Hi All,

There is a lot of bikeway & trails news to share. Here is my summary from the two DelDOT meetings I attended this week that related to our trails and my subsequent discussions. The two meetings were the Five Points Working Group Annual Report meeting and the joint Lewes Bike Plan and Georgetown Lewes Trail update. The highlights are:

Georgetown Lewes Trail

• Georgetown LewesTrail completion (GLT) - DelDOT is designing the remaining segment from Fisher Rd to Airport Rd (Georgetown). They have applied to the US DOT for a RAISE grant to finish the trail. The US DOT announcement is scheduled for June 28. Yes, this month! 
• The trail extension design for major roadway crossings includes an island and flashing lights similar to that installed at the GLT intersection with Sweetbriar Rd. However, the new crossings will have push buttons to activate the flashers. The buttons will be used vs the automatic sensors used at Sweetbriar Rd to help insure the cyclist stops before crossing, and because there have been complaints about the lights at Sweetbriar coming un or staying on when no one is present.  The intersections targeted are the busy, major roads like Harbeson Rd, Gravel Hill Rd, etc. 
  DelDOT details on the GLT completion project can be found at, with the charts from this week's meetings to be posted in a few days:
  https://www.deldot.gov/projects/index.shtml?dc=details&projectNumber=T202230001#project-details1
• The trailhead planned for Hudson Park adjacent to the GLT on the corner of US-9 and Coolspring Road should get an initial gravel parking lot this year. Then the implementation of the full planned trailhead could be decided after the Sussex County County Council completes the planning & zoning process for the property across US-9 from the park. The County Council decision could be a year away, then the developer's schedule would be a major factor. Details on the adjacent development:
  https://www.capegazette.com/article/project-planned-539-acre-parcel-west-lewes/219255
  
  Hudson Park and current trailhead design details are at:
  https://www.sclandtrust.org/properties-protected-and-managed-by-the-sussex-county-land-trust/stephen-p-hudson-park/
  
  https://www.sclandtrust.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/HUDSON-PARK-PH-2-rendering.pdf

Lewes Bike Plan

• It is very, very early in the process. They have formally developed goals/objectives and are looking for community input.
  
• The map charts showed the status of trail & bike accommodation projects ranging from those under construction now to those being studied.
  
• One study that caught my attention was that there is a formal study underway to design, fund and develop a preliminary cost estimate for a bike/ped bridge over the Lewes-Rehoboth Canal in the area where the train trestle was removed (GLT at Gills Neck Road). No schedule or details were available.
  
• Additional information on the LBP, the charts from the meeting, and how to submit your own comments can be found at:
  https://publicinput.com/lewesbikeplan 
  
• Several Sussex Cyclists attended the LBP & GLT meeting, including George & Michelle (apologies to the other attendees as I didn't get a chance to get your names.)  Michelle's quick video of the meeting can be found on Facebook at:
  https://www.facebook.com/SussexCyclists/videos/219736944221347

Separate from these meetings I've learned that the start of construction for the expansion of the Junction & Breakwater Trail around the Wolfe Neck Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility has been delayed for at least another 18 months due to complications at the site.  A little bit of the history can be found in this article in the Cape Gazette:
https://www.capegazette.com/article/dnrec-completes-design-new-trail-wolfe-neck-area-trail/200625

Last, the bike detour on SR-1 around the SR-16 intersection overpass construction won’t come down until the overpass construction is complete (~1.5 to 2 more years). This is part of Bicycle Route 1 and makes it a longer ride from the south to get to places like Prime Hook National Refuge, Slaughter Beach, etc. 

I'll miss the DelDOT meeting next week on the SR-1 Low Stress Bikeway Study on Tuesday, June 20 as I'll be out of town.  I hope many of you can still attend and provide input from the perspective of cyclists!  The details are at:
https://deldot.gov/About/publicevents/workshops/index.shtml?dc=workshop&id=17083

Remember the sunblock and/or sun sleeves.  Safe riding everyone!

Bill W