Transportation news and events from the
Wilmington Area Planning Council (WILMAPCO). 
January 2022
WILMAPCO will be closed on Dec. 31st and Jan 3rd. 
Happy New Year!
WILMAPCO News
Bridging I-95: Reconnecting the Community Virtual Public Workshop
Join WILMAPCO, DelDOT and the City of Wilmington in planning for a "cap" over the I-95 between the Delaware Ave and 6th Street Bridges in the City of Wilmington. A highway cap would create the opportunity for new walking and biking connections between neighborhoods divided by the highway and would result in new public spaces for the community to enjoy.

What do you think these new spaces should be used for? Attend the public workshop and let us know or complete a quick online survey.

Local News
Draft New Castle County Comprehensive Plan is available for public comment
New Castle County has announced the Draft NCC@2050 Comprehensive Plan is available for review and comment. Over the past 18 months, New Castle County staff has worked with subject matter experts, stakeholders, and the community to create a blueprint for New Castle County’s growth between now and the year 2050. It addresses issues from future growth to climate change to housing to making our communities strong and vibrant to protecting the the environment. You are encouraged to review this first full draft and provide your comments by January 12, 2022.
Delaware's Climate Action Plan
For more than a decade, Delaware has taken steps to address the causes and consequences of climate change. But we need to do more. Delaware’s Climate Action Plan, which is the result of a year-long process involving residents, businesses and technical experts, is a roadmap for how the state can prepare for climate change in the decades ahead. Delaware’s Climate Action Plan will guide state efforts to:

  • Minimize greenhouse gas emissions, which drive the climate change we see today, and
  • Maximize resilience to climate change impacts.
DNREC Announces $1.4 Million in Grant Funding to Expand Electric Vehicle Fast Charging Stations
Improving the availability of public charging stations for the growing number of electric vehicles on Delaware roads is the goal of a grant program announced this week by the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC). The funding builds upon Delaware’s Clean Transportation Incentive Programs, which include a suite of rebates for light-duty electric vehicles and Level 2 charging stations. Proposals are due by April 15, 2022. Project funds will be administered by the DNREC Division of Climate, Coastal and Energy. Funding comes from the Environmental Mitigation Trust, which resulted from the state’s plan to use $9.6 million from the negotiated settlement between Volkswagen and the federal government.
MDOT Encourages Maryland Commuters to Earn Rewards by Using Transit, Ridesharing, Biking and Walking
The Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) has launched a program aimed at helping Maryland commuters save time and money, while also earning cash rewards when they take transit, rideshare, or use other alternatives to single-occupancy vehicles in their rush hour commute. Through incenTrip, a trip planning and logging app available for iOS and Android devices, Marylanders can earn points toward cash rewards and help reduce traffic congestion and emissions by increasing their use of public transportation, carpooling, vanpooling, walking, and biking, or using alternative work schedules whenever convenient.
National News
Federal Highway Administration Unveils Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act `One-Stop Shop’ Website, Publishing Request for Information
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has launched a website designed for transportation agencies, communities and stakeholders interested in learning more about the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law). The new website, at https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/bipartisan-infrastructure-law/, will serve as a one-stop shop online for transportation agencies and others interested in learning more about new and existing FHWA programs as well as how to apply for grants and other discretionary funding opportunities available under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Webinar: A New Paradigm for Rail Planning, Funding, & Implementation
In July 2021, the Northeast Corridor Commission released CONNECT NEC 2035 (C35), the most ambitious reinvestment program in the Northeast Corridor’s history and a new way of planning: a multi-agency, multi-year, shared action plan guided by a long-term vision.

The state governments of the Northeast, the federal government, eight commuter rail agencies, and Amtrak came together through the Northeast Corridor Commission to develop C35, a plan to implement the first phase of the Federal Railroad Administration’s NEC FUTURE vision by outlining a detailed and efficient sequencing of infrastructure investments that can be constructed on an active and busy railroad over 15 years.
USDOT Releases New Data Showing That Road Fatalities Spiked in First Half of 2021
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has released the Early Estimate of Motor Vehicle Traffic Fatalities for the First Half (January-June) of 2021, which shows the largest six-month increase ever recorded in the Fatality Analysis Reporting System’s history. An estimated 20,160 people died in motor vehicle crashes in the first half of 2021, up 18.4% over 2020. That’s the largest number of projected fatalities in that time period since 2006. In January, USDOT will release its first ever comprehensive National Roadway Safety Strategy with actions to significantly reduce serious injuries and deaths on our nation’s roadways.
How self-driving cars will 'talk' to pedestrians
As published in Mashable, "It's hard to communicate with a gesture or nod at a passing car when there's no one at the wheel. Road safety relies on all types of communication between people and vehicles, and most importantly on a psychologist-coined term, "communicating intent." As pedestrians and fellow drivers we're constantly indicating what we're about to do. So now robo-cars need to be programmed to show what they're planning to do — and pedestrians will need alternatives to smiles, glances, and frantic hand waves."
Scientific consensus says that the Earth is warming
According to NASA Climate, global warming is the long-term heating of the planet's climate system. Scientists overwhelmingly agree that data collected over decades indicates a global warming trend emerged in the 20th century and continues to this day.
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.