June, 2016 Vol. 37, Issue 2 Journeys The Newsletter of the Dover/Kent County Metropolitan Planning Organization

Vision 2040:

Dover/ Kent County MPO updates its Metropolitan transportation plan

o you live or work in Although some of the local trans-  Improvements to Kenton Road Kent County? portation projects in the draft Vi- DHow’s the traffi c conges- sion 2040 plan will carry over from  The proposed widening of U.S. 13 tion in your area? What kinds the existing MTP, there will be of things do you think will be some diff erences too. A new fed-  A grade-separated intersection priorities for central Delaware eral transportation bill, enacted at Rt. 1 and Northeast Front over the next 10 to 20 years? last December, provides additional Street in the Milford area. funding for highways and transit, The Dover/Kent County MPO wants Proposed Bicycle and Pe- and requires more detailed perfor- destrian projects include: the public’s answers to these ques- mance measures for safety, bridg- tions as it pursues input for Vision es, pavement and other categories. More sidewalks along 2040, the MPO’s draft update to U.S. 13 in Dover its long-range Metropolitan Trans- Per the new transportation bill, portation Plan (MTP). The MTP is Fixing America’s Surface Transpor- The Proposed Senator Bike- one of the Metropolitan Planning tation, highways and transit will way Project along Rt. 8 Organization’s core projects. The receive 2 percent more money per document looks toward how cen- year, starting in Fiscal Year 2017. A proposed bike tral Delaware’s transportation net- trail along Route 10. work can and should take shape in Kent County is projected to re- the next 20 or more years, and sets ceive between $800 million and Vision 2040 will have more em- measureable goals for the process. $900 million in state and federal phasis on freight — another carry funds between now and the year over from the previous transpor- The MTP’s primary goals are to 2040, based upon historical trends. tation bill, Moving Ahead for Prog- move people safely and effi cient- The draft Vision 2040 document ress in the 21st Century. Last year, ly, strengthen communities and lists about 35 road projects and 12 Delaware updated its freight plan, promote economic development. walk and bicycle projects that are and became one of the fi rst states considered to be “fi nancially rea- to take freight planning a step fur- This is the fi fth update to the sonable.” These projects include: ther by joining with Maryland and MPO’s long-range plan. Federal Virginia to create a regional freight law requires MPO’s to update their  The proposed Camden Bypass plan for the Delmarva Peninsula. long-range plans every four years.

See MTP, Pg. 2 Journeys Pg. 2 MTP, continued from Pg. 1

The MPO’s campaign for public input will run through most of the summer. So far, MPO staff has attended a number of municipal meetings to talk about the MTP and collect some input. However, there are several ways in which the public can contribute opinions. Part of this initiative is a survey, which is available through the MPO’s website, www.doverkentm- po.org.

Comments also are welcome via e-mail to Pub- lic Outreach Manager Kate Layton at kate.lay- [email protected], and on the MPO’s Facebook and Twitter pages. The comment pe- riod will end in August to give MPO staff time to incorporate the input into the draft document and then in to the MPO’s approval process. If the MPO Council approves the draft MTP document in January 2017, the MTP will go to the Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Transit Administra- tion for adoption. For more information, call the MPO offi ce at (302) 387-6026.

Want to take the MTP survey? It just takes a few minutes. Go to www.doverkentmpo.org. You also can follow this link to go directly to the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/K95L9M7

TIP Tour 2016 shows future project sites

The Dover/Kent County MPO would like to thank everyone who attended its bus tour of transportation improvement sites. The free, guided tour was held on April 20, and was open to the public. The tour sites were ones that are included in the MPO’s long-range transportation plan, or the Metropolitan Transporta- tion Plan, and will be in the agency’s FY 2017-2020 Transportation Improvement Program. These sites included: • The Crawford Carroll Avenue extension • Kenton Road improvements • The proposed roundabout at Forrest and Loocker- man streets • The proposed Camden Bypass • The section of U.S. 13 slated for widening • Remaining proposed grade-separated intersections on Route 1. Special thanks also go to the Delaware Transit Cor- poration and the Delaware Department of Transpor- tation for all their help to make this one of the MPO’s more successful tours. Journeys Pg. 3 DART daily resort service returns Visitors can take the bus to the beaches

