Wilmington Mayor Michael Purzycki and Acting Public Works Commissioner Kelly Williams joined today with the State Transportation Department to remind residents of the upcoming Union Street Reconfiguration Project. This initiative is set to begin on Monday, October 30 and be completed by Friday, November 3, weather permitting. Work will take place between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. each day, and motorists should expect delays throughout the week with intermittent lane closures and parking restrictions.

The re-striping or reconfiguration on Union Street involves new travel lanes and new angled parking spaces along the business and residential corridor. This is a joint effort by the City, West Side Grows Together community coalition, the Delaware Department of Transportation and the Wilmington Area Planning Council (WILMAPCO). West Side Grows Together represents the interests of West Side residents, businesses, churches and community groups based in and around the Little Italy neighborhood.

The new design is intended to improve safety for pedestrians and bicyclists by slowing traffic speeds and reducing the distance needed to cross the street. Union Street currently consists of three wide travel lanes with no shoulders and limited crosswalks. The new configuration should keep travel speeds closer to the 25 mile-per-hour posted limit. Local businesses will benefit from the addition of back-in, angled parking spaces on the left side of the street. Not only will the angled parking help to calm traffic, but it will increase the number of parking spaces by about 20 percent.

Public workshops were held on December 6, 2016, and April 26, 2017, regarding the proposed changes to Union Street, from Pennsylvania Avenue south to Sycamore Street. Written feedback following each meeting indicated overwhelming community support for the project.

After work is completed by DelDOT’s contractor to make Union Street a two-lane travel corridor versus the current three-lanes from Pennsylvania Avenue to Sycamore Street, Wilmington’s Public Works Department will paint the angled parking lines on Saturday, November 4, and Saturday, November 11. Parking restrictions will be in effect both days from 5 a.m. until 2 p.m. each day. The restriping effort will also create a bicycle lane on the left side of the street.

Electronic message boards are posted on Union Street to advise motorists of the new traffic pattern.

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Media Contact:

John Rago
Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and Communications
Office of Mayor Michael S. Purzycki
Mobile: (302) 420-7928
Email: jrago@WilmingtonDE.gov