Transportation news and events from the
Wilmington Area Planning Council (WILMAPCO).
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WILMAPCO's office will be closed on April 15 for Good Friday. |
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Now is the time to have your say in which projects are funded |
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WILMAPCO, DelDOT, MDOT, and Cecil County invite you to attend a Virtual Public Workshop on Wednesday, April 6 from 6-7pm. During this Virtual Workshop, you'll have the opportunity to review the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) and its associated Air Quality Conformity, and the Capital/Consolidated Transportation Programs (CTP) for Delaware and Maryland. The TIP and CTP are the list of road, bus, rail, bicycle and pedestrian priority projects proposed for funding in New Castle County, Delaware and Cecil County, Maryland. The TIP is available for Public Comment through April 29th, 2022.
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Review preliminary ideas for a “cap” over the I-95 in Wilmington during an in-person Public Workshop |
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You are invited to review some preliminary ideas for a “cap” over the I-95 in the City of Wilmington between 6th Street and Delaware Avenue. WILMAPCO, DelDOT, and the City of Wilmington invite you to an in-person Public Workshop on Tuesday, April 19 from 6 to 7:30pm at William Lewis Elementary School, 920 N Van Buren St, Wilmington. During the workshop, you’ll have the chance to review some initial ideas, based on previous public feedback, and share your thoughts.
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WILMAPCO invites your thoughts on its draft work program |
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WILMAPCO will release its Draft FY 2023 Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) for public review and comment on Friday, April 1. Every year, with input from its member agencies, WILMAPCO develops its work program and budget for the upcoming fiscal year. The 2.9 million dollar work program includes a summary of administrative, technical, and transportation planning tasks to be performed by the agency.
Several new studies are proposed for the draft program, including the Arden Transportation Plan, an update to the 2008 Southbridge Circulation Study, and Charlestown Walkable Community Workshop and Planning Study.
Interested residents and organizations are invited to review and provide written comments on the Draft UPWP from Friday, April 1 to Tuesday, May 3, 2022. The document will be available during the public comment period online at www.wilmapco.org/upwp. For more information, to comment, or to request a hard copy, please email Randi Novakoff at rnovakoff@wilmapco.org or call (302) 737-6205.
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Comment on a proposed Union Street Redesign Concept by March 31 |
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WILMAPCO, Delaware Department of Transportation, and the City of Wilmington are nearing completion of a study to examine how to best reconfigure Union Street between Pennsylvania Avenue and Sycamore Street to make it safer and serve residents and businesses better. Let us know what you think about the proposed Redesign Concept through March 31, 2022. |
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Join the Air Quality Partnership and WILMAPCO at Wilmington's Earth Day Event |
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The City of Wilmington, Partnership for the Delaware Estuary (PDE), Open Streets Wilmington, and other partners invite you to celebrate Earth Day on Saturday, April 23. From 1:30 to 4:30 p.m., six blocks of Market Street (4th through 10th streets) will be blocked off for pedestrian and bikes only. People of all ages can stop by and visit eco-friendly vendors and exhibitors. There will be plant giveaways, crafts for children, a fun scavenger hunt, bike demonstrations, downtown shopping and dining, and much more, including a visit from Tropo the mascot of the Air Quality Partnership. See you there!
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The State Report on Transportation |
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The State Report on Transportation contains three important documents: the Maryland Transportation Plan (MTP), the Consolidated Transportation Program (CTP), and the annual Attainment Report (AR) on Transportation System Performance. Every year, MDOT submits the State Report on Transportation to the Maryland Legislature by the third Wednesday in January as part of the Governor’s budget submission. These reports were submitted to the Maryland General Assembly on January 19th this year, and can be found at: www.ctp.maryland.gov.