hh, the beach. There’s nothing like a day of sun, tion along the resort area corridor. Route 202 will sand, and salt water. Memorial Day weekend is restart for a couple more weekends from Sept. 11 Atypically the start of beach season in Delaware. to 25. Buses for all the routes are air conditioned, ADA accessible and equipped with bicycle racks. That also was the start of DART First State’s daily resort service. DART is now running seven bus routes serv- For the complete Route 202 schedule and bus stops, ing Rehoboth Beach and the boardwalk, Lewes, Long visit DartFirstState.com/Resort. Visitors and resi- Neck, Dewey Beach, Ruddertowne, Bethany Beach, dents are encouraged to use DART’s Park & Ride lot, South Bethany Beach, Fenwick Island and Ocean City, located just off of Rt. 1 on Shuttle Road, just north Md. The service operates seven days a week from 7 a.m. of the entrance to Rehoboth Avenue. The park- to 2 a.m. Daily resort service will run through Sept. 11. ing rate is $8 per car, per day, and includes up to four free daily passes. One way cash fares are $2. For those who wanted to get a jump start to Customers may also buy all-day passes for $4.20. their beach weekends, DART started a limit- ed weekend resort bus service three weeks early. The Delaware Transit Corporation, a subsidiary of the Delaware Department of Transportation (Del- From May 7 to 22, DART operated a new Route 202 DOT), operates DART First State. For information on Saturdays and Sundays between the Rehoboth on fi xed route bus services statewide, please call Park & Ride, the Tanger Outlets, Midway Shop- 1-800-652-DART or visit www.DartFirstState.com. ping Center and the Rehoboth Beach boardwalk.

Delaware Transit Corporation CEO John Sisson said that the weekend service came after sever- al requests, and to help alleviate traffi c conges- Journeysys Pg.Pg. 4

Air Quality Partnership of Delaware kicks off new season of air quality action season and ground-level ozone awareness e’d all like to breathe passing grades to Kent and Sus- healthy adults to breathe. Delaware a little easier. The Air sex counties for particle pollution had several orange and red ozone- WQuality Partnership of (soot) emissions, while New Castle code days between the years 2012 Delaware works every day of the County failed in that category. Most and2014. year to help that happen, and espe- of the Dover/Kent County MPO’s cially in the spring and summer. jurisdiction is in Kent County, but Kara Coats, deputy secretary of the includes small areas of New Cas- Delaware Department of Natural On April 22, the AQP offi cially tle County in Smyrna and Sussex Resources and Environmental Con- started Air Quality Action Season County in Milford. trol (DNREC), said Earth Day was for 2016 at an Earth Day and Arbor an occasion to pause and celebrate Day celebration in Wilmington. At Ground-level ozone is created our environmental successes and the event, AQP members, along when heat and sunlight mix with promote the continued protection with Wilmington city offi cials talk- nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide, of our planet. ed about the importance of good air quality. “Our future depends upon clean air and clean water, “The persistent prob- and I encourage all Dela- lem of unhealthy days wareans to take meaning- of high ozone continues ful actions that will help to be a struggle for Del- protect and conserve our awareans, especially for natural resources and im- those with lung disease, prove our quality of life,” like asthma or COPD,” Coats said. Deborah Brown, pres- ident and CEO of the Coats also read a procla- American Lung Associ- mation from Gov. Jack ation of the mid-Atlan- Markell, making May 2-6 tic said at the Earth Day PICTURED LEFT TO RIGHT: Deb Brown, president and CEO of the Air Quality Awareness celebration. “Reducing American Lung Association of the mid-Atlantic, Herb White, urban Week. The proclamation pollution will only be- forest administrator for the City of Wilmington, Jennifer Adkins, also urged Delawareans come more challenging executive director of the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary and to do their share then, and because warmer tem- Kara Coats, deputy secretary of DNREC, show it takes teamwork to throughout the year to peratures increase the improve air quality. combat air pollution. risk for ozone and par- According to DNREC’s Division of ticle pollution, and make cleaning which often are found in industrial up the air harder in the future. We Air Quality walking or biking one and automobile emissions. Ozone mile instead of driving a car can need stronger air quality standards levels of this type are higher on to limit pollution and continued eliminate nearly one pound of car- sunny, hot and humid days. Ozone bon dioxide emissions. cleanup of the current sources of levels are color coded, with green pollution both within and upwind being the best to red and hotter The Air Quality Partnership is a of Delaware to protect the health of colors on the spectrum being the group of citizens, public agencies, our citizens.” worst. The higher the ozone level, and private corporations concerned the harder it can be to breathe, The American Lung Association about our region’s air quality. For especially for children, older more information about the Air gave Delaware a failing grade for adults, asthmatics and others with ground-level ozone (smog) emis- Quality Partnership of Delaware health complications. Especially or to sign up for air quality email sions in its State of the Air report high ozone days, called air quality this year. The same report gave alerts, please visit www.wilmapco. action days, can make it hard for org/AQP. Journeys Pg. 5 Put down some

