There are dozens of plans to contain growth and manage it better. The Delaware Public Policy Institute, a think tank supported by business interests, produced a series of sensible recommendations, most of which have been ignored. In a society that worships at the altar of the private automobile, asking people to use more public transit is blasphemy. But it also is the single most important way to reduce air pollution and lessen traffic congestion. While DART First State, the state-operated transit company, has improved under the able guidance of Secretary of Transportation Anne Canby, it really hasn't met the challenge yet.
Public transit is a tough sell, but mostly because of lack of effective service.
Transit administrators complain that buses running at night and on weekends don't get enough ridership to justify the expense. The sight of a big bus rolling down the road with two or three passengers isn't encouraging. We have urged transit officials to consider fleets of smaller buses on routes in Wilmington's crowded streets and on runs where ridership will never fill a big bus. Small buses will be essential when DART develops neighborhood routes to connect with the city's Market Street trolley. They also will be the way to get people to use public transportation in the disconnected suburbs riddled with cul de sacs.