REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. - Rehoboth Beach Police Chief Keith Banks met with the new City Streets and Safety Advisory Committee on Thursday, Nov. 13, to discuss safety priorities in Downtown Rehoboth.
The meeting, held at City Hall and attended by local leaders and people who live in Rehoboth, focused on speeding and pedestrian safety.
Police Chief Banks emphasized that speeding is a year-round problem, not just a summer issue.
"The speed limits 25 miles an hour and your average speed through the day has 2 or 3,000 cars and go through that is 27 miles an hour. Well, that’s not to say that somebody didn’t do 33 or 40. And all but the mean was, you know, 27 but 27 miles an hour average if you’re in a busy weekend morning on some of those streets, may be way too fast because of what’s going on," Banks said.
Patti Simpson, who lives in Rehoboth part-time, says speeding is a constant problem.
"They just kind of come flying down Rehoboth Avenue and they’re not really paying attention. And a lot of the traffic rules change. Like now you can turn at certain intersections where you wouldn’t have been able to in the summer. So if you’re not paying attention you could be trouble," she said.
Pedestrian safety was another major issue talked about in the meeting. Lisa Gilley, who lives in Rehoboth, said crossing busy streets can be dangerous, even with traffic lights.
"Crossing some of these busy roads is, is very dangerous and I worry about some even with the lights that they have a lot of, cars don’t pay attention to those safety lights. You know, they’ll try to, zoom around. And, you know, I’m very concerned for the pedestrians, my own safety and others," she said.
The committee discussed lowering speed limits and possibly adding additional signage, but no decisions were made at Thursday’s meeting.
Chief Banks said meetings like this help city officials review problem areas, hear from the community, and plan ahead. He says that the department hopes to make changes that will help drivers and pedestrians navigate the city more safely.
