Newark Bicycle Committee initiatives for 2011
At the end of 2010, Newark Bicycle Committee members weighed in on their priorities for the coming year. Keep your eyes open for the following happenings in 2011:
Support adoption of the Newark Transportation Plan, which is expected to contain literally dozens of short- and medium-term bicycle facility recommendations. WILMAPCO will hold a final public workshop, probably this spring, detailing the recommendations in the Plan. The Committee will then work to get them implemented as fast as possible!
Install bike racks along Main Street. DelDOT donated 16 racks to the City. Approvals are in progress to install some in the street in unused spaces next to pedestrian bulbouts, and others in sidewalk areas outside the main flow of traffic.
Conduct four more safety checkpoints, two in the spring and two in the fall. DelDOT will generously supply lights, helmets, literature and staff, supplemented by volunteers.
Staff booths at Newark Nite and Community Day to further encourage bicycling, distribute safety information, and answer questions.
Conduct Bike Month and Bike‐to‐Work Day activities. This will form the centerpiece of our outreach efforts in 2011, and we anticipate working with government officials, businesspeople, advocates, and residents to make Bike-to-Work Day a major event in Newark this year.
Support shared-lane marking “sharrow” education. DelDOT is currently preparing a brochure to explain how sharrows work. If we’re successful in getting them installed through implementing the Newark Transportation Plan, local bicyclists and drivers alike will need to understand what they mean and how they work.
Write a new Newark Bicycle Plan. The last official Newark Bicycle Plan was in 1996; WILMAPCO wrote a draft in 2002-2003 that was never adopted. An official plan will give weight to our priorities and could strengthen our efforts to get funding for improvements.
Track UD’s redevelopment of the former Chrysler site to make it as bicycle-friendly as possible.
Explore extension of the Hall Trail west to Elkton Road, potentially along neighborhood streets. This will form a critical component of the East Coast Greenway in Delaware.
And look for the long-awaited start of construction for the Pomeroy Trail!
As you can tell, we’ll be busy this year! The Committee is truly thankful to all the volunteers and agency staff who have contributed time and effort to make Newark a bicycle-friendly community. Let’s keep it going!
