Tag: City of Newark

commuting, encouragement, events, news

2025 Bike to Work Day in Newark

photo of the group of Bike to Work Day attendees
A group of more than 50 registered their attendance at this year’s Bike to Work Day event.
photo of Kristen Cribb
BikeNewark member Kristen Cribb acts as our event emcee this year.

Despite threatening weather on May 16, BikeNewark partnered with the City of Newark, the University of Delaware (UD), DelDOT, Delaware Commute Solutions, and Newark Bike Project to celebrate national Bike to Work Day in Newark.

More than 50 people registered for and attended the hour-long, early-morning event, which has traditionally been held on the University of Delaware’s main campus. At Mentors’ Circle attendees enjoyed light breakfast items, free Bike Month t-shirts (courtesy of DelDOT and the Delaware Bicycle Council), commuting and local biking info, great networking, and brief speeches by local and state officials.

photo of Mayor Travis McDermott
Newly-elected Newark Mayor Travis McDermott shares about city progress at his first Bike to Work Day event.

BikeNewark member, Kristen Cribb, acted as the event’s emcee. Introduced first was UD’s Dean of the Graduate College and BikeNewark member Lou Rossi. Rossi is a fanatical bicycle commuter, thus well suited to have spoken at this event. Rossi welcomed everyone on behalf of the host institution.

Having been elected as Newark’s new city mayor less than six weeks earlier, Mayor Travis McDermott, spoke about the many ways the City of Newark has improved conditions for bicyclists over the past few years.

photo of Rep. Cyndie Romer
Delaware State Rep. Cyndie Romer gives a nice analysis of why we should promote bicycling.

Next at the podium was State Rep. Cyndie Romer, who represents a good chunk of the Newark area. She gave a wonderful advertisement for bicycling and, in particular, bicycling in Newark.

photo of Marcus Henry
Keynote speaker New Castle County Executive Marcus Henry address the event attendees.

The event’s keynote speaker was New Castle County Executive Marcus Henry, a UD alumnus who was elected in November to fill the vacancy left by now–Delaware Governor Matt Meyer. Henry talked about the importance of local and county cooperation, particularly with regard to projects that enhance multimodal transportation.

BikeNewark chair Bob McBride then announced and presented the annual Bicycle Friendly Community Leader Award. This year’s recipient was longtime Delaware State Senator Dave Sokola, who represents part of Newark and areas to the city’s northeast. Standing with Rep. Romer, Sokola was surprised to hear his name called to receive this award. No one else was, though, as he has been such an integral player in the advancement of all things related to bicycling within the Delaware legislature and locally here in Newark.

photo of Dave Sokola (with award certificate) and Bob McBride
A surprised Sen. Dave Sokola happily receives this year’s Bicycle Friendly Community Leader Award from BikeNewark chair Bob McBride for his many years of local support for bicycling.

BikeNewark’s Mark Deshon and Kristen Cribb then drew names of lucky attendees at random to win one of ten giveaways, with a combined value of $450. Gift sponsors included BikeNewark, Bike Delaware, University of Delaware, and Wooden Wheels.

Additional Event Photos

photo of DelDOT tent with Lou Rossi and Karl Hassler in foreground
UD-administration representative and BikeNewark member Lou Rossi and BikeNewark Treasurer Karl Hassler enjoy some refreshment in front of the DelDOT tent, manned by John Fiori and Paul Moser.
photo of Dave Sokola and James Wilson
Bike Delaware’s James Wilson (right) engages Sen. Dave Sokola in a transportation chat.
commuting, encouragement, events, news

2024 Bike to Work Day in Newark

photo of attendees with event banner
photo of Michael Smith
BikeNewark Secretary Michael Smith ably emcees the event.

On May 17, BikeNewark partnered with the City of Newark, the University of Delaware (UD), DelDOT, and Delaware Commute Solutions to celebrate national Bike to Work Day in Newark.

