Dewey implements fee for jaywalkers
In an effort to improve pedestrian safety and enforce the use of crosswalks, Dewey Beach will now be giving citations to people who jaywalk.
Those who receive citations will have to pay a “material fee,” said Mayor Bill Stevens at town council’s May 16 meeting.
“The town, the state and the police department have worked very hard to get people to use the crosswalks,” Town Manager Bill Zolper said at the meeting. “There’s been a big public safety push for that, and we want people to be safe when they cross the road.”
Jaywalking has been a big issue in the town in the past, so officials hope the fee will serve as a deterrent.
The town has also installed ropes and posts along the center island, known as the Dewey Wave, to deter people from jaywalking.
The exact fee amount has not yet been announced, but town officials say it will be hefty.
Ellen McIntyre is a reporter covering education and all things Dewey Beach. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Penn State - Schreyer Honors College in May 2024, then completed an internship writing for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. In 2023, she covered the Women’s World Cup in New Zealand as a freelancer for the Associated Press and saw her work published by outlets including The Washington Post and Fox Sports. Her variety of reporting experience covers crime and courts, investigations, politics and the arts. As a Hockessin, Delaware native, Ellen is happy to be back in her home state, though she enjoys traveling and learning about new cultures. She also loves live music, reading, hiking and spending time in nature.
