Students ride their bikes into Reily Brown Elementary School

Dover — Biking to school helps kids stay physically active while lowering air pollution. That’s the message behind “National Bike To School Day,” which is being co-sponsored by the Delaware Department of Transportation on Thursday, May 16.

“If enough kids bike to school on a regular basis, we’ll help lower automobile emissions for the entire community. If enough kids do it, our environment will be better,” said DelDOT Safe Routes to School Coordinator Sarah Coakley.

Coakley notes that National Bike To School Day is part of Bike Month, which encourages people to ride their bikes and leave their cars at home. One of the many schools participating in National Bike To School Day is W. Reily Brown Elementary School in Dover which will have groups of student bicyclists riding in to school from rendezvous points along Nathaniel Mitchell Road in Rodney Village, and from Kesselring Avenue in Mayfair. Dover Police will provide an escort to help ensure a safe ride to school.

“Safety has always been a concern for parents. Whenever there is a group of kids biking to school, we recommend that at least one adult bicycles in with them,” said Coakley.

Coakley says bicycling to school not only keeps kids physically active, but keeps them mentally sharp.

“There have been several recent studies linking physical activity to better academic performance. Kids who stay active also perform better academically,” Coakley said.

Wilmington — While flowers and green grass is bursting all around us, your wallet will also be full of green if you take public transportation. Even with gas prices dropping in the month of April, individuals who ride public transportation instead of driving in the Philly and northern Delaware areas can save, on average, more than $967 this month, and $11,600 annually, according to the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) April Transit Savings Report. These savings are based on the cost of commuting by public transportation compared to the cost of owning and driving a vehicle which includes the April 24, 2013 average national gas price ($3.51 per gallon- reported by AAA) and the national unreserved monthly parking rate.

APTA releases this monthly Transit Savings Report to examine how an individual in a two-person household can save money by taking public transportation and living with one less car.

The national average for a monthly unreserved parking space in a downtown business district is $166.26, according to the 2012 Colliers International Parking Rate Study. Over the course of a year, parking costs for a vehicle can amount to an average of $1,995. In determining the cost of parking, APTA uses the data from the 2012 Colliers International Parking Rate Study for monthly unreserved parking rates for the United States.

To calculate your individual savings, with or without car ownership, go to www.publictransportation.org.

The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) is a nonprofit international association of 1,500 public and private sector organizations, engaged in the areas of bus, paratransit, light rail, commuter rail, subways, waterborne services, and intercity and high-speed passenger rail. This includes: transit systems; planning, design, construction, and finance firms; product and service providers; academic institutions; transit associations and state departments of transportation. APTA is the only association in North America that represents all modes of public transportation. APTA members serve the public interest by providing safe, efficient and economical transit services and products. More than 90 percent of the people using public transportation in the United States and Canada ride APTA member systems.

Dover – The Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) is ‘pedaling’ Bicycle Month in May. During the month, DelDOT will sponsor a variety of events to raise public awareness about bicycling as an inexpensive and environmentally sensitive alternative to driving.

“Studies show that most motorists take trips that are three miles or less. For these people, bicycling is maybe a viable means of transportation for some of these trips. It’s more affordable and greener than driving a vehicle. There are health benefits and environmental benefits for bicyclists,” said DelDOT Senior Planner Anthony Aglio.

According to Aglio, the State Legislator’s Ride along with Walkable Bikeable Delaware Summit will kick off Bicycle Month. On May 1, state legislators will ride their bicycles in the annual Legislative Bike Ride to Legislative Mall. Bikers will pedal 60 miles from Newark, 30 miles from Middletown, 24 miles from Milford, and 37 miles from Milton, to the finish line in Dover. Cyclists can register for the ride at www.bike.deldot.gov. 

May 8 will feature “Bike to School Day,” in which local school children will be encouraged to bike their way to school and then back home. DelDOT also supports those communities like Wilmington, Lewes, Dover and Newark which are conducting Bike to Work Days.

These events are designed not only to encourage people to bike, but also to promote safer roadways. Both bicyclists and motorists are asked to be more aware of each other and “see it both ways” while sharing the streets. DelDOT is also promoting better safety by installing new bicycle lanes on many roads, adding bicycle racks and lockers at Park & Ride facilities, and installing bike racks on fixed route buses. In Fiscal Year 2012, DelDOT invested $10 million for pathways and trails throughout the state.

Last year, Delaware leapt eight places in the League of American Bicyclists ranking of “bicycle friendly” states. Delaware was also the only state that the League chose to profile in its recent “Bicycle Friendly America” publication.

Do you bike to work regularly? Or occasionally? Or have you thought about it but just never figured out how to manage the logistics? Save the date, Friday, May 17, and join others biking to work in Wilmington, and thousands across the country who will be biking to work that day.

There will be two receptions:

1)   From 8:00-9:30 at the H.B. DuPont Plaza (between Delaware Avenue, 11^th Street and West Street; and

2)   Starting at 5:00 pm at the Monkey Hill Time Trials (the first event of the Wilmington Grand Prix bike races).

You can ride on your own, or join a group starting at 7:30 am from one of three different locations.  All three will end at the morning reception location.

See the Wilmington Bike to Work flier for more information.