TreesTrees aarere ffriendsriends toto airair andand waterwater

rees give us many things. In Delaware, we need the natural defenses trees can provide. TThey provide shade and shelter, they are “Here in Delaware, one of the biggest sources of toxic pol- homes for our feathered and furry friends, lution like heavy metals to rivers comes from the air,” said and provide us with fruits, nuts and other goods. Jennifer Adkins, of the Partnership for the Delaware Es- tuary, at an Earth Day event on April 22. “The air pollu- Trees also help keep our air and water clean. A tion from states to the west of us gets blown over Dela- single tree can absorb 10 pounds of air pollutants ware, where it drops onto the ground and into waterways.” per year, according to American Forests.org., which also said that the average healthy, ma- The Partnership for the Delaware Estuary, ture tree produces roughly 260 pounds of a national estuary program, leads sci- oxygen annually. The average person ence-based and collaborative ef- consumes 386 pounds of oxygen per forts to improve the tidal Del- year, and two trees provide enough aware River and Bay, which oxygen for one person per year. spans Delaware, New A tree can absorb as much as Jersey, and Pennsylva- 48 pounds of carbon dioxide nia. The Partnership is per year, and can seize one currently working with ton of carbon dioxide by the other organizations time it reaches 40 years old. on a campaign called Clean Water, Dela- As for water, one large tree ware’s Clear Choice. can lift up to 100 gallons of water out of the ground in one In the last 10 years, day and discharge it into the the Partnership, which air, Forests.org said. For every celebrates its 20th an- fi ve percent of tree cover added niversary this year, has to a community, stormwater run- protected and restored off is reduced by approximately two more than 43,000 acres percent. Another site, TreePeople.org mostly of wetlands and stream further says that shade from trees slows wa- areas, and many of those areas ter evaporation from thirsty lawns. Most newly have trees and forests, Adkins said. planted trees need only fi fteen gallons of water a week. As trees grow, they increase atmospheric Despite that progress, many waterways are moisture. Further, trees reduce water runoff by still challenged by pollution, Adkins said. breaking rainfall and allowing the water to fl ow down the trunk and into the earth below the “Water pollution aff ects us all, from swimming and boat- tree. This prevents storm water from carrying ing, to fi shing and drinking, and our economy,” Adkins said. pollutants to the ocean. When mulched, trees Adkins encouraged everyone at the event to plant trees and act like a sponge that fi lters this water naturally take other steps to keep our air and water clean. and uses it to recharge groundwater supplies. Journeys Pg. 6

DelDOT, Dover donate to Interfaith Mission

In April, the Dover Interfaith Mission re- ceived a donation of bicycle safety gear during a meeting of Dover City Council’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Subcommittee. The bicycle helmets, safety lights and refl ectors came courtesy of Sussex Cycling, the Del- aware Bike Council, the Delaware Depart- ment of Transportation and the City of Do- ver, as many of the Mission’s residents use bicycles for transportation. Pictured from left to right: Robert White of the Interfaith Mission, DelDOT Bicycle Coordinator John Fiori, Dover Bicycle and Pedestrian Subcom- mittee Chairman Jim Hutchison, Jeanine Kleimo of the Interfaith Mission and Paul Adamson, also of the Interfaith Mission.

Kent County cuts ribbon on Hunn recreation property

In April, Kent County offi cials held the grand opening of the county’s Hunn Recreation & Conservation Area. This piece of recreational space is located near Sorghum Mill Road, off of Delaware Route 10 in Camden near Dover Air Force Base. On the day of the opening, volunteers also helped to plant trees and work on trails, as they have for the past sever- al years. Pictured from left to right: Jeremy Sheppard of Kent County Parks and Recreation, Doug Hunn (Son of Shirley Hunn, for whom the property is named), Kent County Levy Court Commissioner Brad Eaby, Kent County Levy Court Com- missioner Terry Pepper, Alana D. Turner (Daughter of Shirley Hunn), Kent County Levy Court Commissioner Jodi Swee- ney, Kent County Levy Court Commissioner Glen Howell, and Keith Mumford of Kent County Parks and Recreation. Photo courtesy of Kent County Parks and Recreation Journeys Pg. 7

DNREC looks into fueling the future Fueling the Future: Clean Transportation for a Greener Delaware

elaware has its sights on the future, and it’s a through Delaware’s participation in the Regional green one. Greenhouse Gas Initiative cap-and-trade program. D Grant awards ranged from $8,000 to $500,000, Delaware’s Department of Natural Resources depending on the scope and technology needs of each and Environmental Control held Fueling the Future: project. The grant recipients are: Clean Transportation for a Greener Delaware on May 24 at Dover Downs Hotel and Casi-si- • Chesapeake Utilities – $500,000, for a public no. CCNG fast-fi ll refueling station at their new head- quarters in Dover. This event brought more thann 170 transportation profes- • The Delaware Division of Parks & Recreation sionals from across Dela- – $55,962, to install two D.C. Fast Charging Stations ware and neighboring states at Blue Ball Barn in Wilmington and Indian River to take part. Marina.

