LEWES, Del. - With the end of the Lewes Line pilot program scheduled for the fall, city officials met Monday night to determine what the future of it will look like. In a three to two vote, the outcome chosen was to eliminate this transit option.
A lack of use weighed against the costs of maintenance and ridership were cited for the end of the program. According to Assistant City Manager Ellen Lorraine McCabe, sales of frequent rider cards dipped slightly in 2023 compared to 2022.Â
"Why are the taxpayers putting forth money to support moving the tourists around town," asked Councilperson Joseph Elder.Â
"Our local businesses on Second Street have expressed a lot of support for this," says Deputy Mayor Khalil Saliba.
Elder said he'd like to hear more from those businesses on why they support a transit service like the Lewes Line. CoastTV spoke to businesses in downtown Lewes after Monday night's vote.Â
"I think we really do need it because parking is so limited here on Second Street and around our shopping area, so it would be nice to have something maybe coming from the library and bringing people into town," says Diane Miller.
Miller did acknowledge that not a lot of her customers used the Lewes Line. Owner of Shorebreak Josh Barr says perhaps customers couldn't get used to the Lewes Line schedule.
"They want to have their own car," Barr. "They want to be able to be on their own schedule. Sometimes public transit doesn't really allow for that."
The Lewes Line was launched in 2022 as a way to have less cars in the downtown area with the hopes that people would ride the bus into and out of the city rather than drive in themselves and deal with limited parking during the summer season.
Mayor Andrew Williams says ideas in support of alternatives to the Lewes Line are welcome.
The Lewes Line pilot program concludes in September. For more on COASTTV News' coverage of the Lewes Line click here.