About 75 people attended the hour-long, early-morning event, which has traditionally been held on the University of Delaware’s main campus. At Mentors’ Circle attendees enjoyed light breakfast items, free Bike Month t-shirts (courtesy of DelDOT and the Delaware Bicycle Council), free UD Police t-shirts, commuting and local biking info, great networking, and brief speeches by local and state officials.

photo of Matt Robinson
UD’s Director of Community Engagement Matt Robinson welcomes attendees to campus.

BikeNewark’s Secretary, Michael Smith, acted as the event’s emcee. Introduced first was Matt Robinson, UD’s Director of Community Engagement. Robinson welcomed everyone on behalf of the host institution and spoke of how important University–community partnerships are to the overall success of the city.

photo of Cori Ford
City Councilwoman Corinth Ford talks about her biking experience in Newark.

Newark City Councilwoman and bicycle advocate Corinth Ford spoke about her long history of bicycling in Newark and how much conditions have improved overall for bicyclists.

photo of Paul Baumbach
State Rep. Paul Baumbach begins his remarks with a story of his growing up in a bicycle-centric family.
photo of Dave Sokola
State Sen. Dave Sokola, who is a serious cyclist in his own right, follows Baumbach as a co-keynote speaker.

The event’s co-keynote speakers were local state legislators Rep. Paul Baumbach and Sen. Dave Sokola. Baumbach shared a story of how bicycling has been a key influence in his life. Sokola spoke about how important it has been for the city, county, BikeNewark, Bike Delaware, WILMAPCO, and DelDOT to work together to help plan and fund the improvements we’ve witnessed recently in Newark as well as in projects going forward.

City of Newark Mayor Jerry Clifton then joined City Manager Tom Coleman and BikeNewark chair Bob McBride to announce and present the annual Bicycle Friendly Community Leader Award. This year’s recipient was City staff member Joe Spadafino, the retiring city Director of Parks & Recreation.

photo of award winner Joe Spadafino and presenters
2024 Bicycle Friendly Community Leader Award recipient Joe Spadafino shows off the framed award certificate, flanked by BikeNewark’s Bob McBride, City Manager Tom Coleman, and Mayor Jerry Clifton.

Spadafino was chosen because, as head of the city’s Parks & Recreation department, he has been very influential in working with BikeNewark to develop and promote bicycling routes and trails throughout the city’s many parks and greenspaces, including guiding the Emerson Bridge project and the in-progress project that will connect the bridge to the Pomeroy Trail (Newark’s North Bikeway) with two separate trails. He continued the wonderful legacy of our city’s Parks & Rec directors, following James F. Hall and Charlie Emerson.

Bloom Energy and W. L. Gore & Associates were each represented by several employees who biked in for the event.

BikeNewark’s Mark Deshon and Michael Smith then drew names of attendees at random to win one of nine giveaways, with a combined value of $400. Gift sponsors included BikeNewark, Bike Delaware, University of Delaware, Trek, Wooden Wheels, Deer Park Tavern, and Klondike Kate’s.

To conclude the proceedings, attendees gathered at the south steps of Hullihen Hall to pose for a group photo.

group photo of Bike to Work Day attendees
A group of nearly 70 attendees gather for an event-concluding photo. See you next year!

Special thanks go to UD’s Kathy Atkinson for photographically covering the event (including all the photos shown here).

Additional Event Photos

photo of attendees registering their attendance
Attendees sign in at the BikeNewark registration table, assisted by Karen Rosenberg and Christine Schultz.
photo of attendees at a vendor table
Attendees stop by the food and vendor tables as they arrive.
photo of Jerry Clifton and Christine Schultz
BikeNewark’s Christine Schultz listens to Newark Mayor Jerry Clifton.
photo of Kevin Monahan and daughter with bike
BikeNewark Vice Chair Kevin Monahan and his youngest daughter show off their custom ride.
photo of Bob McBride
During the event, BikeNewark Chair Bob McBride shares some of what BikeNewark is working on in the community this year.
communication, kudos, news

Newark shines with silver!

