The Newport River Trail is getting $23 million in federal funding. (WILMAPCO )
Multi-use trails to connect Newport with Wilmington and Georgetown with Lewes received $44 million in federal funding today.
The Newport River Trail will get $23 million to construct a 2-mile path between Newport and the Jack A. Markell Trail on the Wilmington Riverfront.
The Newport River Trail is part of New Castle County’s Connecting Communities initiative and will be a far safer way for bicyclists and pedestrians than busy Maryland Avenue.
New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer is a bicycling enthusiast and envisions the day when passengers can ride their bikes safely to and from New Castle Airport, among many other destinations, he told Out & About.
The Newport River Trail will go over wetlands. (WILMAPCO)
The Georgetown to Lewes Trail will get $21 million for the final phase of the 17-mile trail.
“Since the first phase of the Georgetown to Lewes Trail opened in October 2016 and with each completed segment, it has now become the most heavily used trail in the state,” Delaware Secretary of Transportation Nicole Majeski said, according to WRDE.
The final phase covers six miles between Airport and Fisher roads, WRDE reported
“Shared-use paths and trails are no longer an add-on at the end of the project planning,” Dave Gula, principal planner who’s worked at the Wilmington Area Planning Council since 2005, told Out & About. “They have become a driving force for some projects, and communities accept that these trails are amenities that should be included in almost every project.”
The money comes from the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity program.
Nationwide, 70% of the grants are going to projects in regions defined as an Area of Persistent Poverty or a Historically Disadvantaged Community.
Like last year, demand for RAISE funding was higher than available funds. This year, the U.S. Department of Transportation received $15 billion in requests for the $2.26 billion available.
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