REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. — A temporary safety project tested on King Charles Avenue in summer 2024 aimed to improve pedestrian safety and traffic flow, according to city officials.
The Rossi Group, the engineering firm overseeing the pilot, conducted a public survey during the project to gather feedback on street conditions. The city said common themes from the survey included improved visibility and driver awareness of pedestrians, reduced traffic speed, the addition of a refuge island and better sight lines for crossing.
As part of the test, temporary bump-outs were installed at several crosswalks. Collins Roth, who lives off King Charles Avenue, said the changes were necessary.
“Yeah, it’s with the diagonal parking. There’s no visibility,” Roth said. “You’ve got to nose your car out into the middle of the road to see either way. And if you’re a pedestrian, you’ve got to stand ten feet in the road in order to peer around cars.”
In May 2024, the city tested a refuge island at the crosswalk of Stockley Street and King Charles Avenue. Officials said the goal was to give pedestrians more room as they crossed.
But some neighbors felt the project did not fit the area, and neighbor Rachel Macha said, “I was, obviously here as a part of the pilot that occurred two years ago. And, I just feel like the pilings that they had up in these different configurations just aren't suitable for a town like road with beach. They're probably more suitable for a big urban city like Philadelphia, but, not here.”
City commissioners are scheduled to discuss the survey results and the pilot project further at their meeting at 9 a.m. on Dec. 8.