Category: transportation

commuting, education, encouragement, enforcement, events, safety, transportation

Successful bike-safety events held

photo of Bob McBride helping fit a UD student with a new helmet
BikeNewark chair Bob McBride helps fit a UD student with a new DelDOT-donated helmet.

As has been done for nearly 10 years, BikeNewark worked with partner groups this fall to hold two bicycle-safety checkpoint events on the University of Delaware (UD) campus, adjacent to the two-way protected bicycle lane that comprises the northern east-west portion of the Central Loop of the Newark Bikeways low-stress network. This fall, two-hour events were held on September 23 and October 1, in partnership with the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT), the University of Delaware Police Department (UDPD), and Delaware Commute Solutions.

photo of Mark Deshon giving out some safety information
BikeNewark’s Mark Deshon discusses some safety-info handouts with a UD student.
photo of Chip Kneavel inflating a student's tire
DelDOT’s Chip Kneavel inflates a UD student’s tire on the brick patio area adjacent to Delaware Avenue.


The purpose of these twice-a-semester events is to help inform students about bicycle safety and local safe-bicycling routes, provide minor bike repairs or adjustments, and install free front and rear bike lights and offer a free helmet*, both courtesy of DelDOT.

photo of Amy Reardon talking with a student about Delaware Commute Solutions
Amy Reardon gives a student information about Delaware Commute Solutions benefits.

This fall was a record-breaking season for the free bike lights and helmets given by DelDOT. The October event smashed any previous event’s numbers, as 26 sets of bike lights were installed and 15 helmets were given to UD students. Combined with the initial event in September, this fall we distributed 45 sets of lights and 24 helmets, far beyond what we had ever done before.

photo of Dave Schultz and Mark Deshon installing bike lights
BikeNewark’s Dave Schultz and Mark Deshon install front and rear lights on a student’s bike.

It’s clear that there is always a real need and interest among UD students for the services we offer as a means of fulfilling a commitment to improve bicycle safety in Newark. BikeNewark thanks its volunteers as well as staff from DelDOT, UDPD, and Delaware Commute Solutions for helping make these events such a success.

photo of the BikeNewark tent and volunteer crew
Our BikeNewark tent was prominent on The Green at our September 23 bicycle-safety checkpoint.

*provided one promises to wear it

engineering, infrastructure, news, projects, transportation

Emerson Bridge and Pomeroy Trail connectors project

Following the 2022 completion of the Emerson (bike/ped) Bridge, the City is moving forward with plans to have DelDOT construct two off-road paved trails, one through Kershaw Park and the other through Olan Thomas Park, which will connect the bridge with the Pomeroy Trail.

aerial diagram of Northeast Bikeway Connector Trails project

The project began in January 2023 with a meeting of engineering representatives from Pennoni Associates, City staff, and members of BikeNewark to discuss design project issues and parameters.

Along with generous funding from New Castle County, project funding had been earmarked in the City’s 2023 budget. It is anticipated that this project will be completed in 2026.

This project has long been in BikeNewark’s plans for connecting the bridge to its North Bikeway and adding wayfinding signage north and east through Curtis Mill Park and along Old Paper Mill Road, thus completing the Northeast Bikeway segment of the Newark Bikeways low-stress network.

bicycling stories, commuting, events, transportation

How I celebrated National Bike Month: Bike to Work Day and The Commuter Challenge


by Jacquee Lukawski

photo of Jacquee Lukawski

National Bike to Work Day occurs annually on the third Friday in May. BikeNewark, and several of its partner organizations hosted Bike to Work Day in Newark on the morning of May 16. The event featured breakfast food, speakers representing local or state entities, random giveaways to registered attendees, and the Bicycle Friendly Community Leader Award, which was presented to Delaware State Senator Dave Sokola. I was fortunate enough to win free registration to the Amish Country Bike Tour in Dover, Del., for the second year in a row!

