March 9, 2022
WILMINGTON – Over the past decade, the Castle and Markell Trails have created miles of paved trails stretching from the C&D Canal to Wilmington’s Riverfront. On the north side of town, the Northern Delaware Greenway Trail runs along Brandywine Creek through Alapocas, Rockwood, Bellevue, and Fox Point. But several miles between the two
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WILMINGTON – Over the past decade, the Castle and Markell Trails have created miles of paved trails stretching from the C&D Canal to Wilmington’s Riverfront.
On the north side of town, the Northern Delaware Greenway Trail it runs along Brandywine Creek through Alapocas, Rockwood, Bellevue, and Fox Point.
But several miles between the two segments are devoid of trails on the city’s east side, where large numbers of disadvantaged Wilmingtons have lived for generations.
Sensing an opportunity to link Delaware’s trail systems, benefit the local community, and help attract labor, several major New Castle County employers have committed to solving the problem.
The CEOs of CSC, Buccini/Pollin Group, Pettinaro, EDiS, Delle Donne & Associates, and CompassRed signed a letter to state leaders in support of the proposal last year, along with representatives from the Delaware Business Roundtable, Committee of 100, Delaware Biosciences Association, Riverfront Development Corp., Rodel Foundation, Delaware Greenways, and REACH Riverside, among others.
New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer, a city resident, avid cyclist, and supporter of multimodal development, has also publicly thrown his support behind the effort known as the Wilmington Loop.
“Right now, the Wilmington Bike Loop is just a drawing on a map. It’s a vision,” he told the Delaware Business Times. “Visions are important, but they don’t mean much unless you actually do something about them.”
Meyer engaged with Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki’s office and the Delaware Department of Transportation to support the county in a feasibility study for the project that would build approximately 2 miles of trail that would wrap around the west bank of the Christina River from the Walnut Bridges Street to North Market Street. .
Advocates point out that the defunct Newport River Trail and a proposed connector trail to Wilmington’s Riverside community via the 12th Street Bridge could add about another 6 miles of trail and complete a loop around the city that travels nearly 16 miles.
No sticker price has been set for a feasibility study, though it’s typically in the six figures, and Meyer said the county could look into completing an even more preliminary review for a small fee before committing to such a study.
One of the biggest proponents of the plan is Scott Johnson, a partner at the real estate firm McConnell Johnson and a board member of the Kalmar Nyckel Foundation, who is in the middle of the path he proposes to develop. An avid cyclist who commutes to work every day in Wilmington and takes weekly long-range rides of 50 miles or more, Johnson was quick to recognize the glaring disconnect from the trails.
“If you go to Kirkwood Park, the river is hidden behind a fence, but it’s a beautiful asset that many don’t even know is there,” he said. “I’ve seen all kinds of people up here taking advantage of the Greenway Trail, because it’s open and you can see the river. But there’s no way to look at Christina on the East Side and it’s a shame.”
Johnson worked with Delaware Biosciences Association President Michael Fleming to flesh out the argument that has been making the rounds in Wilmington circles in recent months. They point to the Belt Line in Atlanta and the High Line in New York City as examples that officials should try to emulate here.
Although some may have trouble imagining hordes of bike commuters, Johnson noted that an increasing number of people are choosing to forego cars. He sees more bikers and those using electric bikes or scooters these days when he commutes on the Greenway trail. Several of his commercial building’s tenants also commute to work and use the on-site showers, Johnson added.
“The ‘circle’ will connect thousands of jobs in our thriving life sciences research, healthcare and finance sectors, both in the suburbs and in the city, with residents across the county. This is exactly the kind of ‘live, work, play’ community asset that employers competing in a global marketplace for talent want to offer employees,” Fleming told DBT. “If done right, it has the potential to be a once-in-a-generation transformational investment that will further distinguish Delaware in the region and is a natural extension and connector of the incredible network of trails, and cultural and historic amenities, that they already exist. place.”
Meyer agreed, noting that the Loop could help connect Wilmington’s East Side to natural resources it has often lacked.
“I think roads in general, across the country, have been built in whiter, wealthier areas and this is an attempt to really combat that,” he said. “We are going to use roads so that communities that may not be able to afford a car or are looking for less expensive ways to get to work in the suburbs and return home safely and healthily can do so.”
