Future bike lane (light green) and existing lane in Delaware (dark green)

We’ve previously reported that BOP is bye-bye, which was a huge win after over a decade of advocacy, and has paved the way (pun intended. you’re welcome) for suburban municipalities to request bike lanes on upcoming PennDOT road projects.

After modifying BOP, PennDOT then installed two new bike lanes on suburban roads in Delaware and Chester Counties to prime the pump.

Municipalities then began inquiring about how they could get bike infrastructure integrated into future PennDOT repaving projects. This is when we heard that Pennsbury had signed a bike lane request letter for its portion of Rt 52, which runs for roughly a mile northward from the Delaware state line. We then hustled to make sure that Kennett Township was also on board. Kennett has the remainder of Rt 52, up to the junction with Rt 1. Kennett signed on in May.

With these letters in hand, PennDOT can schedule some shoulder improvements for 2018, which will make a contiguous 3-mile set of bike lanes possible in 2019’s paving season, when the department is planning to mill (strip off a layer of old pavement), pave and restripe Route 52.

This new facility will be a major win for regional cycling connectivity. Residents of Kennett, Pennsbury and beyond will be connected with the considerable bike infrastructure in New Castle County, Delaware: bike lanes and trails, including the East Coast Greenway. It also will *almost* connect cyclists to the spectacular scenery at Longwood Gardens, which is less than a mile from the intersection of Routes 52 and 1. We know this is just the beginning, and we’re quite excited about it.

Check out Kennett Township’s letter below: