WINTER 2018 Quarterly newsletter of the Wilmington Area Planning Council TRANSPORTER

Developing the New Castle County Bicycle Plan

hroughout the new year, and local bicycle and TWILMAPCO will work with pathway planning. In local and state agencies and the addition, WILMAPCO community to develop a New Castle is currently gathering County Bicycle Plan that builds upon information about past planning and new feedback to existing conditions establish recommendations for: that impact bicycling • Better safety, access, and comfort throughout New Castle for cyclists County and is seeking • Prioritization of improvements concerns about bicycling, • Programs and policies for education, suggestions for infrastructure enforcement, and encouragement improvements, and ideas about other equitable bicycle access to transit, The Plan will serve as a local, ways to make things better for all and encourage adequate and secure proMectspeci¿ c companion to the types of people interested in bicycling bicycle parking and other end-of- statewide, policy-based Blueprint for transportation, recreation, or trip facilities at major destinations. for a Bicycle-Friendly Delaware health. Recommendations will address (see page 2). Ideas will be drawn The Plan will identify a bicycle improved safety for bicycling from existing local comprehensive transportation network. In addition, through design, maintenance, and plans, community and corridor plans, it will mention strategies to provide enforcement practices and suggest how bicycle elements can be better incorporated into land use and development planning. WILMAPCO is currently seeking community groups’ participation in the advisory committee and looking for opportunities to present to organizations. If your group would like to get more involved, please contact Heather Dunnigan at (302) 737-6205 ext. 118 or email [email protected].

More information about the Plan is available online at www.wilmapco.org/bikencc. Blueprint for a Bicycle-Friendly Delaware Nears Completion

hroughout 2017, the Delaware for all types of bicyclists, including outcomes for all Delawareans, T Department of Transportation those with low tolerance for especially traditionally underserved (DelDOT) has worked with bicycling with automobile traf¿ c, populations. WILMAPCO and other stakeholders through a connected system of low- DelDOT and WILMAPCO are to develop a statewide policy plan, speed local roads, off-street trails, developing several forthcoming the Blueprint for a Bicycle-Friendly and on-street bicycle facilities. products related to the Blueprint, Delaware. Four key purposes CULTURE: Through partnerships including a toolkit that provides of this project are to: between a wide variety of user-friendly guidance on plan • Identify Delaware-speci¿ c goals agencies, organizations, and implementation to the many and adopt new and best practices of¿ cials, Delaware should have a organizations and individuals that • Integrate efforts of stakeholders transportation and social culture support bicycling, and a table of into a focused implementation that supports bicycling as an implementation strategies to help strategy enjoyable and widely accepted form guide and track progress. • Increase coordination and of transportation and recreation. Unlike the previous Delaware leveraging of resources Public education and awareness Bicycle Plan, the Blueprint will • Communicate the value of bicycling campaigns, law enforcement not identify projects. Instead, in achieving broad societal goals strategies, and encouragement projects will be identi¿ ed through A series of public meetings and programs should promote a road the metropolitan planning online engagement shaped the vision culture of safe driving and a organizations, local government, statement for the Blueprint, which broader culture that sees bicycling or non-pro¿ t planning, prioritized reads as follows: as normal and desirable. by WILMAPCO for New Castle TRANSPARENCY: The processes County, and then submitted to “Everyone in Delaware has front- related to planning, funding, DelDOT for prioritization at a door access to a bicycle network building, and maintaining statewide level. WILMAPCO has that is safe, comfortable, and bicycling facilities should be well- begun development of the New conveniently connected to places known and understood within Castle County Bicycle Plan (see people want to go. A seamlessly DelDOT, other state and regional page 1) and is available to assist integrated transportation and agencies, and public stakeholder municipalities and other groups with land use decision-making organizations. local planning. process, with many partners COORDINATION: Internally, Learn more at working together, encourages DelDOT policies, standards, www.deldot.gov/information/projects/ a culture where people choose and hiring and training practices blueprint_bicycle_friendly_delaware. bicycling in their daily lives for should support the development transportation, recreation, and of a safe, comfortable, and improved health.” connected bicycling network. Active coordination within Draft key principles of the Blueprint DelDOT and with other agencies include: and organizations should support a positive culture of SAFETY: Bicycling in Delaware bicycling. This requires good should be safe and be perceived as communication. safe by all. Fear of injury or death EQUITY: Bicycling should be should not be a barrier to bicycling. an activity and travel mode NETWORK: Throughout the state, available to an increasingly the high-quality bicycling network broad population; bicycling is should provide comfortable routes an opportunity to improve life

Page 2 The Future Trails of Northern Delaware Coalition Promotes Bicycle and Walking Routes

n April 2016, Delaware into trail funding supplied by the that may bene¿ t from the broad IGreenways received a planning government, so that trails could be built support supplied by the Coalition grant from the William Penn at a faster rate. include the East Coast Greenway Foundation. The grant’s purpose is Phase 1 of the grant identi¿ ed the from Claymont to Fox Point, to further completion of a northern following early-action projects, which an extended riverfront trail in Delaware trail network that have the potential to be realized quickly Wilmington, and a trail from connects communities and popular through public-private partnerships: Wilmington to the First State National destinations. • Augustine Cut Off Trail: Connects Historic Park and Brandywine Creek To that end, civic organizations, north Wilmington to Brandywine Park State Park. corporations, hiking/biking clubs, and Trolley Square in Wilmington, Delaware Greenways will continue and other area non-pro¿ ts have providing an alternative to the steep working with the Coalition, using formed the Future Trails of Northern hills in Alapocas Run Park. Builds a second William Penn Foundation Delaware Coalition, with additional upon Incyte’s campus improvements grant. Through August 2019, the support from the Delaware and provides trail access for schools Coalition will work to: Department of Natural Resources and neighborhoods. • Complete a planning study for one of and Environmental Control, • Hockessin Missing Link and Bulah the ¿ ve early-action/trail-segment DelDOT, and WILMAPCO. Trail: Connects the in-progress trail projects and secure funding Drawing from citizen ideas, along Yorklyn Road (from Yorklyn • Move the broad-vision, big-gap organizational input, and existing to Lancaster Pike) to the recently projects forward plans, the Coalition mapped a completed Valley Road Pathway. • Formalize the organization of the 240-mile network of existing, • Nemours Alapocas Trail: Improves Coalition planned, and conceptual bicycling access for DuPont Experimental • Continue to engage the communities and walking routes. Delaware Station, Nemours, and Alfred I. of Northern Delaware to address Greenways then scored 100 network duPont Hospital. walkability and bikeability. segments, using WILMAPCO’s • Hercules Road Trail: Removes a approach to prioritize projects. major “pinch point” in an on-road Learn more at www.delawaregreenways. Delaware Greenways also route used by cyclists and may be part org/trails-pathways. worked with DelDOT to develop of the future Wilmington-to-Newark a policy for the integration of bikeway. private, philanthropic funding Three broad-vision, big-gap trails

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of Transportation’s Maryland Maryland Transportation’s of t from being connected connected being from t ¿ bene greatly

DelDOT, the Maryland Department Department Maryland the DelDOT, middle of this segment and would would and segment this of middle

Final.pdf .

study, which included staff from from staff included which study, The town of Elkton, MD, falls in the the in falls MD, Elkton, of town The

www.wilmapco.org/MARC_SEPTA_

completed this past September. This This September. past this completed drive or catch a bus to those stations. stations. those to bus a catch or drive To view an analysis, please visit visit please analysis, an view To

Extension Ridership Analysis, was was Analysis, Ridership Extension who commute to any of these cities cities these of any to commute who

taking advantage of the trains. trains. the of advantage taking SEPTA Commuter Rail Service Service Rail Commuter SEPTA Perryville. Cecil County residents residents County Cecil Perryville.

parking will limit new riders from from riders new limit will parking The most recent study, the MARC/ the study, recent most The Washington, DC, heads south from from south heads DC, Washington,

never be realized, as the lack of of lack the as realized, be never this gap. gap. this MARC’s service to Baltimore and and Baltimore to service MARC’s

improvements, this growth may may growth this improvements, at Elkton and Perryville by closing closing by Perryville and Elkton at far north as Philadelphia, while while Philadelphia, as north far

train lines. Without infrastructure infrastructure Without lines. train ridership could potentially double double potentially could ridership riders from the Newark Station as as Station Newark the from riders

at many train stations along the two two the along stations train many at study showed that current MARC MARC current that showed study Wilmington/Newark line transports transports line Wilmington/Newark

would overtake the available parking parking available the overtake would improvement project. The ridership ridership The project. improvement use rail to commute to jobs. SEPTA’s SEPTA’s jobs. to commute to rail use

