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Delaware ranked among top bicycle friendly states

Delaware has been ranked among the top 10 most bicycle friendly states in the nation since 2012. And this year is no different.

Delaware remains among the top 10 most bicycle friendly states in the nation according to the League of American Bicyclists (LAB).

 

Delaware is now ranked the 6th most bicycle friendly state. That’s up one spot from 7th - where it sat in the League of American Bicyclists’ last report published in 2017.

And the First State has ranked in the top 10 since 20-12.

“For us it’s another validation of the work we are doing to make our transportation system truly multi-modal and insuring that cyclists have safe spaces to ride throughout the state,” said C.R. McLeod - community relations director for Delaware’s Department of Transportation (DelDOT).

He points out that Gov. Carney signed the Bicycle Friendly Act into law in 2017 and since then, a growing network of bike trails have sprung up across the First State, “The new Markell Trail (connecting Wilmington and New Castle) has really been a boon for cyclists, especially in northern Delaware. And we’re seeing cyclists really come from out of state now to take advantage of our trail systems.” 

McLeod says another very popular bike trail is the Lewes to Georgetown Trail; phase two of that trail opened this past June.

 

McLeod says his agency is committed to making strategic investments in “low stress” bicycle networks that are safe for everyone to use in Delaware,

“And a great example of that is what we’re doing down in Sussex County currently. In June of this year, we did celebrate the opening of Phase 2 of the Lewes to Georgetown Trail. And what we’re doing is, we’re actually taking the former rail line that was decommissioned and transitioning that into a multi-use path.”

McLeod says when that path is completed in the next few years, cyclists will be able to ride from Georgetown into Lewes and Rehoboth on a “low-stress” pathway that will keep them safe, out of traffic.

He also points out that additional bike trails are planned for Kent County in 2020, including the next segment of the Senator Trail in and around Dover.

 
 

Kelli Steele has over 30 years of experience covering news in Delaware, Baltimore, Winchester, Virginia, Phoenix, Arizona and San Diego, California.