Transportation news and events from the
Wilmington Area Planning Council (WILMAPCO). 
February 2021
WILMAPCO News
You are invited to Public Visioning Workshop for the City of New Castle
Help shape the future of transportation in the City of New Castle. You are invited to attend a Virtual Public Visioning Workshop for the City of New Castle Transportation Plan on Wednesday, February 10 from 6:45pm to 9:00pm. During this workshop, we will seek your feedback and ideas about traffic, connectivity, bicycling and walking, transit, parking, freight, and flooding. The workshop will include a presentation, small group discussions, and Q&A. Click below to register to attend.
You are invited to Public Workshop for the Churchman's Crossing area
You are invited to attend the second Virtual Public Workshop for the Churchman’s Crossing Plan Update on Wednesday, March 3 from 5:30 to 7:30pm. This Virtual Public Workshop will include an overview of transportation and land use scenario planning and present preliminary results for the Churchman’s Crossing study area. These results, along with your input and feedback, will guide more detailed analysis of refined alternatives for future workshops. Help shape the way people live, work, and play in the Churchman’s Crossing area!
Help map local freight trouble spots
WILMAPCO has begun a study to examine local freight traffic throughout the State of Delaware, commonly known as the “final mile." As part of this effort, we are inviting all residents, business owners, and the trucking community throughout Delaware to share your experiences with truck traffic at the local level. To learn more about the project and help map trouble spots, please visit www.wilmapco.org/finalmile.
Local News
I-95 Construction Begins February
This three-year project — with two years of significant lane impacts — is necessary to extend the service life of the roadway for another 30 years and ensure the more than 50-year-old road and bridges continue to be safe.

I-95 will remain open during the project and access into and out of the city will always be maintained. However, there will be periodic ramp closures and a reduced number of travel lanes available. The construction will be done in multiple phases, the first starting in February 2021.

This phase includes closing all lanes of northbound I-95 and shifting both northbound and southbound traffic to the current southbound lanes, with a lane reduction in both directions. Access into and out of the city will be maintained.
NCC@2050 Comprehensive Plan - Deep Dive Session
New Castle County invites you to a series of four virtual workshops designed to further examine topics comprising the NCC@2050 Comprehensive Plan.

During these workshops, subject matter experts and attendees will be asked to brainstorm and provide detailed input on draft goals, objectives, alternative future development possibilities and strategies. The County will also provide an update of the progress of NCC@2050 as well as a summary of the feedback heard in 2020.
 
Deep Dive Session #1 on Feb. 3, 2021 at 6pm will focus on:
  • Open Space
  • Conservation
  • Recreation

Visit NCC2050.NewCastleDE.gov to learn more about the NCC@2050 Comprehensive plan.
Regional Rail Schedule Change to Wilmington Line
Select changes to schedules on Regional Rail Lines are being made to midday, weekday schedules and will go into effect on the Chestnut Hill East, Lansdale/Doylestown, Manayunk/Norristown, Trenton and Wilmington/Newark lines to support on-going state of good repair track and overhead wire work and special shoreline stabilization efforts.

The new Wilmington Line timetable reintroduces service to Churchman's Crossing and Newark, Delaware stations beginning Monday, January 25. These train extensions are sponsored by the state of Delaware and will provide public transit options during the Interstate 95 construction closure scheduled to begin February 2021 and continuing through early calendar year 2023.
DART Service and Fare Changes have been Approved
After receiving rider feedback at several outdoor Community Conversations and a virtual Public Hearing Workshop, DART has approved service and fare changes to become effective February 14, 2021. Some of the changes for New Castle County include:
 
Re-routing buses away from I-95 to/from Wilmington
  • Route 33 will enter Wilmington via I-495 and US 13
  • Route 40 will travel via US 13, instead of serving Christiana Mall to I-95
  • Routes 54 & 55 will discontinue service between Christiana Mall and Wilmington
 
Route Combinations
  • Routes 10 & 34 - NEW Route 10
  • Routes 12 & 25 - NEW Route 25
 
Discontinued Service
  • Routes 16, 45, 48
  • Trip Reductions on Routes 4, 8, 18, 20, 31, 35, 52
 
Service Extensions
  • Route 28 - portions of Routes 14, 48
  • Route 42 - to DE 896 & DE 4 Park & Ride
  • Route 44 - to Delaware City
  • Route 47X - to Wrangle Hill Park & Ride
  • Route 63 - to Middletown Walmart in both directions
  • Route 64 - to Christiana Mall and DE 7; new weekend service
  • Route 301 – to Boyd’s Corner Park & Ride

To view the full list of service changes, visit www.dartfirststate.com.
RideShare Delaware Announces Name Change
According to a Dart First State release, "The RideShare Delaware program, first introduced in 1997, is rebranding with a new name, logo, and website. The rebrand to Delaware Commute Solutions (DECS) more accurately represents the program’s essence and offerings to reflect all modes of clean commuting. The overall goal of the program since its inception - to reduce the amount of single occupancy vehicles and reduce congestion on Delaware roadways, thus improving the air quality - remains the same. employees a free 30-day bus pass to get to and from work."
Wilmington planning to name new Riverfront streets after Frawley, Johnson
As reported by WDEL, "The Riverfront Development Corporation, after consulting with City Council and the Mayor's office, recommended a new 1.48 mile street to be named Judy Johnson Drive. In addition, a small connector road next to Frawley Stadium would be called Frawley Drive. They would be in the vicinity of Judy Johnson Field at Daniel Frawley Stadium, the home of the Wilmington Blue Rocks since 1993. Frawley served as Mayor from 1985 to 1993, helping to bring the Blue Rocks to Wilmington as part of the initial revitalization of the what is now known as the Riverfront. Judy Johnson as a member of the Negro Leagues from 1923-1937, and spent part of his life in Wilmington before dying in 1989. The new road names will be considered by the Public Works & Transportation Committee at its next meeting."
National News
U.S. Bicycle Route System expands to 14,841 miles and 31 states
As reported by Adventure Cycling, "Five new U.S. Bicycle Routes in four states — Maryland, New York, North Dakota, and West Virginia — plus Washington, DC, added 290 miles to the U.S. Bicycle Route System (USBRS).

In Maryland, USBR 201 shares routing with the East Coast Greenway on-road routing. In New York, the north-south USBR 11 travels from the shore of Lake Ontario, crosses the Erie Canalway in Lyons, then ends at the border with Pennsylvania. In North Dakota, USBR 30 takes riders across country where the wildlife outnumber people on U.S. 12. In Washington, DC, USBR 1 follows Capital Crescent and Rock Creek Trails along the Potomac River. In West Virginia, USBR 11 captures Appalachian farm country and history while connecting to existing USBRs in Maryland."
New Solar EV Has a 1,000-Mile Range - But You May Never Need to Charge It
As reported in Robb Report, "San Diego-based Aptera has just unveiled a new solar-based three-wheeler it claims doesn’t require charging—but just happens to have 1,000-mile battery-electric range for good measure.

The futuristic trike, which has an almost Jetsons flying car-like aesthetic, features more than 32 square feet of solar panels that are integrated into the body. This setup allows the two-seater to travel up to 45 miles a day and up to 11,000 miles per year on energy harnessed from the sun, according to the company."
You are invited to participate in the transportation planning process, regardless of your race, color, national origin (including limited English proficiency), religion, creed, gender, ancestry, ethnicity, disability, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran’s status, or background. To request special accommodations, or if you need this information in another language, please contact WILMAPCO at (302) 737-6205 or​ dvoss@wilmapco.org.