Newark Regional Transit Center Public Workshop
We want to hear from you! Please join us on Monday, June 24, anytime from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30p.m., for the Newark Regional Transit Center (NRTC) Public Workshop.

NRTC Public Workshop
Newark Municipal Building

220 South Main St.
Newark, DE 19711

Attend this public workshop to learn about the Newark Regional Transportation Center and voice your opinion on a new Newark Station design. For more information, visit www.wilmapco.org/newarktrain.

Newark Bicycle Plan Public Workshop
You are invited to share your ideas for bicycling in Newark at a public meeting on Wednesday, June 26, 7 p.m., at the Newark Bike Project on 7 South Main Street (formerly Elkton Road), Newark, DE.

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 will:

Get an overview of the Draft Newark Bicycle Plan
Discuss what programs & policies can promote safer bicycling
Brainstorm ways to encourage more people to bicycle and education the community about where and how to ride
Learn about suggested bike routes and other improvements and offer additional ideas
Tell planners top priorities for improvements

In addition to the public meeting, an ongoing Bicycle Plan Online Workshop is at www.wilmapco.org/bikenewark. Here, participants can review the draft plan, 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. For more information, visit www.wilmapco.org/bikenewark or call (302) 737-6205.

Governor's Council Recognizes South Wilmington Planning Efforts

According to a Division of Public Health press release, "The Delaware Governor's Council's Recognition for Community Health Promotion program recognizes the efforts of Delaware municipalities that bring together community-wide resources to enhance access to services, encourage positive behavioral changes, and improve community health." The City of Wilmington received bronze-level recognition for the South Wilmington Planning Network's initiatives to champion community health in Southbridge. "The South Wilmington Planning Network established a thriving community garden and requested a bus stop near a grocery store. The Network supported a Safe Routes to School Program at Elbert Palmer Elementary, and the school further promoted walking with a 'Steps Across Delaware' game with pedometer giveaways." WILMAPCO has chaired the network for the past two years. For more information, please visit

www.dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/dph/dpc/chpdpcahp.html.

bike Member Agency News

DelDOT Public Workshop - I-295 Southbound Reconstruction & Removal of US 13 Bridge over Baylor Blvd and Construction of a Pedestrian/Bicycle Tunnel

According to the DelDOT website, "The Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) and Delaware River and Bay Authority (DRBA) will hold a Public Information Meeting to provide information about upcoming construction on I-295 Southbound, and U.S. 13 just south of the I-295 overpass. Both projects will be on-going concurrently and will involve lane restrictions and occasional ramp detours. These projects are expected to begin in early 2014 and be completed in late 2015."

The meeting will be held on July 8, 2013, at the Howard J. Weston Community Center. Interested members of the public are invited to attend at any time between 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. For more information, please contact DelDOT Public Relations, P.O. Box 778, Dover, DE 19903 or sent via email to dotpr@state.de.us.

Local News

Maryland Governor Signs Transportation Legislation

According to a Washington Post article, "Governor Martin O'Malley signed Maryland's first gas tax increase in 20 years into law and announced $1.2 billion in highway and transit projects. The new law levies a sales tax on gasoline on top of the state's 23.5 cents per gallon tax. The sales tax, which will take effect in July, will add about 4 cents to a gallon of gas. It will jump another 8 cents by July 2015. The tax would rise another 8 cents by July 2016, unless Congress approves an Internet sales tax measure that would provide another revenue source for transportation." To view the source article, please visit www.washingtonpost.com/local/omalley-signs-gas-tax-bill-and-announces-highway-and-transit-projects/2013/05/16/b5245028-be47-11e2-b537-ab47f0325f7c_story.html.

New Toll Rates Effective in Maryland on July 1

According to the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA), "At 12:01 a.m. on July 1, new toll rates for all vehicles and additional changes take effect at Maryland's toll facilities. The new toll rates and other changes will provide the necessary revenue to pay the debt for rehabilitating MDTA's aging bridges, tunnels, and highways and for constructing additional highway capacity in the Baltimore and Washington regions." New two-axle toll rates at fixed toll facilities:

E-ZPass® Maryland Discount (commuter) rates:

$1.40 at the Fort McHenry (I-95) and Baltimore Harbor (I-895) tunnels, and the Francis Scott Key Bridge (I-695)
$2.80 (round trip) at the John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway (I-95) and Thomas J. Hatem Memorial Bridge (US 40)
$2.10 (round trip) at the Harry W. Nice Memorial Bridge (US 301)
$2.10 round trip at the Bay Bridge

E-ZPass Maryland Standard Plan rates (10% off the cash/base rate):

$3.60 at the Fort McHenry and Harbor tunnels and the Key Bridge
$7.20 at the JFK Highway and the Hatem Bridge
$5.40 at the Bay and Nice bridges

Cash toll rates:

$4 at the Fort McHenry and Harbor tunnels and the Key Bridge
$8 at the JFK Highway and Hatem Bridge
$6 at the Bay and Nice Bridges

Video toll rates:

$6 at the Fort McHenry and Harbor tunnels and the Key Bridge
$12 at the JFK Highway and Hatem Bridge
$9 at the Bay and Nice Bridges

Additional information is available at mdta.maryland.gov.