The City of Newark is now a League of American Bicyclists (LAB)–recognized silver-level Bicycle Friendly Community (BFC). It is the only municipality among the three BFCs in Delaware to have achieved this level and one of only 116 communities in the nation to hold this honor. A bronze-level BFC since 2010, Newark was one of only four communities that advanced from bronze to silver status during the past year. Currently, there are only 41 communities nationwide that boast a higher BFC status than Newark.

BikeNewark is proud to announce that Newark is now a silver-level Bicycle Friendly Community!

As part of its commitment to be a great place to live and thrive, the City of Newark (with help from BikeNewark, the Wilmington Area Planning Council, DelDOT, and the Newark Police) re-applied this past winter for LAB’s prestigious award, hoping that enough progress had been made over the past four years to secure a long-awaited promotion to silver status.

> City of Newark press release

City manager Tom Coleman said of the award, “I am proud that the League of American Bicyclists recognized Newark’s commitment to improving cycling and making it accessible and enjoyable for everyone, regardless of their skill level or experience. This achievement reflects years of consistent focus to enhance cycling infrastructure from our residents, advocates like BikeNewark and Bike Delaware, DelDOT, and City staff, with a goal to create a community that is healthier and less dependent on cars for our day-to-day needs.”

It has long been a goal of BikeNewark to have a best-in-class transportation system that serves everyone who lives in, works in, or visits our community, and that includes building a community more accessible by bike. Today, we’re especially proud that Newark has been duly recognized for its achievements over the past few years.

graphic showing number of Bicycle Friendly Communities by rank

“When we build an America where bicycling is truly safer and easier for everyone,” notes Bill Nesper, executive director of the LAB, “we are strengthening our nation’s economic vibrance, environmental welfare, and mental and physical well-being. That’s why we’re proud to celebrate all of the new and renewing Bicycle Friendly Communities in our movement to build a Bicycle Friendly America for everyone.” 

Nesper continues, “This round of awards is a testament to the community leaders and local bike advocates who are joining the League in raising the standard of what it means to be a Bicycle Friendly Community.”

People across our community are biking more than ever—for commuting, for trips to the store or other errands, and for recreation. The silver-level BFC award recognizes both BikeNewark’s and the City’s commitment to improving conditions for all people who bike—through investments in bike education programs, bike events that promote and encourage people to choose biking, pro-bike policies, and bike infrastructure.

BikeNewark chair Bob McBride stated, “We are pleased to celebrate this award and our achievements toward building a better community with our seven partner organizations, and we thank them for helping us advocate for the progress that has taken our community to this level.”

logos of City of Newark, UD, Newark Bike Project, DelDOT, Delaware Greenways, WILMAPCO, and Bike Delaware

James Wilson, executive director of Bike Delaware (one of BikeNewark’s partner organizations), said of the award, “There was a huge amount of work by BikeNewark behind this recognition that a lot of folks either will not remember or never knew about in the first place, but we [at Bike Delaware] remember all of that.”

McBride added, “I believe that the recent completion of the one-of-a-kind-in-Delaware, two-way protected bikeway on Delaware Avenue, envisioned nearly nine years ago, contributed greatly to this silver-level recognition. It is a key piece of the Newark Bikeways low-stress network that BikeNewark has been working with the City to develop and which we hope will be fully functional within a couple years.”

> Newark Post article

Learn more about LAB’s Bicycle Friendly Community program at bikeleague.org/community.

encouragement, engineering, infrastructure, news, projects, safety

Safe Routes to School project takes shape

aerial photo of Casho Mill Road in front of Downes School
photo submitted to and published by Newark Post

photo of beginning of bike lane buffer on Casho Mill Road
Beginning of actual buffered lane

Nearly four years after initial meetings about submitting a Safe Routes to School grant application for a project on Casho Mill Road, things are finally taking (physical) shape. Striping has been added recently, and more will be added until this initial phase of the project is complete.

