Delaware Officials Focus on Road Building to Ease Congestion

Long-term answers to traffic congestion in Delaware could include new and expanded commuter rail service, special lanes for buses, even a light-rail system linking Wilmington with southern Delaware and other parts of the Delmarva peninsula.

For now, however, the answer seems to be to build more roads.

Although the Delaware Department of Transportation is eyeing several ideas to expand bus and rail service, particularly in northern Delaware, officials say expanding and improving the existing road system remains a key factor in trying to ease gridlock.

Meanwhile, DelDOT statistics show that transit system ridership fell from a peak of more than 12.8 million in fiscal 2012 to less than 12.2 million in fiscal 2014. Through April of the current fiscal year, which ends Tuesday, ridership totaled about 9.6 million.