I couldn't believe my eyes at first, when I read your July 12 editorial urging a master plan to tackle the woes of our main highway ("Route 1 task force must think big"). But there it was - the word "aesthetic."
Thanks for recognizing (if indirectly) that not only has the road become unsafe, but also unsightly. The route we use to travel to beautiful beaches and towns displays the very opposite of beauty - a mess of overhead wires, asphalt oceans, out-of-control signage (both private and public), and commercial decay.
The few grassy medians that survive have no landscaping.
Ironically, you call it "our main street," but it offers none of the visual appeal, pedestrian (or vehicular) safety, or amenities of the real thing.
How did this happen? The popularity of our beaches led to more traffic, which led to the need for "improving" the highway, which led to more traffic, more improvements, and on and on it has gone for decades. The result: an incredibly wide and gruesome gash.
Is it too much to ask that Route 1 be both safe and easy on the eyes? Any redesign for the former should include the latter.
Arnold Berke
Rehoboth Beach
-
A letter to the editor expresses a reader's opinion and, as such, is not reflective of the editorial opinions of this newspaper.
To submit a letter to the editor for publishing, send an email to viewpoints@capegazette.com. All letters are considered at the discretion of the newsroom and published as space allows. Due to the large volume of submissions, we cannot acknowledge receipt of each submission. Letters must include a phone number and address for verification. Keep letters to 400 words or fewer. We reserve the right to edit for content or length. Letters should be responsive to issues addressed in the Cape Gazette rather than content from other publications or media. Letters should focus on local issues, not national topics or personalities. Only one letter per author will be published every 30 days regarding a particular topic. Authors may submit a second letter within that time period if it pertains to a different issue. Letters may not be critical of personalities or specific businesses. Criticism of public figures is permissible. Endorsement letters for political candidates are no longer accepted. Letters must be the author’s original work, and may not be generated by artificial intelligence tools. Templates, form letters and letters containing language similar to other submissions will not be published.
