September 2016
WILMAPCO Meetings

All meetings are open to the public. Unless otherwise noted, meetings are held in the WILMAPCO Conference Room.

September 8, 10 a.m.
September 8, 1 p.m.

WILMAPCO Council
September 8, 6:30 p.m.

Technical Advisory Committee
September 15, 10 a.m.

In case of inclement weather, please call (302) 737-6205, or toll free from Cecil County at (888) 808-7088 for cancellations or postponements.

For updates or more information on upcoming WILMAPCO meetings, please visit www.wilmapco.org.

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WILMAPCO E-News 
Transportation news and events from the
Wilmington Area Planning Council (WILMAPCO). 
WILMAPCO News
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OurTownSave the Date for WILMAPCO's 2016 Our Town Event
Registration has opened for the WILMAPCO's 2016 Our Town Conference: The Future of Transportation, on Wednesday, November 2 from 4 - 7 p.m., at the Chase Center on the Riverfront in Wilmington.  The event will highlight transportation innovations and technologies of the future.

In the future, technology will continue to improve how we get around by reducing emissions, improving safety, and making vehicles more efficient and reliable. Cars will use wireless technology to communicate with each other and warn drivers of congestion and accidents. Crash avoidance systems, using sensors embedded in the roadways, will help prevent accidents; and driverless cars are being developed by most major manufacturers.

Learn about the implications of these and other technologies during this year's Our Town event.  To register, please visit www.wilmapco.org/ourtown.

TIPWILMAPCO Public Workshop
Don't miss the chance to have your say in how $2.3 billion dollars of your tax dollars are spent. WILMAPCO's Transportation Improvement Program or TIP is the 4-year listing of federally-funded transportation projects for our region. Projects include highway, bus, rail, bicycle and pedestrian.  Each year, the TIP is amended to reflect available funding in the Delaware Bond Bill and we need your feedback on transportation priorities.   

A public workshop will be held on Wednesday, August 31 at the Newark Free Library, 750 Library Ave., Newark.  Attendees are welcome to stop by anytime between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. Representatives from DelDOT and WILMAPCO will display project information and answer your questions. 

Information can also be viewed online at www.wilmapco.org/tip. Comments will be accepted through September 6, prior to adoption by WILMAPCO's Council on September 8. Comments can be emailed to wilmapco@wilmapco.org, faxed to (302)737-9584 or mailed to WILMAPCO, 850 Library Ave., Newark, DE 19711. To learn more, please visit www.wilmapco.org.

Local News
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APAAPA Maryland/Delaware Regional Planning Conference 
Registration has begun for the Maryland/Delaware American Planning Association (APA) Regional Conference on October 15 and 16, at the Sheraton North Hotel in Towson, Maryland. This year the regional conference challenges planners to: Change the Mindset - Change the Planning! Moving Forward in a Changing World. Sessions will center on the changing face of transportation, climate change, the economy, demographics, and neighborhood revitalization. For more information or to register, please visit www.apamaryland.org/2016-md-de-regional-planning-conference/.

CTPMaryland Annual Statewide Capital Transportation Program Tour 
Maryland Transportation Secretary and other department officials will hold the annual tour of 23 Maryland counties and Baltimore City to update local officials and the public and seek input on the draft FY 2016 - FY 2021 Consolidated Transportation Program (CTP), which details the Maryland Department of Transportation's (MDOT) six-year capital budget.  The Cecil County tour stop will be held on September 30 at 10:30 a.m., at the Cecil County Administrative Building, 200 Chesapeake Blvd., Elkton. For more information, visit http://www.mdot.maryland.gov/newMDOT/Planning/CTP/2016_CTP_Tour/Index.html.

Tiger$10 Million TIGER Grant Will Begin Construction of New Claymont Train Station
According to a DART First State Release, " Delaware Governor Jack Markell, U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), DelDOT Secretary Jennifer Cohan and local officials announced a $10 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant award from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to help fund the Claymont Regional Transportation Center and replace the current Claymont Train Station.
 
A new, state-of-the-art station will be integrated with the redevelopment of the 420-acre former Evraz Claymont Steel industrial site, currently being transformed into a modern mixed-use campus featuring office, commercial, and light industrial uses. The station will have convenient access to the regional highway, public transportation, bicycle, and pedestrian networks, and the construction of this project is estimated to create 342 jobs annually.

NBBFPublic Input Sought on Community Revitalization Strategies 
The public invited to provide guidance to the Neighborhood Building Blocks Fund on how to most effectively target $3.7 million in community revitalization grants in Delaware. The Neighborhood Building Blocks Fund (NBBF) is intended to support crime reduction and neighborhood revitalization programs statewide. The New Castle County workshop will be held on Thursday, September 15, from 6 - 8 p.m., at the West End Neighborhood House, 710 N. Lincoln Street, Wilmington, DE 19805.  For more information, visit http://files.osmek.com/17037. 
 
National News
EPAMaking a Visible Difference in Communities 
A new video series highlights how EPA is working with partners to help some of the country's most environmentally overburdened, underserved, and economically distressed communities address local issues of concern. This work involves listening to community leaders and residents to understand their needs and then engaging with local, state, and other federal partners to leverage collective resources more efficiently and effectively in support of local goals.
For more information about work underway in communities and more videos: www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/making-visible-difference-communities.

FASTActNew Federal Grant to Reduce Bicycle and Pedestrian Fatalities
December 2015's FAST Act includes a new grant program aimed at decreasing bicyclist and pedestrian fatalities and injuries. States where the number of bicyclist and pedestrian traffic deaths exceeds 15 percent of total annual statewide traffic deaths will be eligible for funding. Based on 2013 traffic fatality data, 22 states are eligible for these funds. To see how your state compares, visit www.ncsl.org/research/transportation/percentage-of-overall-traffic-fatalities-that-are-bicyclist-and-pedestrian-fatalities-by-state-2013-postcard.aspx