even for the no-build scenario, scenario, no-build the for even for the Elkton Train Station Station Train Elkton the for challenges for residents seeking to to seeking residents for challenges

showed that the projected growth, growth, projected the that showed part of an environmental assessment assessment environmental an of part the region, but the gap creates serious serious creates gap the but region, the

greatly increase. The study also also study The increase. greatly also completed a ridership study as as study ridership a completed also those who are just passing through through passing just are who those

growth for both services would would services both for growth across Cecil County. WILMAPCO WILMAPCO County. Cecil across Amtrak can bridge this gap for for gap this bridge can Amtrak

SEPTA commuter services, ridership ridership services, commuter SEPTA need and viability of rail service service rail of viability and need and Newark, DE. DE. Newark, and

a connection of the MARC and and MARC the of connection a rm the the rm ¿ con that studies feasibility the 20 miles between Perryville, MD, MD, Perryville, between miles 20 the

The results again showed that with with that showed again results The WILMAPCO has completed three three completed has WILMAPCO gap in local commuter rail service: service: rail commuter local in gap

and compared to a no-build scenario. scenario. no-build a to compared and train station was on April 25, 1981. 25, April on was station train and New London, CT, there is one one is there CT, London, New and

Three different scenarios were tested tested were scenarios different Three a scheduled stop at Elkton’s historic historic Elkton’s at stop scheduled a Corridor between Spotsylvania, VA, VA, Spotsylvania, between Corridor

A

train service. The last train to make make to train last The service. train developed new ridership projections. projections. ridership new developed rail lines on Amtrak’s Northeast Northeast Amtrak’s on lines rail

by rail to both the SEPTA and MARC MARC and SEPTA the both to rail by long the nearly 460 miles of of miles 460 nearly the long Transit Administration, and SEPTA, SEPTA, and Administration, Transit

MARC/SEPTA Rail Commuters Rail MARC/SEPTA

Closing the Gap for for Gap the Closing Study Shows Benefits of of Benefits Shows Study New Castle County to Peak in Population around 2040, then Decline

n October 27, the Delaware year and will be reported in future OPopulation Consortium (DPC) updates. adopted its most recent series Overall, the projections show an of population, household, and increase of around 146,000 in the employment projections for the State state’s population from 2015 though of Delaware and its three counties. 2050. These ¿ gures are produced on an During the next few decades, annual basis to provide policymakers, Delaware is expected to undergo planners, and the general public a several demographic changes in the single set of estimates that can factor composition of its residents. These into decision-making. include: New this year are projections • New Castle County is expected to for all municipalities in the state. peak in population around 2045, Previously, only Dover, Newark, then begin a slight decline and Wilmington were included. In addition, seasonal population • Sussex County will grow the most around 144,000 residents over the age of 65 by 2050 projections for the period between in absolute numbers (54,799) and June and August have been percentage (25%) For more details, produced as well. These projections • The 65-and-over population will or to view the full set of DPC do not include populations in hotels, continue to grow rapidly, roughly projections, please visit the Delaware motels, campgrounds, and RV sites, by 75% from 2015 and 2050. New Of¿ ce of State Planning Coordination at: or day trippers. However, those Castle County is expected to http://stateplanning.delaware.gov/ populations are all under study this increase by 66,000, topping out at information/dpc_projections.shtml.

COUNTY POPULATION PROJECTIONS FOR DELAWARE: 2015-2050

Population Change Population 2015 2020 2025 2030 2035 2040 2045 2050 2015-2050

NCC 556,999 574,407 589,665 600,076 607,078 610,640 611,460 609,921 52,922

Kent 176,716 184,920 189,023 196,219 201,960 206,861 211,271 215,279 38,563

Sussex 215,622 230,338 240,870 249,292 256,009 261,426 266,038 270,421 54,799

State of DE 949,337 989,665 1,019,558 1,045,587 1,065,047 1,078,927 1,088,769 1,095,621 146,284