The project area is between Church Road and Pickett Lane.

photo of pop-up demonstration protected bike lane
Buffered lane demonstration, 2017

For a Bike to School event at John R. Downes Elementary School back in 2017, BikeNewark worked with volunteers from the University of Delaware’s chapter of Engineers Without Borders, who created pop-up buffered bike lanes to demonstrate how a finished project might look along this busy suburban road on which the school is located.

photo of a Bike to School Week bike train
School children arriving by bike, 2017

City of Newark staff have repeatedly noted that motorized traffic continues to dash along Casho Mill Road above the posted 30mph speed limit. Public Works & Water Resources Director Tim Filasky, who is one of BikeNewark’s partner liaisons, says, “It just feels like a freeway. This will tighten it up and slow traffic.” Ultimately, the City would like to have the speed limit reduced to 25mph, as it is on sections of Casho Mill Road on either end (north and south) of the project area.

photo of motorist's view of buffered lanes on Casho Mill Road
Motorist’s view of buffered bike lanes along Casho Mill Road, showing only a slight reduction in vehicle lane width while providing ample buffer for cyclists

BikeNewark has been involved from the inception of the effort, in coordination with the City, the school, Downes parents, WILMAPCO, and DelDOT. The idea is to make bicycling safer (especially for school children and their parents) and encourage more students in this vast residential area to ride a bike to school, rather than be transported there by car.

When the project is completed near the end of 2020 [now expected fall of 2021], it will include a new crosswalk, a pedestrian-refuge island, curb ramps, traffic-calming islands, and radar-detected-speed signs.

BikeNewark’s planned West Bikeway (a segment of its Newark Bikeways low-stress network project) will intersect Casho Mill Road (and these SRTS amenities) at Lafayette Road and provide signed low-stress access to the school through the Oaklands and Nottingham Green residential neighborhoods.

> read related Newark Post article

encouragement, environment, infrastructure, news, projects, safety, transportation

Green is good, more green is better!

No, we’re not referring to the environment here, although bicyclists do contribute to lowering carbon emissions every time they ride. We’re talking visible surface paint.

Sharrows (shared-lane markings)

You may be already be familiar with the bicycle markings along Apple Road between South Main Street and West Park Place. Now we’re seeing greenbacked sharrows on East Main Street, and more green surface paint is on the way!

photo of newly applied greenbacked sharrowAs part of DelDOT’s nearly two-year-long major rehab of East Main Street, greenbacked sharrows have been applied to both lanes along this westbound route through downtown Newark. These are meant to communicate to motorists that they should expect bicyclists in either lane along the mile-long stretch of road. They are also meant to let bicyclists know that they can and should take the middle of either lane (heading west, of course). See explanatory safety video on sharrows.

Many thanks to the City of Newark and DelDOT (both of which are BikeNewark partners) for including this amenity.

What about safety?

Speed is limited to 25 mph on East Main Street, but very often, due to traffic volume and traffic signals, speeds slow to those much more in line with the speed of a typical bicyclist (anywhere between 10 and 20 mph). Plus, the rehab project included parklets, features new to East Main that will act as traffic-calming (i.e., -slowing) devices.

So, get out and bike on East Main Street. The more that bicyclists use this street, the safer—and more comfortable—it will be for all.

What’s next?

The next major DelDOT rehab project in downtown Newark promises to be somewhat unique in Delaware and will bring with it a lot more green surface paint! Delaware Avenue will be reconfigured to include a two-way separated (and signalized) bikeway from Orchard Road east to the Pomeroy Trail and one-way lanes in either direction from there to Library Avenue. This project will begin as soon as DelDOT’s Elkton Road project is completed.

> More on the Delaware Avenue project

photos by Heather Dunigan