FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WILMINGTON, Delaware (May 18, 2025) – Delaware Greenways has kicked off a new bike helmet loaner program to help ensure bicyclists using the Jack A. Markell trail are exploring the trail safely. The trail connects the Wilmington Riverfront to Historic New Castle.
Helmets can be borrowed from three locations: The Greater Wilmington Convention and Visitors Bureau Visitor Center and the DuPont Environmental Education Center, both at the Riverfront, as well as the New Castle Courthouse Museum in Historic New Castle.
The program was adopted primarily to assist visitors that rent bikes from one of the three Fin Outdoor Recreation stations along the Riverfront and in Historic New Castle and likely do not have their own helmet with them.
The helmets were purchased through a grant from the William Penn Foundation.
Here is how the program works: Cyclists visit a helmet loan location and present their driver’s license or a credit card that will be held in a locked container for safekeeping until the helmet is returned. Credit cards will not be charged unless the helmet is not returned. Cyclists will also be asked to sign a Helmet Borrower Waiver Form and will be given a copy of the Bicycle Guidelines and Policies for the Jack A. Markell Trail and Wilmington Riverfront. Staff members will then help each cyclist choose the best fit. Helmets are available in both adult and children’s sizes.
Helmets must be returned to the same helmet loan location the same day they were borrowed. Helmet borrowers should be sure to check the closing time of the location where they borrowed their helmet to ensure it is returned on time. Cyclists must be 18 years old or older to rent a helmet. Adults can rent helmets on behalf of the minor children in their group. Helmets are sanitized after each use.
Click here for more information.
The Greater Wilmington Convention and Visitors Bureau Visitor Center is open Thursday through Sunday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. It is located at 920 Justison Street. The DuPont Environmental Education Center is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and Sunday from noon until 4:00 p.m. It is located at 1400 Delmarva Lane. The New Castle Courthouse Museum is open Wednesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Sunday from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
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About Delaware Greenways
Delaware Greenways was organized in the early 1990’s during a land conservation movement, which resulted in the creation of the Northern Delaware Greenway Trail. Its advocacy for trails – and scenic byways has continued since then. By creating trail connections, it opens safe bicycle and pedestrian travel for health benefits, recreation and transportation. Its byways provide a way for travelers to take routes that allow exploration of each city and town along the way. Time spent discovering the intrinsic qualities of these roads less traveled, cultural, historic, natural, recreational, and scenic, enriches all who travel them. Learn more at DelawareGreenways.org.
About the Greater Wilmington Convention and Visitors Bureau
The Greater Wilmington & the Brandywine Valley region of Delaware is in the heart of the Mid-Atlantic and less than a two-hour drive from both New York City and Washington D.C. Steeped in American history and the legacy of the famed du Pont family, it is a destination marked by sharp contrasts – town and garden, past and present, historic and hip. Featuring renowned gardens, world-class museums, colonial towns, outdoor adventure, festivals, and an ever-growing restaurant scene, the region offers a vacation experience that is vibrant, unique and authentic. Learn more at VisitWilmingtonDE.com. To see the beauty of the Brandywine Valley, watch this: https://youtu.be/KyPWLnciO0E.
Contact
Jennifer Boes
302.-245-6644, jenboes@visitwilmingtonde.com