On Bike to Work Day, I do not ride my bicycle all the way from North Wilmington to Newark but combine biking with a SEPTA regional rail trip. Someday I hope that there will be sufficient infrastructure to enable me to ride my bike to work, but as of right now, it’s not safe to do so. To accomplish my multimodal commute, I use two bikes—one that I ride to the Claymont SEPTA Station and the other that I keep parked at the Newark Train Station. Both bikes are inexpensive and secured with u-locks. While I have taken my bike on the train before, I don’t find it to be a pleasant experience, so I try to avoid it. Maybe in the future I’ll sell a bike or two and buy a folding bike that would be much easier to transport via the train. 

photo of Jacquee Lukawski biking up Monkey Hill cobbletones
Jacquee Lukawski battling up Monkey Hill (photo by Joe Del Tufo, Moonloop Photography)

Each year for the past three years, I have also participated in the Commuter Challenge division of the Monkey Hill Time Trial, which is the event that kicks off the Wilmington Grand Prix, held each year on Bike to Work Day. This is a three-mile ride through Brandywine Park in Wilmington, ending on a steep climb up the cobblestones of Monkey Hill, adjacent to the Brandywine Zoo. The Commuter Challenge is a fundraising event for Urban Bike Project of Wilmington—the sister organization to Newark Bike Project (one of BikeNewark’s seven partner organizations). It features competitors dressed up in costumes and carrying extra weight on their bikes; it’s truly entertaining and a great time! 

This year, I got caught up in the cobbles and ended up running off the course midway up the hill. I was able to get started again and successfully made it up the hill with the crowd going wild for my outfit—a dress (which I made myself), high-heel wedge shoes, and a straw hat over my helmet. Most people could not believe that I would wear those shoes, and, indeed, most sane people would not do so, but it was my milestone after raising $500 for the cause. My feet are still recovering from blisters several days later, but the memories are worth it!

Editor’s note: Jacquee Lukawski is a University of Delaware Department of Civil, Construction & Environmental Engineering staff member and currently BikeNewark’s Secretary.

communication, environment, infrastructure, news, projects, transportation

City adds BikeNewark’s new information kiosks

photo of kiosk
One of four information kiosks to be installed in Newark parks along Newark Bikeways routes

Recently, the City installed three of four planned information kiosks, paid for through grants secured by BikeNewark, in city parks as a guide supplement to BikeNewark’s low-stress network wayfinding signage. Each kiosk contains our Bikeways map and a city Area Recreation Amenities resource map.

Partnering with the City of Newark Department of Parks & Recreation, BikeNewark produced the resource map (shown below), which highlights area parks, noting specific park amenities with an overlay of the Newark Bikeways low-stress network, as well as many off-road trails.

Area Recreation Amenities graphic

Kiosks have been installed in Phillips Park along the James F. Hall Trail (where the Southwest Bikeway meets the Central Loop), at the junction of the Hall and Pomeroy Trails (Central Loop), and in Olan Thomas Park along the Pomeroy Trail (North Bikeway). The fourth kiosks will be installed in Hillside Park (West Bikeway).

photo of kiosk position in Olan Thomas Park
One of the kiosk locations is Olan Thomas Park, along the Pomeroy Trail, part of the North Bikeway.

> Area Recreation Amenities map (PDF)
> Newark Bikeways map (PDF)

news, projects, transportation

Delaware Greenways announces FHWA grant for Bayshore Byway

Delaware Bayshore Byway sign

Delaware Greenways logoCongratulations to Delaware Greenways for its successful application, which resulted in the award of a National Scenic Byways Program grant from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) in the amount of $913,420 for the Delaware Bayshore Byway. Delaware Greenways and DelDOT are two of BikeNewark’s seven partner organizations.

A group of Delaware Greenways volunteers worked diligently with DelDOT to write the application that won the grant.

Delaware Greenways asserted that “[t]his project will improve, increase, and broaden the use of non-motorized travel and recreation options along the Delaware Bayshore Byway, a National Scenic Byway. The… combined Master Plan [will include] a Bicycle/Pedestrian Plan… that will augment the existing Corridor Management Plan.”

> Delaware Greenways article

Editor’s Note:

BikeNewark truly believes that partnerships are critical to “moving the needle” for bicycle-centric improvements here in Delaware. This is precisely why we describe BikeNewark as “a partnership of interested cyclists and organizations working to improve bicycling in Newark, Delaware.”

If you’d like to help out with our advocacy efforts by volunteering your time and talent, joining as a member, or making a donation, or if you simply want to opt onto one of our mailing lists, see BikeNewark.org/get-involved.