Giving thanks in Newark—a definite hint of “silver”

by Mark Deshon, Newark Bicycle Committee Chair

This is the week we all get together with families and loved ones to reflect on how blessed we are in this country. Eighteen months ago during National Bike-to-Work Day, we celebrated the retention of the city’s “bronze” status as a Bicycle Friendly Community (BFC), as judged by the League of American Bicyclists. Newark became the first designated BFC in Delaware in 2010; Lewes has since followed as a bronze-level BFC. From my vantage point as chair of the Newark Bicycle Committee, progress is accelerating, and I can detect the hint of “silver” in the city’s near future. I’d like to take the opportunity in this space to give thanks for the progress that is being made on several fronts in the City of Newark.

Newark Mayor Polly Sierer spoke recently about the atmosphere for cycling improvements in her city. “It’s been apparent over the last several years that the City of Newark and its residents have been actively involved in creating a healthy community,” she said. “As Mayor, I am very interested in improving the bicycle-friendliness of our community and have dedicated time and effort over the past few years helping to foster the blossoming collaboration between the City of Newark staff and the Newark Bicycle Committee.” Speaking of the Mayor…

Mayor’s Fun Ride

Mayor Sierer is a recreational cyclist and has indeed been a big supporter of the Newark Bicycle Committee (NBC). Having attended a few of our meetings, she wanted to create a community event, organized by partner groups and sponsored by local businesses, that would draw attention to some of the nice bicycling infrastructure we already have and be a family-friendly activity that would show off the city. The first Mayor’s Fun Ride closed out National Bike Week in May this year, and plans are being made to improve on the concept for the event in 2016. It will likely include a longer ride this year for those who wanted more, and a shorter, more negotiable ride for younger children. Thank you, Mayor Sierer, for your enthusiasm and support.

Newark Mayor Polly Sierer leads Newark’s Halloween Parade on a bike. Photo Credit: Josh Shannon, Newark Post

Newark Bike Plan

Back in February of last year, the Newark Bike Plan that the NBC had worked on for a long time was formalized and adopted by Newark City Council. The Newark Bike Plan legitimized a lot of best-practice information at the city level and began a process of our committee continually prioritizing the list of recommendations therein and working with the city to implement them. Big thanks go to WILMAPCO principal planner and NBC member Heather Dunigan, who was instrumental in drafting this document, which will help guide the city well into the future.

Two-way separated bike lane on Delaware Avenue

Rendering of a proposed two-way cycle track on Delaware Avenue in downtown Newark. A feasibility report was recently completed by engineering and planning firm Johnson, Mirmiran & Thompson, a crucial step for this project, which would be the first protected bike lane in Delaware.

In June of 2014, our committee decided to “go big” and recommend that the city begin solving a major transportation infrastructure problem for cyclists right in the heart of downtown—the lack of a good east-west route through the city. Though city-implemented sharrows on East Main Street have helped improve conditions for east-west bike travel, biking on Main Street is still a pretty intimidating experience for most, with all the parked vehicles on both sides of this two-lane westbound street. Data have shown that up to 30% of those University of Delaware students who bicycle on Delaware Avenue are going against traffic (“salmoning”) on this busy two-lane, eastbound street, rather than using Main Street.

The NBC worked with Mayor Sierer and City Manager Carol Houck to draft a letter on behalf of the city to DelDOT, requesting it partner with the city to create a two-way separated bike lane (a.k.a. “cycletrack”) along Delaware Avenue. (Delaware Avenue in Newark is owned and operated by DelDOT.) The concept was also highlighted at the May 2015 Walkable Bikeable Delaware Summit in Dover. DelDOT agreed to help, and the city selected engineering firm Johnson, Mirmiran & Thompson to perform a feasibility study on the corridor and issue a report.

Special thanks go to University of Delaware graduate student and NBC member Kirsten Jones for producing a wonderful biker’s-eye video of travel in both directions along the length of Delaware Avenue. This video has been instrumental in progress made to date. Earlier this month, JMT issued its final report to the city, and things continue to move forward toward a DelDOT project stage. Earlier, Newark and DelDOT conducted a bike lane “experiment”. Here is a slideshow with some cool photos and comments from participants:

Cleveland Avenue corridor

This fall, the NBC has begun to coordinate with the city to address the Cleveland Avenue corridor, with a special emphasis on the Pomeroy Trail crossing of Cleveland. This is in the Newark Bike Plan as an “area of concern” and on DelDOT’s list for pave/rehab projects in the not-too-distant future. Thanks to Newark resident and new NBC member Susan Grasso for stepping right in to take a leadership role in this effort.

Community BikeShare

The University of Delaware is moving forward with a BikeShare project, which initially would include at least 75 “smart”-configured bicycles. The University and the NBC would like this to become a community-wide BikeShare and will be working with sponsors and the City of Newark to try to make this happen. UD Parking Services staffer and NBC member Banlusak Phommachanh has put countless hours into researching and guiding this project for the University, and we are grateful for his work and hope to see it come to fruition this spring.

Community interaction

In response to suggestions we’ve had from the public about the difficulty of attending its afternoon monthly meetings, NBC is making plans to partner with the Newark Bike Project, White Clay Bicycle Club, Trail Spinners and Bike Delaware to coordinate Bicycle Community Meetings once every other month on a weekday evening at the Project’s South Main Street shop. The format would include a guest speaker, brief reports by each of the partner groups, and a time for community discussion in and around bicycling in Newark. Thanks in advance to these groups for helping bring the bicycling community together, and thanks to Heather Dunigan for helping to organize it.

Education-related opportunities

The NBC continues to help coordinate two bicycle safety checkpoints per semester on the University of Delaware campus, partnering with DelDOT, UD, and the Newark Bike Project. This fall about 60 people were served between the initial two events, including a few commuters (i.e., non-students). Dozens of bike lights were installed, and several helmets were given away. Thanks for DelDOT’s willingness to carry much of the load for these events and for furnishing the safety gear. Thanks as well to the great mechanics at the Newark Bike Project for volunteering their time at these events each semester.

The committee is seeking opportunities to provide direction to bicycle commuters in terms of encouragement, tips, and safety, including partnering with the White Clay Bicycle Club (which offers training) and will be publishing a simple brochure as a local guide. Thanks to UD Employee Wellness staffer Linda Smith for helping with the content on what we hope will be a widely distributed info piece.

A final word

I hope the things that are being done to help improve bicycling in Newark, which is the NBC’s mission, will result in more bicyclists enjoying better experiences on the roads more often in this wonderful city. I recognize that our committee—made up of partner liaisons, engaged residents, and local volunteers—can only be successful as it works with other groups in a cooperative environment. Bike Delaware’s James Wilson recently touted this energetic time as the “golden age of the Newark Bicycle Committee.” I can only add that without James’s advocacy, both locally and at the state level, we wouldn’t be nearly as far along as we are today. There’s always more work to be done, of course, but though “golden” may be hyperbole, we can definitely see “silver” in the road ahead for the City of Newark.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday, and get out and ride a bike!