Category: news

infrastructure, news, projects

Good day for two service projects

Friday, June 10, was a beautiful day for BikeNewark volunteers to engage in a couple bike-related service projects.

At John R. Downes Elementary School on Casho Mill Road, three BikeNewark volunteers joined those from partnering groups to assemble and install new bike racks.

photo of volunteers assembling bike racks
photo of volunteers anchoring bike racks

At a recent BikeNewark meeting, BikeNewark’s Helga Huntley, who is on the city’s Conservation Advisory Council (CAC), asked for suggestions for additional CAC funds. Heather Dunigan, who represents both the Wilmington Area Planning Council (WILMAPCO) and the Newark Bike Project, suggested using funds for bike racks for local schools.

photo of bike racks at north end of school

Huntley’s husband Dave, who works at the University of Delaware’s Center for Environmental Monitoring & Analysis, made arrangements with the school to receive the order and organize the work crew. The City’s Jayme Gravell and Jeff Martindale and BikeNewark‘s Bob McBride and Mark Deshon joined the Huntleys to assemble and install the new racks, two adjoining racks on the southeast corner, adjacent to the school gym, and two on the northeast corner of the school.

photo of new signage for Christina Valley Stream Trail
close-up of signpost at the Church Road trailhead

Another project that was being completed today involved installation of wayfinding signage along the Christina Valley Stream Trail, from its north trailhead at Church Road to Rittenhouse Park.

BikeNewark’s Dave Saunders had worked with the Wilmington Trail Club’s Gary Kirk and Delaware State Parks’ David Bartoo to design the signage for this natural surface, single-path bike-ped trail that runs follows the Christina River in Newark.

Months earlier, the posts had been set. Today, Saunders and Kirk were adding the new wayfinding signage sleeves, which completes the project.

photo of signage at junction of trail and Downes footbridge
signage at junction of trail and Downes School footbridge

Although this trail is unsuitable for road bikes, those with mountain bikes can access this trail where it intersects BikeNewark’s Southwest Bikeway on the south side of the bikeway’s bike-ped bridge over the Christina River.

encouragement, events, news

Bike to Work Day returns

After two years with no public celebration of Bike to Work Day in Newark, the event returned to the University of Delaware’s Mentors’ Circle on May 20, 2022. More than 50 participants enjoyed breakfast food and messages from local officials before continuing their bicycle commute to work.

title photo of group of attendees at Bike to Work Day 2022

BikeNewark partnered with the City of Newark, University of Delaware, DelDOT, and the Newark Bike Project to welcome bicycle commuters.

photo of County Executive Matt Meyer
County Executive Matt Meyer talks about progress made and big plans for the future.

BikeNewark’s Bob McBride acted as emcee for the proceedings, which included messages by local officials (City Manager Tom Coleman, Newark Mayor Stu Markham, New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer, state Sen. David Sokola, and state Rep. Paul Baumbach), the presentation of this year’s Community Leader Award, and a group photo.

Attendees enjoyed breakfast food, picked up free event T-shirts (courtesy of the Delaware Bicycle Council and DelDOT), and picked up information from event supporters (UD Employee Health & Wellbeing, DelDOT, Delaware Commute Solutions, and BikeNewark).

Bob McBride, BikeNewark chair, presents the 2022 Bicycle Friendly Community Leader Award to former mayor Polly Sierer.

Former Newark mayor Polly Sierer received the 2022 Bicycle Friendly Community Leader Award for her years of encouragement and support of bicycling in Newark. Her work as mayor and later contributions as a private citizen have led directly to the implementation of a signed Newark Bikeways low-stress network, five of a planned eight segments of which have been completed to date.

photo of Bob McBride, County Executive Matt Meyer, and Mayor Stu Markham
Bike Newark chair Bob McBride, County Executive Matt Meyer, and Newark Mayor Stu Markham present a message to encourage commuting by bicycle (click on photo).

After the closing group photo, McBride, Meyer, and Markham joined forces to present a social media message of encouragement.

Next year’s event will be held on Friday, May 19, and will be bigger and better than ever. BikeNewark is hoping that more local businesses and organizations will not only support this event but promote bicycle commuting to their employees as a more healthy, cost-saving, and planet-honoring, and fun method of getting to work.

photo of bicycles at Bike to Work Day event

Photos, courtesy of the University of Delaware, were taken by Kathy Atkinson.

commuting, infrastructure, news, projects, safety, transportation

Phase 2 signage completed

photo of signage at the corner of Amstel Ave. and South Main St.
Westbound on Amstel Ave. at South Main St.

Just before the new year, the City of Newark completed installation of wayfinding signage for the West Bikeway segment of the Newark Bikeways low-stress network.

photo of view in the railroad tunnel looking west
Westbound entry to Hillside Park from the railroad tunnel

This work came on the heels of the opening of the long-awaited Hillside Park, built on the former grounds of the University of Delaware’s Rodney residence halls complex.

photo of signage in Hillside Park looking toward Dallam Rd.
Westbound Hillside Park sign looking onto Dallam Rd.

As a result of this work, bicyclists can take a low-stress route from Orchard Road on the Central Loop westward to Casho Mill Road—down Amstel Ave., through the railroad tunnel, Hillside Park, and the Oaklands and Nottingham Green neighborhoods.

photo of signage at end of West Bikeway
Terminus of the West Bikeway at Casho Mill Rd.

