Improvements already making Route 1 safer
Contractors continued their steady progress this week on the new Route 1 sidewalks ribboning their way northward toward the Nassau Overpass. The sidewalks further cement - literally and figuratively - the status of Route 1 as the Main Street, and definitely the main drag, for Delaware’s Cape Region.
Although the new sidewalks are costing Delaware’s taxpayers millions, they are worth every cent of what’s being invested in terms of safety and further enhancement of one of the state’s major commercial areas.
New signalized crosswalks, featuring state-of-the-art technology, are being installed at several high-volume pedestrian locations. High, energy-efficient lights, installed in the last few years, are already doing their job of illuminating dangerous intersections at night.
Between the new sidewalks, the signalized crosswalks and the street lights, Route 1 will soon be the much-safer boulevard for bicyclists and pedestrians that the main street of Delaware’s Cape Region deserves.
For those wondering why it will also be safer for bicyclists, think of the sidewalks not as just sidewalks, but as multimodal trails. Rep. Pete Schwartzkopf, who led the initiative to pursue these many safety initiatives a few years back, reaffirmed recently that the sidewalks will be open for cyclists as well as pedestrians.
There will have to be sensible sharing since the sidewalks aren’t as wide as ideal multimodal trails would be. But cyclists sharing a narrow sidewalk with pedestrians is a whole lot safer than sharing a narrow shoulder/bus lane with cars and trucks.
The sidewalks also offer additional opportunities for aesthetic and recreational improvements. A little careful examination will reveal places here and there where shade trees can be planted and benches installed to enhance the walking experience. It only takes a few trees to establish the feeling of an honest-to-goodness boulevard.
And just as Rehoboth Beach marks its Boardwalk with distance measurements for walkers and cyclists, the same can be done along Route 1’s sidewalks so people can get a feel for how far they’re walking without having to stop and pushbutton their way through their smartphones.
Once it’s safer and friendlier, the creativity that Route 1 can engender is limitless.
