmet debate -

Brandon Stanton, the photographer behind Humans of New York, creates images that prompt conversations about compassion, struggle, and humanity. Sometimes they’re sad, sometimes they’re funny, and sometimes they’re WTF — but rarely do they prompt the kind of snarly debate that swirled on Facebook in response to yesterday’s photo of a man and a kid riding a bike through the city.

Currently 21 U.S. states and Washington, D.C., have laws requiring helmets for kids under 18. Only Australia and New Zealand require everyone to wear a helmet all the time (and some of those cyclists are none too pleased about it). Most of Europe could not be bothered with any of this — they’re too busy riding everywhere, helmet-free, with multiple kids hanging tight on their back racks. And they are way, way, way safer than us.

So what’s the deal? Does riding with a helmet actually make you safer, or are you better off bare?  [full article ...]

Poster's note: In my personal view, helmet use should be encouraged but not mandatory for adults.

Are the best investments on-road or off-road?

 Cross-posted from Bike Walk Twin Cities

By Steve Clark, April 19, 2012 -- In surveys of attitudes toward bicycling as transportation, there often is a large group of people who are "interested but concerned," usually about safety. I'm hearing lately that some feel we need more off-road bike paths to get these people on bikes. I've also heard that a local bicycle organization is supporting a proposal to put in a "sidepath" along a fairly busy street with lots of intersections. Bike lanes or bike paths? What's going to get more people riding? What's safer? What is the better investment, on-street or off-street?

This last question of course, was a critical one for Bike Walk Twin Cities when we began implementation of the Non-motorized Transportation Pilot Program back in 2006. Congress made it clear that these funds were to get people out of their cars - to see "to what extent walking and bicycling could become part of the transportation solution." So we knew we had to make sure that whatever we built, it would help people reach their destinations, safely and efficiently. The facilities needed to be seen as part of a transportation network, not just a nice recreational loop around a lake.

Here are some of the things we wanted people to know about "bike paths" right from the beginning:

1)  Bike paths, with few exceptions are not bike paths. They are multi-user trails (aka MUTs) accommodating skaters, walkers, people in chairs, baby strollers and skate boarders.  When well-designed, these are hugely popular and relatively safe. When narrow or in areas where there are lots of intersections or driveways, bicyclists often choose to use the adjacent roadway, where they tend to fare better in terms of safety and travel time.

2)  MUTs are not the only way to entice new riders. Many studies and surveys have revealed that on-street bike lanes or paved shoulders are preferred over bike paths even by "potential" cyclists. In a 1999 MnDOT survey asking Minnesotans to choose facilities that would be "important in increasing the likelihood" of commuting to work by bicycle, "bike lanes on roadways" received a yes vote from 79%  versus 73% for separate bike paths.  In later surveys "paved shoulders" were added to the list and immediately rose to the top with 93% of the respondents saying it was "somewhat or very important," with 88% agreeing that separate bike paths or trails were important. [Full article ...]

Poster's note: Trails and pathways are never going to connect everyone from doorstep to destination, especially in the U.S. Even the most bike-friendly places in the world have on-road accommodations high in the list of priorities.

Bicycling surges in major cities across the country

Critics increasingly marginalized, support for bicycling stands at 2:1 in most cases

Excerpts from a recent article in the Green Lane Project:

Complaints about a “war on cars” have echoed around Seattle from a small but persistent chorus opposed to bike lanes. In response the Cascade Bicycle Club commissioned a poll of Seattle voters (conducted by the independent research firm FM3 using a scientifically rigorous sample of 400 respondents), which found that 79 percent view bicyclists favorably, 73 percent want to see more protected green lanes, 59 percent support “replacing roads and some on-street parking” to build green lanes,” while only 31 percent believe Seattle is “waging a war on cars.”

In Chicago, there’s no organized opposition to Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s vision of boosting the city’s economy by providing 100 miles of green lanes and 550 more of on-street bike lanes. More than 16 miles of green lanes were built in 2012. One project on the South Side, however, did raise aesthetic concerns about historic Martin Luther King Drive, which was solved by shifting the protected green lane to a parallel street and adding buffered bike lanes (wide swaths of paint) to King Drive. The community engagement process around this issue resulted in neighbors forming the Bronzeville Bicycling Initiative to encourage more people to bike in this historically African-American community.

