Blunt Rochester, Carper, Coons celebrate $12 million grant for pedestrian project in Dover

DOVER, Del. - Today, U.S. Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester and U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons (all D-Del.) celebrated a $12 million 2024 Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant issued to the Delaware Department of Transportation for bike and pedestrian safety improvements in Dover.

The $12,250,000 competitive RAISE grant was issued to DelDOT for their MLK Boulevard/South Little Creek Road Bicycle and Pedestrian Connector project. It will ultimately fund the construction of bicycle and pedestrian improvements on the north side of Dover's South Little Creek Road from Horsepond Road to Bay Road and at the intersections of US13, Bay Road, MLK Boulevard and South Little Creek Road. Improvements will include installation of shared-use paths, crosswalks, curb ramps, pedestrian refuge islands and median fencing.

"This grant, made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will mean a safer Dover for bikers and pedestrians, as well as drivers," said Rep. Blunt Rochester, member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. "These are the investments in our local communities that we envisioned when Senators Carper and Coons and I championed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and I am proud that together, alongside the Biden Administration, we are making our communities healthier, stronger, and more accessible."

"Since last year, we've started to see roadway fatalities decline in Delaware and across our nation after reaching a 40-year high," said Senator Carper, Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. "That decline is thanks in part to investments from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law like this one being made in Dover. This grant will make much-needed infrastructure improvements to protect all roadway users - whether they are traveling by foot, bike or car."

"These improvements will make Dover's roadways safer and more convenient for pedestrians and bicyclists, and that's always a wise investment," said Senator Coons. "I'm glad that the Biden administration is continuing to invest in Delaware and making it easier for our residents to get to their jobs, grocery stores, and places of leisure when they choose healthier, greener modes of transportation like walking or biking."

"This corridor has seen significant residential growth, and this grant will allow us to make the area safer and more accessible for people to travel by bicycle or on foot," said Delaware Secretary of Transportation Nicole Majeski. "Our thanks to the congressional delegation for their work to advocate for the project funding on behalf of the department and the Dover community."

"There are many people - like Evalene Pyle who was killed in Dover in 2022 - who do not have access to a car for transportation," said Bike Delaware Executive Director James Wilson. "Infrastructure like this project is how we make sure that all those people get home safely."

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