DEWEY BEACH, Del. - During the summertime, Dewey Beach is normally filled with visitors and cars, and with Route 1 going through the town, this also adds some additional safety risks. Since Dewey Beach is only about a mile long, pedestrians and cars have to share a smaller space.
The town says it is always working to improve safety conditions, and on September 20th at the Town Council meeting, officials will review safety concerns submitted by locals via a survey. The town says it is also in constant communication with DelDOT to make the crosswalks safer.
Numerous safety improvements have already been made, including:
- Speed limit lowered to 25 mph on Coastal Highway
- Added 10 pedestrian crosswalk signs on Coastal Highway and King Charles Highway
- Added 16 pedestrian crosswalk markings on Coastal Highway
- Warnings to "push button, look twice, check both lanes" stenciled in red on sidewalks of all crosswalks
- Post and rope fencing installed on the center island of Coastal Highway to divert pedestrians to crosswalks
- Extended a 50-foot solid white line down the highway before crosswalks to prevent vehicles from changing lanes
- Two radar speed signs purchased and installed at the north and south ends of town to slow down traffic
- Speed and crosswalk enforcement conducted by the Police Department
- Ongoing maintenance of trees down the center island to ensure proper visibility
Roberto Marin-Landa, who works at Jeremiah's Beach Party in Dewey Beach, says that although the town is constantly working to make it safer, drivers need to be more careful.
"I see a lot of cars speeding all the time, even when we have the speed monitor; people just don't really care. And there was a huge accident a couple of months ago," Landa explained.
The town says pedestrian safety is an ongoing project, and there are more improvements in the works, including:
- Requesting DelDOT to lower the flashing yellow beacons to increase visibility to drivers
- Removing some trees from the center island to improve visibility at crosswalks
- Purchasing a portable message board to warn drivers of crosswalks and fines for not stopping for pedestrians
The Town Council meeting will be held at 3:00 PM at the lifesaving station.
