Delaware’s hiking, biking initiatives impressive
The Junction and Breakwater Trail between Lewes and Rehoboth Beach rippled with joggers, walkers and bicyclers over the Memorial Day weekend. People in Rehoboth Beach traveled northward to Lewes for shopping, meals, recreation and visiting friends. People in Lewes traveled southward for the same reasons. People from the communities along the trail traveled in both directions.
The trail has quickly become a way of life for people in the region, and traveling back and forth between two great destinations is one of the main reasons why a national bicycling magazine recently ranked Delaware’s Cape Region as one of the nation’s top 10 pedaling destinations.
That’s now. When Delaware’s Division of Parks completes its careful studies and proceeds with an environmentally sensitive plan to link the trail system around Gordons Pond with the bicycle trails in the northern section of Cape Henlopen State Park, the region will rocket to the top of that national list. A loop trail of 25 miles or more along the cape, including two great beach towns, a national-caliber state park and all the associated wild, cultural and historical grandeur of the region will be irresistible.
These trails do so much to enhance the clean tourism industry so important for our region, improve our overall quality of life and encourage a more active lifestyle for a nation with too much childhood obesity and early-onset diabetes.
Delaware is taking a leadership role in helping its citizens become healthier. A recent resolution passed unanimously by both houses of the Legislature calls on Delaware’s Department of Transportation to play a more active role in linking the state’s communities with walking and bicycling trails.
Taking a page out of the Junction and Breakwater Trail model, the resolution – championed by Sussex Sen. Bob Venables, D-Laurel, – requires DelDOT to annually inform the Bond Bill Committee of what it is proposing to do to further walking and bicycling links between Delaware communities.
This is visionary thinking backed up by action and will serve Delaware positively for many decades to come.
