Scooters, bikers, walkers, hikers - make way
Delaware’s Cape Region continues to evolve toward a way of life where transportation represents a major component of the destination. Transportation is no longer just a means toward an end. For the most part, unless you’re a rollerblader struck by a hit-and-run driver, transportation is an enjoyable part of the coastal experience.
People aren’t just driving to Dewey Beach for a drink and a meal and to spend time with friends. They’re combining responsibility with pleasure by hopping aboard the Jolly Trolley, contracting a limo, or using the water taxi to add to the experience. They’re walking and bicycling and scootering to the beach and enjoying the sights, sounds and smells - caramel corn mixed with salt air - that go along with being alive and active outdoors. They’re strolling the sidewalks of our towns and along the Route 1 corridor for entertainment and shopping. They’re bicycling and hiking between Lewes and Rehoboth Beach on the Junction and Breakwater Trail for breakfast and lunch.
This is all good. There’s a limit to how many more cars our area can accommodate, but we have lots more room for walkers, bicyclists, rollerbladers, bikers and scooter riders.
Improving ways to travel through our region making transportation an increasingly important attraction - will create positive economic and environmental impact. That’s why it’s so important that we focus on making all these transportation options safe and enjoyable.
That’s why the discussions in Rehoboth Beach about how to find solutions to effectively provide affordable and convenient parking for scooters are so important.
And that’s why it’s so important to think creatively about defining safe bicycle lanes along Coastal Highway - such as painting a proverbial yellow brick road connecting its way through the various parking lots in front of and behind stores - to provide safer routes for cyclists. Let’s also experiment with a few open-air buses on Route 1 to further encourage ridership in the warmer months.
This is all about improving access, defending the natural world we love, and adding more sizzle to our magnificent resort region.
We should embrace it all with open arms.
