Route 1 through Dewey Beach can be an overwhelming experience for out-of-town visiting drivers not familiar with traffic patterns and local laws. During the summer, because of the volume of pedestrians along with signs of local establishments distracting drivers, I have witnessed many close calls between vehicles and pedestrians.
I'm afraid to say, as aesthetically pleasing as the new Dewey Wave wooden bollard fence is, it is unfortunately a dangerous design when considering vehicular sight distance. The volume of bollards along with foliage of trees in the median make it nearly impossible to see pedestrians walking the crosswalks in the opposite lanes and pedestrians standing in the central median area. If the crosswalk lights have not been activated, it becomes more dangerous.
My final observation is that the crosswalk lights are flashing yellows. This confuses many people not local to the area, as most driving laws consider a flashing yellow to mean slow down and use caution. For this reason, many visiting drivers do not realize they need to stop immediately for pedestrians, yet local pedestrians expect them to. I have noticed many upset pedestrians giving confused unsuspecting drivers a piece of their mind after close calls. I would suggest changing the flashing yellow lights to flashing reds, which is a more universal signal to stop immediately and then proceed with caution. Unfortunately, I'd also recommend the removal of a majority of the bollards from the Dewey Wave, as the negatives outweigh the positives when considering its effect on safety.
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.