Two-thirds of New Yorkers call bike lanes a good idea in the most recent New York Times poll, compared to only 27 percent who oppose them. All of the major candidates to replace Bloomberg as mayor expressed support for bicycling at a recent forum, notes Paul Steely White, executive director of the local group Transportation Alternatives.

[Read the article ...]

Christiana Mall Project a black eye for Complete Streets

By Amy Wilburn, Chair, Delaware Bicycle Council -- It appears that Delaware's largest shopping mall is set to become even less bicycle and pedestrian accessible, and has many scratching their head given the state's 5th place ranking as a bicycle-friendly state. Among the casualties is a "goat path" connector between the Cavalier Country Club Apartment complex adjacent to the Mall, which was recently eliminated due to the construction of a cars-only entrance ramp. According to Marco Boyce of DelDOT, the option of a formal pathway was discussed as part of the ‘Mitigation Berm’ project between the Cavaliers Country Club Apartments and I-95. "Unfortunately, at this late stage, this will not be possible due to spatial constraints within State ROW for the berm and earthen wall. Also, it was indicated that the residents within the Cavaliers community are already thoroughly agitated by the reconstruction of the SR 1/I-95 interchange and probably won’t be receptive to an official pathway placed adjacent to their community at this time".

According to Boyce, any pathway along the I-95 berm would have to be coordinated with on-going development at the Christiana Mall. Mass grading is well underway for both the future Cabellas and future movie theater, thus indicating that site plans have already been approved to some extent by New Castle County’s Department of Land Use. It is unclear if any pathway connections were included as part of these specific projects, or if any leverage still exists to modify site plans to include pathway connections to the Mall. DelDOT did hold a meeting to discuss various projects under future consideration within the Churchmans Crossing/Christiana Mall area and how pathways can be included to provide the connections to this keystone area of the County. The solution will likely be a coordinated mix of pathway segments completed as part of future roadway and bridge projects, developer-funded upgrades and stand-alone pathway projects. While this is an admirable goal and I commend those who are working on it,  many components are years away from fruition.

In summary, there will be no connection to the Mall or park-n-ride for transit users without cars, or for cyclists or pedestrians, at least not for a very long time. How did this slip through the cracks? What happened to Complete Streets? It is difficult to accept these plans, because they are actually in reverse of the progress we've made. The goal is not to put bicyclists and pedestrians out on high traffic roads, but this is exactly what is now happening. There are those who do not have cars but need to get to the area. Our buses do not provide sufficient service or a sufficient network to provide for everyone’s needs. The traffic will now also increase once the construction is completed, making it even worse for non-motorized users. Most of us who walk or bike by choice can either avoid the Mall or drive to it, unfortunate as it is in the 21st century to be forced into either option. But a segment of our population does not have the luxury of either driving to the Mall or avoiding it altogether. These people include Mall employees and park-n-ride transit users who reside in the area. I have even been told about patients from the nearby Christiana Medical Center, who had to ask that medical staff drive them to the park-n-ride because it is simply too dangerous to walk.

Why are we allowing our fellow citizens to be “thrown under the bus”? I find it very depressing that these conditions exist in the state the LAB ranked as the fifth most bicycle friendly in the nation.  We can’t even get cyclists and pedestrians to a flagship destination. Maintaining bicycle and pedestrian connections to important destinations such as the Mall and its associated park-n-ride is not just a nicety, it is a matter of environmental justice. The state, county and DelDOT are tasked to meet the needs of all citizens in a country where all human beings are considered to be equal. We need to make sure that we are doing just this.

-Amy Wilburn has been the Chair of the Delaware Bicycle Council since 2008.

It's time for a new direction - will DelDOT lead the way?

FHWA recently released its monthly travel-volume trend summary. The first quarter of 2013 showed aggregate national VMT down .8% and per-capita VMT down 1.5% relative to the same quarter of 2012.

