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Milford Working Group - Visions, Goals and Objectives

Vision

The US 113 Working Group for the greater Milford Area envisions a future for the area where:

  • The movement of people and goods in the study area is not hampered by traffic congestion as experienced today in parts of Kent and Sussex Counties.
  • The character and quality of life in the greater Milford Area have been maintained and Milford continues to be a safe and attractive community for residents to live, work and play in and for visitors to enjoy.
  • Mobility and accessibility for local residents, police, fire emergency services and businesses have been preserved and improved.
  • The historic, archaeological, agricultural and natural resources in the greater Milford Area have been preserved while growth, both economic and residential, has been sustained.

We expect that realization of this vision for the future of the greater Milford Area will require efforts at two levels. The first is a comprehensive outreach effort with community, business and other stakeholder groups. The second is strengthened communication and coordination among municipal, county, state and federal governments.

Goals

The end result will be an efficient transportation infrastructure for the greater Milford Area that meets the following goals:

  • Supports responsible and sustainable land development and economic growth while accommodating the anticipated growth in local, seasonal and through traffic.
  • Avoids negative impacts from transportation improvements to natural, cultural and historic resources.
  • Respects private property rights of owners on US 113 and along any new or bypass alignment.
  • Includes a limited access, through traffic route to points north and south of the study area.
  • Allows for the separation of through (regional) and seasonal traffic from local traffic.
  • Preserves and enhances capacity on existing US Route 113.
  • Includes improved connections between east-west and north-south routes.
  • Enhances the local road network and creates a comprehensive transportation system that accommodates the needs of all modes of transportation serving the residents of the greater Milford Area.

Objectives

The Working Group will pursue the following objectives in order to achieve the long term Vision and Goals. The Objectives will be used to evaluate, compare and refine the options considered by the Working Group.

Mobility/Accessibility

  • Separate local traffic from through and seasonal traffic
  • Provide more travel options for residents
  • Develop a broader range of transportation options (bus, bike and pedestrian ways)
  • Improve the connections between east/west and north/south routes
  • Preserve or increase, where possible, traffic capacity on existing US 113

Congestion

  • Reduce traffic congestion by providing additional capacity where needed
  • Reduce, where possible, traffic through neighborhoods
  • Improve traffic ingress/egress for businesses

Safety

  • Improve safety of residents-pedestrians, bicyclists, children, drivers and transit users in the greater Milford Area
  • Separate through traffic from local traffic, where feasible
  • Improve accessibility for emergency services
  • Enhance safe access to schools, parks and recreation sites, community facilities, businesses and institutions

Land Use Planning

  • Accommodate planned growth and the resulting traffic
  • Coordinate transportation improvements with approved land use patterns
  • Be consistent with Delaware's Livable Delaware Initiatives and Strategies for State Policies and Spending and Kent, Sussex and municipal comprehensive plans

Environment

  • Conduct a comprehensive assessment of environmental resources and impacts on those resources
  • Avoid adverse affects to farmland, historic, archaeological and natural resources
  • Develop minimization and mitigation measures where avoidance is not feasible

Aesthetics

  • Improve the view to and from the road
  • Maintain and enhance the character of the greater Milford Area
  • Use context sensitive design and construction techniques
  • Employ a full range of aesthetic options in addressing transportation needs and congestion in the greater Milford Area

Intergovernmental Coordination

  • Increase the level of cooperation and coordination among Kent and Sussex Counties, towns along the US 113 Corridor and DelDOT and other State agencies regarding the linkages between land use and transportation
  • Comply with federal and state agency environmental and historic resource regulations and requirements

Public Outreach

  • Undertake comprehensive public outreach efforts including, public workshops; meetings with community, business and interest groups; newspaper articles; a project web site and other appropriate outreach techniques to obtain citizen input
  • Consider citizen input, ideas, suggestions, concerns and solutions before developing options and recommending solutions