Public Workshop On Traffic Impact Studies And Traffic Operational Analyses Set For 6PM Wednesday In Wilmington

Public Workshop on Traffic Impact Studies and Traffic Operational Analyses

For your information: DelDOT to Hold Public Workshop on Traffic Impact Study Regulations - Public Input Sought on Proposed Regulations
Dover - The Delaware Department of Transportation will be holding a public workshop, facilitated by the University of Delaware’s Institute for Public Administration (IPA), to solicit community input on changes to its regulations regarding Traffic Impact Studies and Traffic Operational Analyses.
The workshop will be held on Wednesday, September 14, 2011 from 6-8 p.m. in the Carvel State Office Building Auditorium (Mezzanine Level) in Wilmington, Delaware. A previous workshop was held on August 1, 2011 at the DelDOT Administration Building in Dover, Delaware.

DelDOT has proposed revision to standards and regulations regarding requirements for the conduct of Traffic Operational Analysis and Traffic Impact Studies prior to agency decisions on proposed land use questions. These proposed changes to the regulations revise and update the Standards and Regulations for Subdivision Streets and State Highway Access, enacted in March 2008 and revised in February 2010.
These regulations define the requirements which apply to:
· New subdivisions and land development
· Rezoning· Changed or expanded subdivisions and land development
· Any new access on to a State-maintained road
· Modifications to an existing access· Assessment of the impacts of traffic
· Off-site improvements
The intent of the workshop is to inform the public about the changes and to solicit input prior to finalizing the regulations. The workshop will consist of a presentation on the regulatory changes and a question and answer session with a panel of DelDOT staff. Interested citizens are encouraged to contribute written questions in advance of the meeting by sending them via email to Brett Taylor at Dotpr@state.de.us Audience members may provide written questions at the time of the meeting to be asked during the panel discussion. The number of questions addressed will be subject to the time available at the meeting.
Copies of the proposed Regulations are available at http://regulations.delaware.gov/register/june2011/proposed/14%20DE%20Reg%201323%2006-01-11.htm#P8_224. You may also review the Regulations on www.deldot.gov <http://www.deldot.gov/>. The Department will take comments on the Regulations through September 30, 2011. The public may submit their comments to Ted Bishop, Assistant Director of Planning, via email (Theodore.bishop@state.de.us) or in writing at Division of Planning, DelDOT, P.O. Box 778, Dover, DE 19903.

Read Bob Weiner's Questions for DelDOT HERE: New Castle County Councilman Bob Weiner's Questions For The DelDOT Panel On Wednesday Night
and the 2010 letter from members of the Delaware Bar to Jack Markell HERE: DelDOT's Rights, Powers And Responsibilities Are Not Limited By NCC's Redevelopment Ordinance

Also Read Middletown Corridor Coalition - No One Can Justify The Costs of Bonds For The Construction Of US 301

Click onto the link:
Middletown Corridor Coalition Chair, Andye Daley, Writes: US 301 And DelDOT's FUNNY MONEY - From the inbox ~ No One Can Justify The Costs of Bonds For The Construction Of US 301

The US 301 Public Workshop Set For 3PM - Stoltz At Planning Board At 7PM - All On Sept. 6th!

Upcoming Project Workshop Rt 301 Workshop The US 301 Public Workshop has been rescheduled for Tuesday, September 6 between 3:00pm and 8:00pm. The location remains the Middletown Fire Hall at 27 W. Green Street. There will be a PowerPoint presentation at 3:15, to be repeated at 4:15, 5:15, 6:15 and 7:15pm. Please let your friends, neighbors and anyone else who may have an interest in the US 301 project know of this rescheduled date.

This a a project that the Civic League has opposed due to the misguided alignment that appears to be designed to promote sprawling new development, such as the Bayberry North and South Developments, rather than interstate transportation.

Of even more critical concern is the highly questionable need and deeply concerning debt financing for this road. The project does not appear to have any potential to be self sustaining due to inadequate traffic volumes and limited toll revenues.

Anyone in NCC should be concerned with this project and its questionable funding scheme. The initial phase was funded with GARVEE Bonds, which are a sort of a federally authorized Ponzi scheme where States borrow large sums of money, but must repay it using federal funds "expected "to be received in the future. There is no guarantee that the federal funds will be available. (But perhaps congress may consider cuts to things like social security, medicare, or education to fund GARVEE debts!!!). At present, the risk to Delaware tax payers of having to pay these debts is pretty high due to the imminent risks of federal budget cuts, an expected delay in extending the gasoline tax, and a likely stalemate over a new transportation bill in the U.S. Congress.

If federal funds are not sufficient, the State taxpayers will have to pay the bill directly. Even if federal funds are available, the GARVEE commitment will severely limit options for future road projects that may actually be much higher priorities throughout NCC than the Proposed Rt. 301.

Thursday, we learned that the US 301 project did not get the targeted federal aide. Someone at the federal level appears to have done their homework and concluded that this project is not sustainable due to low traffic demand. They realize that the traffic volume will not produce enough toll revenue to pay the debt service in the bonds proposed for financing its construction. It is unsustainable unless the Delaware tax payers decide to heavily subsidize this sprawl promoting effort. There is a pretty good overview of the problem by Jeff Montgomery of the News Journal in today's paper. You can read it at: http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20110903/NEWS02/109030324/US-301-project-loses-out-aid?odyssey=tabtopnewstextHome
Please come out to ask questions, learn what is happening, and let your views be known on this massive project. After all, no matter what, you will be paying for it.

A few potential questions to consider:

• If we must subsidize this small area with hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue, should we be building this highway, or considering other alternatives such as improved bus service or train service to get local traffic off 301?


• Do you have other pressing transportation issues that should be made a higher priority in NCC?


• Do we want to continue to claim we support Smart Growth in the New Castle County Development Plan, and then build sprawling communities dependent on interstate highways in areas with no employment base such as SNCC?


• Is this project really needed, or just a misguided effort by self serving politicians to try to create some unsustainable jobs in the short term that will make employment conditions even worse in the future due to the long term debt incurred with no clear revenue stream to pay it back?


• Do you think it is fine to subsidize this road, and want to support it?

Please come out to ask questions, learn what is happening, and let your views be known on this massive project. After all, no matter what, you will be paying for it.

I recognize that this meeting conflicts with another critical project meeting with serious transportation implications when NCC Planning Board will review the Stoltz plan (at 7PM in New Castle at 77 Reads Way). http://www2.nccde.org/landuse/PlanningBoard/PublicHearingAgenda/Default.aspx?MeetingDate=2011-09-06T04:00:00Z

For those that can make it down to Middletown, you may be able to attend early and then still get up for the 7 PM Stoltz meeting. If not, you can at least comment on the DelDOT webpage. Thank you for your consideration of this critical public issue and hope you will let Del DOT know your thoughts and views on this project.

Dave Carter