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.
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