DelDOT 2-Way Plan is the way to go

I am an experienced bike rider, having commuted 10 years to work, ridden in long distance and multi-day treks and camped by bicycle. I am a member of the City of Lewes ad hoc Byway Committee, having helped to develop its logo and am a member of Sussex Cyclists. I have five grandchildren under the age of 9. I want to have safe and beautiful places to travel by bicycle to and from the Delaware Bay and Cape Henlopen State Park.

My letter is to comment on the proposals before the City of Lewes regarding the Savannah Road Byway. DelDOT has developed what I will call the Two Way Pathway Plan (2-Way Path) that has undergone design, environmental review as well as safety and cost analysis.

Briefly, this plan calls for an eight- to 10-foot two-way pathway on the marsh side of Savannah Road and smaller shoulders on the roadway to accommodate vehicles and experienced/elite cyclists in the roadway. The sidewalk on the commercial side of Savannah will be improved. The 2-Way Path will provide a safe, two-way path for pedestrians, strollers, runners and cyclists. This pathway will have a four-foot drainage zone separating the pathway from the road for safety and runoff filtration. The plan also has room for enhancements for beautification, as well as historical and environmental education.

This plan has undergone cost analysis by DelDOT, has passed safety, environmental, drainage and right-of-way analysis. In addition it has been vetted for public and City of Lewes comment. DelDOT has incorporated these comments into the 2-Way Path Plan. I strongly support this plan.

A second plan has recently emerged citing cost and safety concerns. I'll call this the 1-Way Path which proposes one, five-foot wide pathway on the marsh side of Savannah. This path is intended for non-motorized foot and cycle traffic traveling one way from downtown toward the beach. This path will be separated from the roadway by a four-foot drainage depression for safety and runoff filtration. The road centerline will be moved several feet toward the marsh in order to accommodate broader shoulders for bikes on both sides of the road. The sidewalk on the commercial side will also be improved. At this time there is no costing available, the plan has not undergone formal safety or environmental review, nor has there been public or city vetting of the plan.

I have three issues with the 1-Way Path plan. First, this is a hastily done plan that has not undergone sufficient analysis, vetting or review. Second, features on the commercial side of Savannah will require novice or inexperienced cyclists to use the shoulder of the roadway or travel on the crowded sidewalk.

If I have choice between a separate pathway for my 6-year-old granddaughter or to have her on the roadway shoulder, I'd prefer the separate pathway of the 2-way plan. For my newborn grandson in his stroller, the choice will be the same. It's a no-brainer.

This plan may work for the elite or experienced cyclists but not for the vast majority of walkers, strollers, runners and novice/occasional cyclists who will have to choose a crowed sidewalk or the roadway shoulder as they leave the beach and travel toward downtown.

Thirdly, the 1-Way Path plan doesn't look safe to me since there will be multiple zones where driveway vehicles will cross the sidewalk and road shoulder - so-called safety conflict zones. There will be six to eight of these "conflict zones" on the 1-way Path Plan. This is a safety issue that is not present in the 2-Way Path proposed by DelDOT.

So, in my view, there is no choice but to approve the DelDOT 2-Way Pathway plan for this section of Savannah Road.

David A. Stuart
Lewes