AUGUST 2005

Delaware Transportation Dilemma

The good news is that Congress finally passed a transportation bill and Delaware gets more money.  The bad news is that Delaware doesn't have enough money to match the federal funds.

On August 10th, President Bush signed the $286.4 billion SAFETEA-LU (the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A legacy for Users) which provides Delaware with $965 million in highway funds over the next 6 years, a 30% increase over current levels.  According to the Wilmington Area Planning Council (WILMAPCO), of that allocation, $40.7 million is for interstate maintenance, $21 million for highway safety, and $5 million for the new ASafe Routes to Schools@ program, designed to help children walk safely to school.  In addition, the bill provides Delaware with $70 million in transit funds, a 50% increase over current funding levels.

SAFETEA-LU contains earmarks for Delaware-specific projects requested by Delaware's Delegation, Senators Joe Biden and Tom Carper and Representative Mike Castle:

• $51.2 million to replace the Indian River Inlet Bridge
• $24.4 million for the I-95/SR 1 intersection operation and capacity improvements, the I-95 toll plaza, and I-95 fifth lane
• $11 million for replacement of 68 transit coaches used in fixed-route transit service in New Castle County with state-of-the-art and environmentally-friendly buses
• $3 million toward implementing a statewide Integrated Transportation Management System (DelTrac) along 250 miles of Delaware roadways to allow real-time management
• $5 million to relocate the existing Newark train station, add a third track west of Wilmington,  construct a new pedestrian overpass, and purchase four commuter rail cars with $14 million more to come in future spending legislation
• $4 million to provide a commuter rail connection from Newark to Middletown and a connection at the Newark station to Amtrak and SEPTA regional rail service with $20.9 million more to come in future spending legislation
• $6.76 million toward UD's fuel-cell hybrid bus program in a vehicle built by DaimlerChrysler

In addition, SAFETEA-LU includes projects added by Senator Carper in the final joint markup:

• $20 million to construct a new interchange from I-95 and improve local street and pedestrian access to the Wilmington Riverfront
• $6.5 million for Wilmington Train Station restoration
• $4.77 million for a new pedestrian/bicycle trail along an abandoned rail line in Newark 
• $1 million to improve pedestrian and bicycle access at the University of Delaware
• $1.5 million to replace railroad crossings in Wilmington and Marshalton
• $18 million for Kent County projects
• $11.85 million for Sussex County projects

That's the good news.  The bad news is that Delaware doesn't have enough money in its Transportation Trust Fund (TTF) to provide the required state match to use the federal funds because the General Assembly, over the years, has raided the TTF and refused to provide essential increase in its funding.  In June, WILMAPCO approved its Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), which included funding for all of the projects DelDOT proposed with its limited funding.  On June 30th, in epilogue language in the Bond Bill, the Joint Bond Bill/Capital Infrastructure Committee transferred transportation dollars from multiple projects that had gone through the DelDOT and WILMAPCO processes and were slated for construction (or completion of construction) to one big one: the I-95 improvements, which include the new I-95/Route 1 interchange, the I-95 /EZ Pass lanes and  toll booth expansion, and the fifth lanes on I-95 from Route 1 to the split.

While there is no question that the I-95/Route 1 intersection is the most congested in the State and that the delay at the I-95 tolls gives Delaware a black eye with all I-95 travelers through our State, the impact on economic development and quality of life for Delawareans by the suspension of previously-funded projects, because of the failure to adequately fund the TTF, is significant.

The WILMAPCO Council is now scheduled to amend its TIP to conform to the Bond Bill epilogue.  To comply with the Bond Bill epilogue language, DelDOT has proposed amendments to the TIP which would eliminate funding for 2006-2008 for multiple projects, including the following in New Castle County: 

• I-95/US 202 Interchange
• Blue Ball Properties, SR 141 and US 202 Area Improvements
• I-95/Carr Road/Marsh Road Interchange
• Tyler McConnell Bridge (SR 141 from Montchannin Road to Alapocas Road)
• US 40, Maryland State Line to US 13, Corridor Improvements
• S Walnut Street and S Market Street Bridges
• US 13 Tybouts Corner to US 40
• Churchman's Crossing Corridor Improvements
• Newtowne Road, SR 896, South College Avenue to SR 72, S Chapel Street
• I-295 Improvements
• Rail Improvements, Newark to Wilmington
• Milltown Road Drainage Improvements
• S Union Street
• Wilmington Traffic Calming
• SR2 Kirkwood Highway and Red Mill Road Intersection
• SR 4, Christina Parkway from SR 2, Elkton Road to SR 896 and S College Avenue, Newark
• SR 7, Bear-Christiana Road and US 40 Area Improvements
• SR 7, Limestone Road N of SR 72, Paper Mill Road to PA Line Dualization
• SR 72 Possum Park Road from Possum Hollow Road to Old Possum Park Road
• SR 896, Summit Bridge Road at Howell School Road and Denny's Road
• SR 1 Paving and Rehabilitation, Tybouts Corner to SR 273
• New Castle County Transit Vehicle Expansion
• Middletown to Newark Passenger Rail
• Grubb Road Pedestrian Improvements, Faulk Road to Naaman's Road
• McCoy Road, Kirkwood St. Georges Road
• New Castle City improvements
  

Projects in the DelDOT process and needed or wanted by the community which remain unfunded include:

• US 13 Claymont Renaissance Plan
• US 13 Odessa Transportation Plan
• Mill Creek Road and McKennan's Church Road Intersection
• Reybold Road, SR 72, Sunset Lake Road to Salem Church Road

Beverley Baxter