MILLSBORO, Del. - Millsboro town leaders in the are planning to improve pedestrian safety along a busy stretch of Route 24, where gaps in sidewalks are forcing people to walk along the roadside.
The town’s DelDOT committee is scheduled to meet next week to discuss plans to expand sidewalks along the road, particularly on the north side of the road, where discontinuous paths leave pedestrians navigating traffic.
For people like Richard Plaskus, who lives in the Plantation Lakes neighborhood, the issue is a matter of safety.
"A lot of people use that walk. And then just to stop and go out into the road, it’s a dangerous thing," Plaskus said. "I’ve walked it many times."
Route 24 is one of the busiest roads in Millsboro, carrying steady traffic throughout the day. And while sidewalks exist near the intersection with Route 113, they do not extend continuously, particularly along the north side. As a result, pedestrians are often forced to share the roadway with passing cars and trucks.
Right now there are gaps leading people to walk on the shoulder of the road.
Town leaders say the upcoming meeting will focus on ways to expedite filling in those gaps, improving connectivity for walkers in the growing community.
"It’s not like it’s benefiting one person. It’s benefiting a lot of people," Plaskus said. "As soon as you go out into the main road, anything can happen out there."
Other people have also expressed issues, noting the lack of a continuous sidewalk system despite increased foot traffic in the area.
"I have noticed those gaps," one local said. "Because I like to walk regularly, I have always wished that there were no gaps, that we had a continuous sidewalk."
While the north side of the roadway is under consideration, the south side of Route 24 currently has no sidewalks at all, and no immediate plans have been announced to address that side.