Please Make Some Calls To The Transportation/Land Use and Infrastructure Committee In Support Of The 'Traffic" Bill That DelDOT Wants To Kill!

PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD about the AGENDA for this Delaware State House committee hearing tomorrow and get people to make calls today - tonight, if possible, and attend the meeting on Wednesday. Call the committee members and Speaker Gilligan! The word is out that DelDOT doean't like this bill and that Deputy Attorney General Fritz Schrank-their lawyer, will be there to discount this bill.
WHAT: House Committee: Transportation/Land Use and Infrastructure WHO: Dems - William Carson, Jr. Chair Gerald Brady Vice Chair Edward S. Osienski Earl Jaques, Jr.; GOP - Gregory Lavelle Ruth Briggs King
WHERE: House Majority Hearing Room at 1PM
AGENDA
House Bill # 102
Primary Sponsor: Hudson Additional Sponsor(s): Sen. Blevins - CoSponsors: Reps. Outten, Ramone, Brady, Carson, Keeley, Mitchell
AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 17 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO REGULATION OF TRAFFIC.
SYNOPSIS This bill requires the Department of Transportation to require certain studies, nalyses, and publications for certain development or redevelopment.

HS 1 for HB 101
Sponsor: Hudson Additional Sponsor(s): Sens. Blevins - CoSponsors: Reps. Ramone, Brady, Carson, Keeley, Mitchell; Sen. Ennis
AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 17 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO AGREEMENTS THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION MAKES WITH LOCAL JURISDICTIONS FOR TRAFFIC STUDIES RELATED TO DEVELOPMENT.
Synopsis: Memorandums of Understanding (MOAs) exist between the Department of Transportation and local governments to guide their interaction on land use development.This bill requires the Department of Transportation and local jurisdictions to rework their MOUs which may be in conflict with the authority of the Department of Transportation as set forth in this Bill. It requires the Department to put a greater emphasis on safety factors. It allows the Department to use its discretion to broaden, if necessary, any traffic study that will be required in conjunction with an application. This should help diminish future road congestion throughout the State. The bill also requires the Department to analyze the future costs to the State of construction and maintenance in conjunction with the project for which the application is submitted. It provides additional specific data that the local jurisdiction should consider in making its decision. Subsection (c) also mandatesthat traffic studies will not be based on traffic counts obtained on days or in periods when schools are not in session except on roads that haveincreased traffic due to weekend and vacation trips. Subsection (b) requires a TIS for all new development and redevelopment that will increase the traffic load. If the Department believes a full TOA is needed, it shall be treated with the same effect as the TIS. Subsection (d) requires a study of a signalized intersection in each direction from a proposed project for which the traffic needs to be studied. Subsection (e) mandates a TOA for project that will mean 50,000 square feet of additional gross floor area, or a 10% increase in traffic at the nearest large intersection not at the project entrance. Subsection (f) requires a report on bridges that may be impacted by a site development or rezoning. Subsection (g) requires DelDOT to coordinate with local jurisdictions to insure the developer meets its agreedto terms recorded on the Record Plan. Subsection (h) makes clear that the Department of Transportation has the final authority over the roads and highways of this State. The public safety must be paramount, and federal law must be considered in the air quality standards that can cut off federal funds if exceeded. Backed up traffic is the single greatest contributor to bad air quality.

New Castle County Council Begins Redistricing

Delaforum: NCC Council Redistricting Maps Due By July 26th
[Click above for graph and Jim Park's story]

"The two largest County Council districts stand to lose fairly large chunks of turf when the 13-member legislative body is reapportioned this summer. They will be divided among the other 10 districts. The Council president is chosen at-large."

Dist. - Council member - Commission member
At Large: Thomas Kovach - David Tise
1. Joseph Reda - Kenneth Woods
2. Robert Weiner - Thomas Schrandt
3. Janet Kilpatrick - Joseph Amon
4. Penrose Hollins - Theodore Blunt
5. Lisa Diller - Michael Gritz
6. William Powers - Robert Workman
7. George Smiley - James Holladay
8. John Cartier - Terrance Wright
9. Timothy Sheldon - Stuart Swinger
10. Jea Street - Cynthia Turner
11. David Tackett - Jennifer Thompson
12. Bill Bell - Mark North

More from the article:
Southernmost districts, which together cover all the area south of U.S. Route 40, added a total of 13,718 residents since Council was expanded from seven to 13 members and the former Council districts were cut in half in 2003.

As a result, the sixth district deviates by +50.5% from the average population and the 12th district by +24.6%. State law permits up to a 15% deviation, plus or minus, but the state General Assembly is limiting itself to a 5% variance and it's believed county government is inclined to follow suit. If so, Council members would each represent between 42,630 and 47,116 residents

....At its first meeting, on May 16, the commission elected Ted Blunt, former president of Wilmington City Council, to be its chairman. He is the only commissioner with prior experience at redistricting.