Dover and Wilmington Could Soon be Installing Speed Cameras

According to the State of Delaware website, Senate Bill 95 would allow the two cities to install speed cameras near work zones or schools for a two-year pilot program. "This Act establishes a two-year pilot program, which authorizes the Cities of Dover and Wilmington police agencies to initiate camera and video enforcement of speed limits within ¼ mile of any work or school zone. The vehicle speed monitoring systems authorized under the pilot program will produce recorded images of motor vehicles traveling at least 11 miles per hour above the posted speed limit." For more information, please visit http://legis.delaware.gov/LIS/lis147.nsf/d0089be0dea91f34852569d6004dedbb/f4c4550fb6768b3385257b6600656dce?OpenDocument.

New Program Rewards Outdoor Recreation and Delaware Exploration

According to a Delaware Greenways press release, "The Nature Conservancy in Delaware and Delaware Greenways, Inc. have launched their summer challenge, 'See You Outside', giving Delaware residents and visitors opportunities for exploring natural sites in the state and the chance to win a $500 Trail Creek Outfitters Gift Card. The challenge runs through November 5. Delaware Greenways and The Nature Conservancy picked 40 activities for the challenge. Some activities were picked to bring attention to lesser-known natural areas in the state, while others were chosen for their accessibility, to show you don't need to be an extreme outdoors enthusiast to enjoy the outside." For more information, please visit http://www.syodelaware.org/.

New Bicycling Blog in Delaware

Delaware Bikes is a new bicycle advocacy news blog dedicated to on-road bicycling, including: bicycle use on streets, roads, and highways. The goal of Delaware Bikes is to help advocates work toward bicycle safety improvements on roadways. To view the blog, please visit www.delawarebikes.org.

National News

Incorporating Greenhouse Gas Emissions into Decision Making

According to a June 4th Transportation Research Board (TRB) Publication summary, "TRB's second Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP 2) has released a project brief that summarizes the results of SHRP 2 Capacity Project C09, Incorporating Greenhouse Gas Emissions into the Collaborative Decision-Making Process.The products of this research project include 'Incorporating Greenhouse Gas Emissions into the Collaborative Decision-Making Process' (SHRP 2 Report S2-C09-RR-1), 'Practitioner's Guide to Incorporating Greenhouse Gas Emissions into the Collaborative Decision-Making Process' (SHRP 2 Report S2-C09-RW-2), and the 'Transportation for Communities: Advancing Projects through Partnerships' (TCAPP) website. TCAPP is organized around decision points in the planning, programming, environmental review, and permitting processes." For more information, please visit http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/shrp2/SHRP2_PB_C09-2013-05.pdf.

U.S. Department of Transportation Announces Availability of $21.9 Million to Help States Strengthen Transit Safety Oversight

According to a Federal Transit Administration (FTA) press release, "The U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced that, for the first time, it is making $21.9 million available to help strengthen public transportation safety. In addition to the funds, the agency also announced a flexible new policy, known as Safety Management Systems (SMS), which DOT has officially adopted to help guide states and transit agencies in managing safety risks in a proactive, cost-effective way." For more information, please visit http://www.fta.dot.gov/newsroom/12286_15445.html.

73 Percent Of Americans Favor Investing In Public Transport With Their Tax Dollars
According to CleanTechnica, "The Mineta Transportation Institute has released a survey that shows growing support for the expansion of the U.S. public transportation system. The survey, entitled Americans Support for Public Transportation, shows that nearly 74 percent of respondents agree that their tax dollars could and should be used to create, expand, and improve public transportation in their community." To view the source article, please visit http://cleantechnica.com/2013/06/06/73-of-americans-favour-investing-in-public-transport-with-their-tax-dollars/.

The Transit App Guides You Through Public Transportation

According to Lifehacker, "Most of the popular maps apps like Google Maps and Apple Maps have public transportation functionality built in, but they're not always perfect. The Transit App is built specifically for public transportation, and it provides a clean interface to get you to your destination easily. The Transit App works in 37 US cities, including New York, San Francisco, Houston, and more. What makes The Transit App interesting is that since it's created specifically for public transportation, the interface is quick and responsive to help you get where you're going without messing around much in menus." To view the source article, please visit http://lifehacker.com/the-transit-app-guides-you-through-public-transportatio-510255563.

U.S. Driving Rates Decreased

According to a Safe Routes to School National Partnership newsletter, "A new study from U.S. PIRG and the Frontier Group shows that after decades of steady growth, U.S. driving rates have slowed and even stalled. The Millennial generation is leading the change and drove 23 percent fewer miles on average in 2009 than people of the same age group did in 2001-a greater decline in driving than any other age group. Rising gas prices and municipal smart growth strategies are also fueling the shift." For more information, please visit http://uspirg.org/reports/usp/new-direction.

New Study Shows Three out of Five Pedestrians Prioritize Smartphones over Safety When Crossing Streets

According to the Liberty Mutual Insurance Pedestrian Safety Survey, "60 percent of pedestrians walk while texting, emailing, talking on the phone, or listening to music despite 70 percent considering those behaviors to be dangerous. Such distractions may have been a contributing factor to the 4,280 pedestrian deaths in traffic crashes in 2010, a four percent increase from the previous year, as reported in the latest data by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA)." For more information, please visit www.libertymutualgroup.com.

About Us
The Wilmington Area Planning Council (WILMAPCO) is the regional transportation planning agency for New Castle County, Delaware and Cecil County, Maryland. As the federally designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), WILMAPCO is charged with planning and coordinating transportation investments for the region based on federal policy, local input, technical analysis, and best practices. For more information, please visit our website at www.wilmapco.org.

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