Delaware Transit Corporation will conduct Public Hearing Workshops to obtain comments on proposed changes to DART First State Fixed Route Bus Service. Sussex County, Resort Transit and Route 305 – Beach Connection will become effective the week of May 20, 2013; New Castle and Kent Counties will become effective June 16 and June 17, 2013, respectively. The workshops are being held:
 

Thursday, March 28, 2013 – 11:30 AM to 1 PM
Rehoboth Beach Convention Center – Conference Suite
229 Rehoboth Avenue, Rehoboth Beach 19971

Monday, April 1, 2013 – 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM
Carvel State Office Building, 2nd Floor Auditorium
820 N. French Street, Wilmington 19801

Tuesday, April 2, 2013 – 3 PM to 5 PM
DelDOT Administrative Building, Farmington/Felton Room
800 Bay Road (US 113), Dover 19903

The proposal calls for (by County):

New Castle County (to become effective Sunday, June 16):

• Minor time adjustments
• Route 17 – Saturday service would be improved to operate every 60 minutes instead of every 90 minutes from 9 AM to 7:30 PM.
• Route 32 – Wilmington Trolley – Saturday service would be discontinued due to low ridership. Those resources would be reallocated to increasing frequencies on Route 17 Saturday service to every 60 minutes (see bullet above).
• Routes 62 & 63 – Existing services would be replaced with a new on-demand route that circulates in the Churchmans Crossing area. The route would serve area bus stops and also offer curbside service to customers who call at least one hour in advance. This pilot (experimental service) is contingent upon negotiations with area businesses, communities and a successful response from a contractor for a potential implementation date in July 2013.

Kent County (to become effective Monday, June 17):

• Route 107 – route path would be realigned to serve Luther Village, as well as DART Administration Office and DelDOT campus. As a result, service would operate every 60 minutes instead of every 30 minutes. Saturday trip will not serve DART Administration Office, DelDOT campus or Blue Hen Corporate Center.

Resort Service:

• Routes 201-208 operate seven days a week from Thursday, May 23 through September 15, 2013.
• Parking fee at Rehoboth Park & Ride would change from $7 per vehicle to $8 per vehicle, instituting a limit of 4 passengers per vehicle receiving a free Daily Pass. The Discounted Employee Parking would change from $3 to $4 per vehicle.
• Route 206 Weekend/Holiday – The 7:00am trip arriving at the Georgetown Transit Hub would be changed to arrive at 6:50am. The 5:30pm trip arriving at the Georgetown Transit Hub would be changed to arrive at 5:26pm. The 8:15am trip will leave Georgetown Transit Center at 8:00am to improve connections in Rehoboth. The 6:45pm trip will leave Market St at Railroad Avenue at 6:35pm to improve timing.

Route 305 – Beach Connection:

• Route 305 operates between Wilmington and Rehoboth with one trip on Fridays; 3 trips on Saturdays; and 2 trips on Sundays and Holidays from May 24 to September 2. The first trip leaving Rehoboth Sundays and Holidays will leave at 11:02am to better connect to the Route 208.

The proposal is available for public review at most libraries, state service centers and at the reception desks of DART First State offices and the DelDOT Administration Building in Dover, and online at www.DartFirstState.com.
At the hearing, a hearing reporter will officially transcribe comments intended for the record by the public. People unable to attend may send their comments to:
DART First State Public Hearing
P.O. Box 1670
Wilmington, DE 19899-1670
Comments can also be e-mailed through DART’s website at www.DartFirstState.com/publichearing. All comments, written and e-mailed, must be received by April 3, 2013.
Persons having hearing disabilities who need interpreters should contact the Delaware Transit Corporation in writing by March 22, 2013, at the address previously provided for public hearing comments.
The Delaware Transit Corporation has the legal authority in Delaware for initiating public transit service changes as defined in Title 2 Chapter 13 section 1309 of the Delaware Code.

Washington, DC — For Immediate Release
February 12, 2013

Riding public transportation in the Philly area saves individuals $11,768 a year
Washington, D.C. For those dealing with the 30 cent increase in gas prices from last month, taking public transportation instead of driving can be your Silver Linings Playbook. According to the February Transit Savings Report of the American Public Transportation Association(APTA), Philly area individuals who ride public transportation instead of driving can save, on average, more than $981 this month, and $11,768 annually.

These savings are based on the cost of commuting by public transportation compared to the cost of owning and driving a vehicle which includes the February 12, 2013 average national gas price ($3.60 per gallon-reported by AAA) and the national unreserved monthly parking rate.

The quickest way to avoid rising gas prices is to include commuting by public transit into your daily routine, said APTA President and CEO Michael Melaniphy. Riding public transportation translates to large savings to the family budget.

APTA releases this monthly Transit Savings Report to examine how an individual in a two-person household can save money by taking public transportation and living with one less car.

From the New York Post -

Pretax Transit Benefits Raised for 2013

Christmas Eve – Monday, December 24, 2012 - DART statewide services, both fixed route and paratransit, will operate regular service.  SEPTA Wilmington/Newark Line train will also operate regular service.

Christmas Day – Tuesday, December 25, 2012 - DART statewide services, both fixed route and paratransit, will not operate.  SEPTA Wilmington/Newark Line train service will operate a modified special Christmas Day schedule.  Check www.septa.org for specific times.

New Year’s Eve – Monday, December 31, 2012 – DART statewide services, both fixed route and paratransit, will operate regular service.  SEPTA Wilmington/Newark Line train service will also operate regular service, with an additional train leaving Philadelphia (Market East Station) after New Year’s Eve celebrations at 1:35 AM., arriving Claymont at 2:21 AM and Wilmington at 2:29 AM.

New Year’s Day – Tuesday, January 1, 2013 – DART statewide services, both fixed route and paratransit, will not operate.  SEPTA Wilmington/Newark Line train service will operate a Sunday schedule.  Check www.septa.org for specific times.

The Delaware Transit Corporation, a subsidiary of the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT), operates DART First State.  For information on fixed route bus services statewide, please call

1-800-652-DART or visit www.DartFirstState.com.