% of 2015 2020 2025 2030 2035 2040 2045 2050 Population

NCC 59% 58% 58% 57% 57% 57% 56% 56%

Kent 19% 19% 19% 19% 19% 19% 19% 20%

Sussex 23% 23% 24% 24% 24% 24% 24% 25%

Source: Delaware Population Consortium, Version 2017.0 October 2017

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of on-demand AV mobility services services mobility AV on-demand of AV impact areas that are relevant relevant are that areas impact AV transportation revolution. transportation

will decrease due to a combination combination a to due decrease will ed a series of of series a ed ¿ identi rst ¿ team IPA successfully navigate the impending impending the navigate successfully

instance, demand for paid parking parking paid for demand instance, To complete the research, the the research, the complete To state and local governments can can governments local and state

State. economic consequences of AVs. For For AVs. of consequences economic with critical foresight, Delaware’s Delaware’s foresight, critical with

economic impacts of AVs in the First First the in AVs of impacts economic and administrative challenges, but but challenges, administrative and are distinctly negative social and and social negative distinctly are

research on the possible social and and social possible the on research vehicles presents public-policy public-policy presents vehicles driverless future, because there there because future, driverless

University of Delaware to conduct conduct to Delaware of University uses. The transition to driverless driverless to transition The uses. the techno-optimistic vision of a a of vision techno-optimistic the

Public Administration (IPA) at the the at (IPA) Administration Public parking space for alternative land land alternative for space parking communities should be wary of of wary be should communities

why DelDOT asked the Institute for for Institute the asked DelDOT why improved safety, and freeing up up freeing and safety, improved The research results show that that show results research The

makes the driver redundant. This is is This redundant. driver the makes as reduced freeway congestion, congestion, freeway reduced as area.

ts that are expected, such such expected, are that ts ¿ bene signals, algorithms, and satellites satellites and algorithms, signals, decrease pressure in each impact impact each in pressure decrease

also accentuate the many positive positive many the accentuate also combination of cameras, sensors, sensors, cameras, of combination on whether AVs would increase or or increase would AVs whether on

regarding AV management should should management AV regarding of a transportation system where a a where system transportation a of formulate a logic-based expectation expectation logic-based a formulate

negative consequences. Decisions Decisions consequences. negative to speculate on the consequences consequences the on speculate to commentators, and critics to to critics and commentators,

anticipate and mitigate these these mitigate and anticipate challenges us to do just that, and and that, just do to us challenges made by other researchers, analysts, analysts, researchers, other by made

policies and programs that that programs and policies autonomous vehicle (AV) revolution revolution (AV) vehicle autonomous areas and weighed competing claims claims competing weighed and areas

have time to formulate appropriate appropriate formulate to time have wheel of a vehicle, but the impending impending the but vehicle, a of wheel then dove into the literature for all all for literature the into dove then

yet, so state and local governments governments local and state so yet, millions of residents behind the the behind residents of millions and transportation equity. The team team The equity. transportation and

AV-dominated future is not here here not is future AV-dominated to imagine the United States without without States United the imagine to ciency and carbon emissions, emissions, carbon and ciency ¿ ef fuel

The good news is that Delaware’s Delaware’s that is news good The on with life’s daily demands. It is hard hard is It demands. daily life’s with on budgets, public transportation use, use, transportation public budgets,

drivers, taxi drivers, and chauffeurs. and drivers, taxi drivers, move goods, run errands, and just get get just and errands, run goods, move and the economy, state and local local and state economy, the and

heavy and light truck drivers, bus bus drivers, truck light and heavy vehicles — to commute to work, work, to commute to — vehicles patterns, infrastructure design, jobs jobs design, infrastructure patterns,

10,000 Delawareans employed as as employed Delawareans 10,000 built on people manually operating operating manually people on built and capacity, urban development development urban capacity, and

felt in the First State. There are nearly nearly are There State. First the in felt Our society and economy are are economy and society Our traveled, roadway congestion congestion roadway traveled,

way to work. Job losses will also be be also will losses Job work. to way six round trips to the moon. moon. the to trips round six parking demand, vehicle miles miles vehicle demand, parking

ix on their their on ix À Net watch or sleep, read, roadway safety, vehicle ownership, ownership, vehicle safety, roadway million, more than enough to cover cover to enough than more million,

decline when AV users are free to to free are users AV when decline and citizens. These areas include include areas These citizens. and in the United States is nearly 3.2 3.2 nearly is States United the in

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opportunity cost of commuting will will commuting of cost opportunity policymakers, business interests, interests, business policymakers, number of yearly miles travelled travelled miles yearly of number

sprawl could accelerate, since the the since accelerate, could sprawl to planners, administrators, administrators, planners, to total The lot. a … drive mericans

consequence is that suburban suburban that is consequence

Another potential negative negative potential Another

camera violations. violations. camera

c c ¿ traf red-light in 2015 to 2010 from

law. Dover received $3.5 million million $3.5 received Dover law.