The summary is just the latest evidence that Americans are driving less than they were a decade ago, and factoring in population growth, total VMT is flat or even declining. We have never seen such a serious drop, from the dawn of the auto age through the early 2000s. So are we in a period of temporary flux that will ultimately pass, or has something really changed? I happen to think the latter, though this will surely face ad challenges from the auto industry.

The signs are there that DelDOT is taking a more holistic approach to transportation planning and implementation. Much work remains, but we are slowly moving in the right direction. One thing advocates are always hoping for is that future projects for increased LOS (level of service) are revisited and carefully scrutinized. Are they really necessary, based on a projected demand that may not occur? If so, is there an opportunity to amend these plans with bicycle/pedestrian/transit facilities? Sometimes these projects are 10 or more years in the planning, and according to the latest driving trends, might be curtailed, more multi-modal, or eliminated altogether as transportation needs evolve.

A new report by the U.S. PIRG Education Fund and the Frontier Group argues that the change is a durable one.

 Excerpts from the report:

"Revisit plans for new or expanded highways. Many highway projects currently awaiting funding were initially conceived of decades ago and proposed based on traffic projections made before the recent decline in driving. Local, state and federal governments should revisit the need for these “legacy projects” and ensure that proposals for new or expanded highways are still a priority in light of recent travel trends."

"Transportation policy in the United States, however, remains stuck in the past. Official forecasts of future vehicle travel continue to assume steady increases in driving, despite the experience of the past decade. Those forecasts are used to justify spending vast sums on new and expanded highways, even as existing roads and bridges are neglected. Elements of a more balanced transportation system - from transit systems to bike lanes - lack crucial investment as powerful interests battle to maintain their piece of a shrinking transportation funding pie."

"The time has come for America to hit the “reset” button on transportation policy - replacing the policy infrastructure of the Driving Boom years with a more efficient, flexible and nimble system that is better able to meet the transportation needs of the 21st century."

"Traffic congestion has fallen. According to data from the Texas Transportation Institute, Americans spent 421 million fewer hours stuck in traffic in 2011 than they did in 2005. Further reductions in driving could lead to additional easing of congestion without massive investments in new highway capacity, as long as roads are maintained in a state of good repair."

"Support the Millennials and other Americans in their desire to drive less. Federal, state and local policies should help create the conditions under which Americans can fulfill their desire to drive less. Increasing investments in public transportation, bicycling and pedestrian infrastructure and intercity rail - especially when coupled with regulatory changes to enable the development of walkable neighborhoods - can help provide more Americans with a broader range of transportation options."  [full report in pdf]

Statistics for Delaware through 2011. VMT has begun trending up a bit since the end of the Great Recession, however, this could change drastically as gas prices remain vulnerable to supply disruptions and the decline of easy oil.

The map below shows estimated Vehicle Miles Traveled by Region, as of March 2013, in Billions. In red is the change in traffic volume as compared to same month a year ago.The South Atlantic region, including Delaware, saw a 2.1% drop in aggregate VMT.

How Delaware dramatically improved its bike-friendly ranking

By Amy Wilburn – Back in 2008, Delaware ranked 31st in the League of American Bicyclist’s Bicycle-Friendly States program. It was disappointing and embarrassing, and was one of many factors that helped motivate us to work harder. Our ranking shot up 22 points in 2009 to 9th place, in good part due to the Complete Streets policy (creation, as it was not yet implemented) and the first bike summit (a joint effort by representatives from WILMAPCO, Dover/Kent MPO, DelDOT, Delaware Bicycle Council, Bike Delaware, Parks and Recreation, WCBC, Sussex Cyclists and others). In 2010, we dropped slightly to 10th and then even farther to 18th in 2011.  We moved back up to 10th in 2012. This year (2013) we are 5th, in good part due to the progress we’ve made but also based on the hope that good intentions will translate into a more bike friendly state. And that is important to keep in mind. Ensuring that good intentions translate to a bike friendly environment is definitely possible, but it will not be easy. It will take the efforts of many organizations and individuals on many fronts to achieve.