The purpose of Fueling the Future was to teach people • Royal Farms – $349,902, to install 10 D.C. about alternative fuels that are available for passenger Fast Charging Stations at fi ve Delaware stores in sedans, school buses and heavy-duty trucks, as well Smyrna, Dover, Milford, Georgetown and Laurel. as how to save money on vehicle maintenance and how businesses can reduce their vehicle fl eet’s carbon • The University of Delaware – $8,846, to in- footprint. DNREC’s ride-and-drive demonstration let stall three Level 3 Charging Stations on the University people get behind the wheel to experience electric, of Delaware Campus, including one public charging propane and compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles station. in action. • Sharp Energy – $86,375, to install propane Other features of the day included information about fueling stations at three Delaware school yards in Red clean transportation in Delaware, panels of experts Clay, Sutton Bus and School Mule. to talk about electric, propane and CNG vehicles, and other topics. “Delaware has been a leader in reducing emissions while still remaining dedicated to economic growth Gov. Jack Mar- as well as promoting the health of our residents and kell joined our environment,” Gov. Markell said. “Through our DNREC Secre- participation in the tary David Small Regional Greenhouse at the event to Gas Initiative and announce the the Delaware Clean recipients of the Transportation Incen- Alternative Fuel tive Program, we’ve Infrastructure been able to secure Grants, which funding that helps us will fund seven reduce our environ- projects to help Dr. Willet Kempton of the Universi- Energize Delaware was one of mental footprint and ty of Delaware gets a demonstration grow alternative the Delaware companies to at- combat climate change of an electric vehicle charging sta- fuel infrastruc- tend Fueling the Future event on by promoting the use tion at the Fueling the Future event. May 24. The company brought ture across the of alternative fuels and along and demonstrated a natu- state. The grants supporting alternative ral gas-fueled vehicle for the Ride fuel infrastructure – totaling than $1million – are part of Delaware’s and Drive portion of the day. Clean Transportation Incentive Program, funded throughout the state.” Journeys Pg. 8 Thank you, Carol! MPO wishes PAC member Carol Giesecke the best in her retirement

he Dover/Kent County MPO as the program leader in Family Ohio Univer- bids a fond farewell to PAC and Consumer Sciences for the uni- sity, Penn Tmember Carol Giesekce. versity’s Cooperative Extension. State Uni- versity, the Giesecke, whom the Delaware Giesecke also was the principal in- University of Transit Corporation’s appointed vestigator for several grants. She Maine, Lin- last year to be its representative on additionally provided nutrition ed- coln Universi- the MPO’s Public Advisory Com- ucation to youth in Title I schools ty in Missouri mittee, is leaving this post to move in Delaware and performed re- and Del State. on to the next phase of her life. gional food systems work through Giesecke a fi ve-year grant with Pennsylvania loves biking Carol Giesecke Giesecke, is retired from Delaware State University. and riding State University. Her responsibil- Amtrak to Boston. ities there included directing the Giesecke has worked in the nu- Dietetics program in the Human trition and food safety education Ecology Department and working fi elds for more than 30 years at

The MPO Council

Bradley S. Eaby, Chairman Find us on Social Media: (for President Brooks Banta) Facebook and Twitter Kent County Levy Court

Mayor Robin R. Christiansen,Vice Chairman City of Dover

Mayor Justin King, Town of Camden (Delaware Municipalities)

John Sisson, CEO, Delaware Transit Corporation

Drew Boyce (for Sec. Jennifer Cohan) Delaware Department of Transportation The Dover/Kent County MPO: 1783 Friends Way, Camden, DE 19934 Terry Pepper (for Gov. Jack Markell) Department of Safety & Homeland Security P.O. Box 383 Dover, DE 19903 MPO Staff Phone: (302) 387-6030 Fax: (302) 387-6032 Executive Director: Rich Vetter Principal Planner: Jim Galvin www.doverkentmpo.org Public Outreach Coordinator: Kate Layton Executive Secretary: Catherine Samardza

The preparation of this document was fi nanced in part with funds provided by the Federal Journeys Editor and Writer Government, including the Federal Transit Administration, through the Joint Simplifi cation Program, and the Federal Highway Administration of the United States Department of Transportation. Kate Layton