there are fewer drivers to break the the break to drivers fewer are there

violations will also decline when when decline also will violations

Census data. Revenue from traf from Revenue data. Census c c ¿

parking charges, according to 2014 2014 to according charges, parking

35% of its municipal revenue from from revenue municipal its of 35%

Dewey Beach, for example, receives receives example, for Beach, Dewey

local government revenue streams. streams. revenue government local

demand for paid parking will eat into into eat will parking paid for demand

whenever it is needed. This lower lower This needed. is it whenever

to a free parking space and recall it it recall and space parking free a to

AV owners can send their vehicle vehicle their send can owners AV

(think Uber or Lyft) and the fact that that fact the and Lyft) or Uber (think

By Philip Barnes, University of Delaware of University Barnes, Philip By

Delaware’s Driverless Future Driverless Delaware’s What Will Will What Look Like? Look WILMAPCO Council Endorses Plan for Walking Paths in Ardentown

A plan to preserve and enhance the possibilities for implementation. Tract. historic network of walking paths in The goal, a timeline, and Ardentown, DE, is complete, and has implementation strategies are For more information on the been endorsed by the WILMAPCO described in detail for each of the Ardentown Paths Plan and to read the ¿nal report, please visit Council. following seven recommendations: www.wilmapco.org/ardentown. Requested by the Village of • Keep the paths clear of Ardentown, the Ardentown Paths obstructions, based on a Plan has been guided by a steering prioritization of path segments committee that includes members developed through a public of the Ardentown community as survey. well as staff from WILMAPCO and • Improve the pedestrian crossing DelDOT. A public outreach process, at Sconset Road and Harvey which involved presenting the plan Road, where the Wilmington at town meetings and conducting Montessori School is located. two public surveys, has helped • Improve the connection from to develop and prioritize seven the Harvey Road Bridge to the recommendations that will improve Sunnyside Tract Nature Preserve. the maintenance, safety, way¿nding, • Name and sign the paths, which and connectivity of Ardentown’s would help identify the paths path network. and improve way¿nding. The Plan provides a brief history • Open overgrowth paths, which of Ardentown and its paths, have been disused and are no which developed informally as longer passable. transportation corridors and pre-date • Improve the pedestrian crossings paved roads and widespread use of at Millers and Veale Roads and the automobile. It then describes in Harvey Road. detail the methodology of collecting • Improve the connection across data and creating maps, the public Naamans Creek and the CSX outreach process, the results of railroad, which is an additional both public surveys, and funding access point into the Sunnyside

Page 7 PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID NEWARK, DE PERMIT NO. 190

Transporter Newsletter Winter 2018

WILMAPCO PUBLIC MEETINGS Unless specifi ed, meetings will be held at WILMAPCO, 850 Library Avenue, Suite 100, Newark, Delaware. Your participation at these meetings is appreciated. If you have any questions, please contact us at (302) 737-6205 or toll free from Cecil County at (888) 808-7088. During inclement weather, please call to verify meetings. JANUARY FEBRUARY MARCH Nonmotorized Transportation Air Quality Subcommittee Air Quality Subcommittee Working Group January 11, 10 a.m. March 8, 10 a.m. February 6, 3 p.m. WILMAPCO Council Air Quality Subcommittee WILMAPCO Council January 11, 6:30 p.m. February 8, 10 a.m. March 8, 6:30 p.m.

Technical Advisory Committee Public Advisory Committee Technical Advisory Committee January 18, 10 a.m. February 12, 6:30 p.m. March 15, 10 a.m.

Technical Advisory Committee February 15, 10 a.m.

JOIN WILMAPCO AND DELDOT FOR A PUBLIC WORKSHOP ON WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 4 P.M. TO 7 P.M., AT THE NEWARK FREE LIBRARY. REVIEW AND PROVIDE FEEDBACK ON MORE THAN $2 BILLION WORTH OF PLANNED TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS FOR NEW CASTLE AND CECIL COUNTIES.TO VIEW AN INTERACTIVE MAP, SUBMIT A COMMENT, OR LEARN MORE, PLEASE VISIT WWW.WILMAPCO.ORG/TIP.