Governor Jack Markell

Over the years, numerous agencies worked to build a foundation. Further progress was made once we had a bike friendly governor who initiated Complete Streets and the First State Trails and Pathways Plan. In addition to funding, legislation and infrastructure, we have made inroads in education, enforcement and encouragement. But we have a long way to go. Funding is necessary but that alone won’t do it. First, we have to ensure that whatever funding we receive is put to best use. Certainly, we should consider recreational opportunities since they impact quality of life and health. We also need to encourage more people to use their bikes for transportation, which will help our citizens, communities and environment in so many ways. That is perhaps the most difficult challenge, since it is impacted by so many factors, including attitudes, knowledge, infrastructure and land use.

In terms of infrastructure, we need to make best use of the facilities that already exist including our roads, since this is the quickest, cheapest, and in many cases, the only practical solution. It is important to create networks that include viable, best practice facilities on a combination of arterial roads, low-stress and neighborhood roads, and trails in order to allow people to travel from their homes to destinations like work and shopping and school. Bike friendly communities have discovered that providing more than one viable route between point A and point B - as we do for motorists - increases bicycle mode share. It is unrealistic to think that we can create networks with only one type of facility due to the hostile nature of some roads, the lack of land to construct trails, the length of time it will take to create trails and similar facilities, and the large amount of money needed in some cases. We need many tools in our toolbox. Maybe someday we will create a utopia. But for now, we should work on the short term needs as well as the long term goals. We should correct deficiencies, often minor, that create barriers to usable routes. In this way, for a relatively low cost and within a short period of time, we can create usable facilities that the majority of cyclists–from road warriors to the timid– will find adequate, if not ideal.

Infrastructure involves more than trails and roads, however.  Commuters, shoppers and school students need a safe and accessible place to park their bicycles.  Commuters need a place to shower and to change into work clothing.  Providing these facilities is another quick and relatively inexpensive way to make biking a practical choice.

The way we conceive of and build our environment also needs to change, to accommodate a bigger picture that makes mass transit, walking and biking feasible, safe and convenient. Our communities and counties have the biggest input into our built environment, although we the people are also an important component since we choose how and where to live.

Attitude is truly critical as well. A car culture combined with exaggerated fears and numerous misunderstandings is a serious barrier. It is important that we don’t allow fear or stereotyping to become the excuse for our choice. We need to support, encourage and educate the cyclists who are currently on the roads. Those of us who bike serve as role models and show other interested people that it is both fun and feasible to bike for transportation and recreation today.

Motorist education as well allows people to share the roads. And publicizing and enforcing our laws is critical. Only when people take driving seriously, whether by motor vehicle or by bike, will we be able to make transportation safe and comfortable. All transportation.

Progress is slow. It is a nuts and bolts, one foot in front of the other approach coupled with both a realistic vision and visionary goals, that will allow us to achieve a truly bike friendly state. It’s complex, and it feels pretty daunting. You know what, though? Change is slow, but sometimes after years of establishing a foundation, it takes off and moves far more quickly. History is replete with examples. I find it helps to think of change as more exponential than linear.

- Amy Wilburn has been Chair of the Delaware Bicycle Council since 2008.

The Great (and Not So Great) Bike Debates

Cross-posted from EcoOptimism

By David Bergman -- Cycling is a great example of an EcoOptimistic solution, as I’ve written about before. It works on so many angles that it surpasses the win-win-win solutions that I often discuss here. It relieves congestion since replacing a car with a bicycle takes up much less space. It relieves pollution since it is essentially a zero-emission mode of transportation. (Not counting the incremental increase in food required to generate the human muscle power.) It takes a lot less energy and materials (some of them toxic, like PC and the nasties in batteries) to make a bicycle than a car. It improves health since, instead of sitting in a car, you’re powering the bicycle. And it’s good for us in another significant way by reducing both the number and severity of accidents; a bicycle and rider, at cycling speeds, constitute a lot less inertia than a one or two ton vehicle at driving speeds.

Which leads us to one of the two cycling topics filling my blog world this week. The first one is known as the Idaho Stop, a law that’s been in place in Idaho for 30 years and is now being considered elsewhere, that says a cyclist may proceed through a stop sign or red light after slowing or stopping to verify that there is no conflicting vehicular or pedestrian traffic. In essence, a cyclist can treat a red light as a stop sign, and a stop sign as a yield.
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