On Casho Mill Road, just south of the end of the bikeway segment is John R. Downes Elementary School. This segment should be widely used by elementary school children who can bike to/from school through the neighborhoods it bisects. Buffered bike lanes on Casho Mill Road will help keep young bicyclists safe on the short ride to/from Lafayette Road.

photo of destination signage eastbound on Dallam Rd.
Destination signage eastbound on Dallam Rd.

Eastbound (i.e., toward the city center and Central Loop Bikeway), signage includes directional symbols or destination information.

graphic map of the West Bikeway
Map of the West Bikeway segment

Thanks goes to Delaware Greenways for its generous grant to BikeNewark, which partially funded our “phase 2” signage—for the North, Northwest, and West Bikeways segments—as well as to the White Clay Bicycle Club for its monetary support, and to the City of Newark for installing the signage.

communication, evaluation, news

Accomplishments in 2021

photo of beginning of bike lane buffer on Casho Mill Road

It’s been a relatively busy year for us, particularly in the advocacy department. Here’s a brief look at what we accomplished this year. As always, we would very much appreciate your support. Certainly, some of the things you’re seeing now in and around Newark would not have happened without our advocacy, and certainly not without the help of our partner organizations.

  • Surveyed candidates for the April City Council election as a public service.
photo of signs at the beginning of the Northwest Bikeway

  • Received a $2,500 Delaware Greenways’ Future Trails of Northern Delaware Coalition trail amenities grant, which defrayed a good portion of the cost of the aforementioned signs. With BikeNewark’s assistance, the City installed the signage on the North, Northwest, and West Bikeways.

  • Received $625 in funding from the White Clay Bicycle Club in May to be applied to the Newark Bikeways project.

  • Highlighted National Bike Month in May with an encouragement blitz, which included a photo contest, a weekly area-bike-ride suggestion via social media, and a “pop-up” in-person event with T-shirt giveaway.

  • Participated in a University of Delaware Police–organized safety event on campus in May by handing out bike safety–related information.

  • Partnered with Delaware State Parks and Wilmington Trail Club to plan, create, and install wayfinding signage for the Christina Valley Stream Trail.
map of ”Delaware Yield” and “Idaho Stop” states
  • Advocated successfully to the state legislature to support a bill to eliminate the sunset clause on the “Delaware Yield”–provision portion of the 2017 Bicycle Friendly Delaware Act.

  • Worked with City staff to help the City submit three project applications for Delaware Bicycle Council’s bicycling Innovative Infrastructure Grant.

  • Organized an ad hoc committee of University of Delaware staff and faculty to apply on behalf of the University to the League of American Bicyclists for “Bicycle Friendly University” status.

  • Coordinated with the East Coast Greenway Alliance’s area representative, City of Newark staff, and DelDOT personnel on signage plans for the Southwest Bikeway and subsequently ordered wayfinding signage through the City of Newark for this “phase 3” segment of the Newark Bikeways low-stress network.

  • Partnered with University of Delaware Police and DelDOT to hold a successful fall bike-safety event on campus, during which 20 sets of bike lights were installed and seven bike helmets given and fitted.

  • Successfully urged the City of Newark to eliminate on-street parking along a portion of Casho Mill Road that is part of a soon-to-be-completed Safe Routes to School project (see photo at top of page).

In addition, BikeNewark gained a net of four members this year. We have members who also participate in one or more of the following groups:

  • University of Delaware’s BikeShare Task Force
  • The Newark Partnership
  • City of Newark Transportation Improvement District Committee
  • City of Newark Conservation Advisory Committee
engineering, infrastructure, news, projects, safety, transportation

Contract awarded for Del. Ave. cycletrack project

On October 19, DelDOT officially awarded a $7.66 million contract for its Delaware Avenue rehab project, which will include 1) a two-way protected bike-lane configuration (a.k.a. cycletrack) on the north side of the road from Orchard Road to the Pomeroy Trail, 2) one-way separated bike lanes on both sides of the road from the Pomeroy Trail to Library Avenue, and 3) separate signals for bicyclists.

Finally.

It has been more than seven years since BikeNewark’s previous incarnation (the Newark Bicycle Committee), with encouragement from Bike Delaware’s James Wilson, had agreed during a monthly meeting to press for a cycletrack on Delaware Avenue (see artist’s conception of a potential amenity below).

2015 concept photo of possible configuration on Delaware Ave.

(Read the Sept. 2014 Bike Delaware article, written by BikeNewark’s Mark Deshon.)

In 2015, then–UD graduate student Kirsten Jones, who was a member of the then–Newark Bicycle Committee, created an informative ride-along video to illustrate the many reasons why a robust solution to increase safety for bicyclists along Delaware Avenue is needed.

A few of those reasons include…

…vehicles obstructing the current bike lane in preparation of making a right turn onto South College Avenue.

photo of cars moving into bike lane to turn onto South College Ave.

…dangers posed by contraflow (i.e., illegal westbound) cyclists in the eastbound-only bike lane.

photo of dangers of current contraflow (i.e., illegal) bicycling on Delaware Ave.

…cars parking in the bike lane in front of Newark High School, forcing cyclists to merge into vehicular traffic.

photo of cars parked in bike lanes in front of Newark High School

Of course, the DelDOT project is not expected to be completed before 2023, but the awarding of such a large contract is a sign that progress is indeed on the way!

If you are interested in supporting BikeNewark’s nonprofit advocacy efforts, please get involved at the level comfortable for you, become a member, and/or make a donation today.