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Buttigieg visits Wilmington to share $186 million to improve DART buses |
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As reported in the Delaware News Journal, "Pete Buttigieg, U.S. transportation secretary, came to Delaware to announce that $186 million is on its way to improve public transportation here as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The money will be used to change the state’s 247 DART buses to low- and no-emission models, as well as to train employees how to operate and maintain them." |
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Delaware adopts Zero Emission Vehicle requirements |
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According to a Delaware Dept of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) release, "Governor John Carney announced that Delaware will join 13 other states in adopting California’s Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) regulations, providing drivers looking to purchase an electric vehicle with more choices at Delaware dealerships. DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin said increasing the number of zero emission vehicles on Delaware roads, along with building out the state’s electric vehicle charging network are key strategies outlined in Delaware’s Climate Action Plan, a result of a two year-long process involving residents, businesses, and technical experts."
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Maryland Zero Emission Vehicles |
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Automakers have announced new commitments to bring EVs to the market, and significant new resources are now available through the federal government. Car buyers are catching on to how easy, safe, economical, and environmentally friendly it is to own an EV. At the close of 2021, over 41,000 EVs have been registered in Maryland, an increase of over 40%, since the close of 2020.
Various topics related to EVs and EV infrastructure are discussed at the Maryland Zero Emission Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Council (ZEEVIC). Join us at the next ZEEVIC meeting. Meeting dates and times are posted on the ZEEVIC website.
For more information about federal incentives; state, and local utility incentives; and benefits, such as reduced fuel costs, easier maintenance, and a better driving experience, check out MDOT's EV story map on MarylandEV.org.
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incenTrip Mobile Application |
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The Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) Commuter Choice Maryland launched the incenTrip application, which is aimed at helping Maryland commuters save time and money. They earn points towards 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, biking or using alternative work schedules whenever convenient.
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Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) |
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Last November President Biden signed into law, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). The IIJA provides $550 billion in new infrastructure spending above the current levels. Delaware will receive approximately $1.4 billion over the next five years for highways and bridges. This is about 33.4% more than the State’s current funding. This represents about a 29% increase over previous transportation legislation (FAST Act).
Maryland is expected receive approximately $4.6 billion in Federal funding for highways and bridges. On an average, this is about 35.9% more than the State’s current highway funding. In the first year, this represents about a 36% increase over 2021 FAST Act formula transit funding levels.
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New USDOT National Roadway Safety Strategy and FHWA Update to Highway Safety Improvement Program |
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The US Department of Transportation (USDOT) Secretary Pete Buttigieg released the National Roadway Safety Strategy (NRSS), a roadmap for addressing the national crisis in roadway fatalities and serious injuries. Through the comprehensive strategy, the USDOT has committed to a long-term goal of reaching zero fatalities and serious injuries. At its core, the NRSS is a USDOT-wide adoption of the Safe System Approach, focused on five key objectives: safer people, safer roads, safer vehicles, safer speeds, and post-crash care.
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The lifetime cost of driving a car |
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As reported by Forbes, "Research has calculated that the lifetime cost of driving a small car is about $689,000, of which society pays $275,000, and concludes that motorists underestimate the total private costs of car ownership, while policymakers and planners underestimate social costs.
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Adult Physical Inactivity Prevalence Maps by Race/Ethnicity
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The Centers for Disease Control Presents the differences in the prevalence of physical inactivity in the US by race/ethnicity and location, and provides recommendations to improve physical activity levels. Notes that a lack of access to safe and convenient places to be physically active may contribute to these racial and ethnic disparities. |
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Why the Concept of Induced Demand Is a Hard Sell |
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As reported on Governing.com, "Induced Demand is the concept that new roads will attract more drivers. That means adding lanes to a highway will ease congestion in the short term, but those gains will vanish as the road fills with more drivers. Induced demand has been theorized for almost 100 years. This basic concept is key to understanding congestion relief, which is arguably the central policy goal of American transportation planning. But it is not an intuitive idea. A series of new studies, the latest published this February, has shown that it is one of the least understood concepts in transportation policy."
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Wilmington Area Planning Council
(WILMAPCO)
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The Wilmington Area Planning Council (WILMAPCO) is the regional transportation planning agency for New Castle County, Delaware and Cecil County, Maryland. As a 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. |
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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.
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