GEORGETOWN, Del. - In an effort to improve safety on Georgetown Circle after a series of vehicle crashes, the Georgetown Council is set to implement a range of enhancements, including new signage and blinking lights, over the coming weeks. Georgetown Town Manager Gene Dvornick emphasized the importance of these updates after a number of accidents occurring since 2023.
“We had approximately nine vehicle crashes into the circle,” Dvornick stated. “Various times of the day, various days of the week, totaling about $180,000 worth of damage to various things on the circle.”
The Georgetown Circle Advisory Committee, which has spent the past five months assessing options to boost safety, has proposed several targeted measures. These include replacing existing one-way signs with black-and-white directional arrows, installing 15-mile-per-hour advisory signs around the circle, and equipping the roundabout signs with blinking lights to increase driver awareness. Additionally, bollards around the circle will be reinforced with cement to offer stronger protection in the event of a collision.
Georgetown Police Chief Ralph Holm highlighted the challenges of preventing accidents even with law enforcement present on the circle.
“There was an officer on the circle and actually picked up the accident on his camera,” Chief Holm shared. “Us being there isn’t going to be the deterrent, because by the time that person hit the circle, you know, there’s nothing an officer could have done other than what they did—respond.”
According to Holm, an estimated 80,000 vehicles navigate the Georgetown Circle daily, underscoring the need for the new safety measures.
Dvornick also emphasized the council’s commitment to public safety as a primary focus for these enhancements. “Pedestrian safety is the number one factor in almost everything we do. So we want to make sure we maintain that safety and keep the public happy,” he said.
The town aims to complete the safety improvements in the coming weeks.
