§ 2-604.(c) Duties of Director. -- To carry out the purposes of this subtitle, the Director shall: (3) Initiate a program of systematic identification of and planning for projects related to bicycle and pedestrian transportation that qualify for funds under Federal Highway Administration guidelines;

In September of 2010, Bike Delaware began a campaign to increase state funding for walking and bicycling. Nine months later in June of 2011, the Delaware General Assembly voted $5 million in new dedicated funding for bicycling in Delaware for FY2012, more money than the state has ever allocated before.

To paraphrase Delaware's former senior Senator, "this is a big deal!"

We at Bike Delaware owe an enormous debt of gratitude to our coalition allies, including Delaware Greenways, the Delaware Bicycle Council and, especially, Nemours Health and Prevention Services; and to the co-sponsors of "Walkable, Bikeable Delaware", especially its prime sponsors Senator Catherine Cloutier, Representative Deborah Hudson and Representative David Wilson.

We'd also like to salute the two truly indispensable individuals whose visionary leadership made this revolution for bicycling happen: Robert Venables and Jack Markell. Senator Venables is the author of "Walkable, Bikeable Delaware" and secured its unanimous passage in the General Assembly in May. And Governor Markell - the only governor to ever speak at a National Bike Summit - seized the opportunity that Senator Venables and the General Assembly offered. In other words, Bob Venables loaded the bases. And Jack Markell hit a grand slam.

June 23, 2011 - Governor Markell endorses "Walkable, Bikeable Delaware"

One of the reasons that Friday's vote is a big deal is that these state funds can be used to leverage federal matching funds at a ratio of 4:1 [In Maryland the made up rule is a ratio of 1:1.5 , "to help the money go farther." Complete opposite of the assertion in this article.]. If we are able to leverage the entire $5 million (a big if, but we are going to try), this would mean not $5 million, but $25 million for bicycling in Delaware. [Meanwhile back in Maryland we have $31 million in unspent federal money that should have been spent on bike/ped projects but the money is just not going out the door year after year with no reasonable explanation given.]

We are enormously proud of our state, impressed by its visionary leadership and optimistic about Delaware's future. We can't wait to see what happens next.

Sincerely,

James Wilson, Executive Director

The crossover mirror, on the right, allows truck and school bus drivers to see in front of their hood. They will be required on large trucks driving on New York City streets starting next January. Photo: Moblog.

Bike Delaware has scored a major victory. On Friday, the Delaware General Assembly voted to dedicate $5 million in new funding for bicycling in Delaware.  That’s “more money than the state has ever allocated before,” according to Bike Delaware’s announcement.

Bike Delaware launched their campaign to increase state funding for walking and bicycling this winter. “We recognized the desperate need for direct and strategic funding for bikeway infrastructure and we thought we had a chance of success,” Executive Director James Wilson said, “And we weren’t afraid to fail.”

Bike Delaware worked with several groups, including Delaware Greenways, the Delaware Bicycle Council and, especially, Nemours Health and Prevention Services, to generate support for the new funding. The turning point came, Wilson said, when Senator Venables, a senior and influential state legislator, agreed to write and champion the legislation. Then Governor Jack Markell, a bicycling supporter who once spoke at the National Bike Summit, provided crucial support for the bill. “In other words, Bob Venables loaded the bases. And Jack Markell hit a grand slam,” Wilson wrote in an email to Bike Delaware members.

We are thrilled to see that Bike Delaware is now undertaking a campaign to ensure that the $5 million is used as a local match to leverage federal funds. Federal funds typically require a 20 percent match, which means the $5 million provided by the state could mean $25 million for bicycling in Delaware. We at the League and Alliance for Biking and Walking – the Advocacy Advance Team – are excited to support Wilson and Bike Delaware to make this happen. This is a prime example of a savvy state group working aggressively to increase bicycling and walking spending and leverage federal investments.