ARTICLE
The Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) and Delaware Transit Corporation (DTC) are excited to announce that after winning the best Quality of Life/Community Development Award for the NASTO Region back in July, the Harris B. McDowell, III Transportation Center in Claymont is now competing for the Grand Prize and People’s Choice Award. Voting is now open for the People’s Choice Award. This project is among the 12 finalists competing for top honors in the 2024 America's Transportation Awards competition, sponsored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, AAA, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The new transportation center, which opened on December 4, 2023, boasts over 800 parking spaces including 13 EV charging stations, two ADA-compliant high-level covered platforms with windscreens, benches, and USB charging ports, bicycle racks and repair stations, real-time passenger information displays, and vending machines. It includes all the amenities DART and SEPTA riders could need. Originally introduced into commuter rail services in 1980, the old Claymont Train Station struggled with outdated facilities, a flood-prone tunnel, and an inaccessible platform on a curved portion of track. In 2016, Delaware's Congressional Delegation of U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons and then-Congressman John Carney helped secure a $10 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation for the construction of the station. The Grand Prize will be chosen by an independent panel of judges, while the People's Choice Award will go to the project with the most online votes from the public. Online votes will be weighted to each state’s population, allowing for greater competition among states with larger and smaller populations. The winners will be announced at the AASHTO Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, PA. Both winners will receive $10,000 each for a charity or transportation-related scholarship. For more information on all the nominations and award recipients, visit https://americastransportationawards.org/. Voting is open through October 29, one vote per 24 hours. Information on SEPTA train service to Claymont and other Delaware stations can be found at SEPTA Schedules.