I am very excited about all the new bike trails that have been built recently. However, I am very disappointed and amazed that the state and county have not clearly marked all road crossings and made them safe.
I am happy to note that most all of the crossings in the city are clearly marked. I am an avid cyclist, and I will admit that bikers need to pay more attention and obey traffic signs and laws.
Families frequently use these trails, and many children as well as adults are unaware of the safety hazards, and do not know the “rules of the road.” Parents need to teach children about safety and the “rules of the road.” I hope that we don’t have to wait until there are additional accidents and/or fatalities to address this important bike safety issue.
I’m not sure what the standard is for road crossings, but keep in mind that all of these bike crossings are also pedestrian crossings. I think that each crossing should have at a minimum several signs in both directions, and the street should be clearly marked as a crosswalk. Busier roads and those with higher speed limits should have some sort of flashing light.
The following crossings do not have crosswalks marked on the street; most have a yellow sign, however that does very little to slow traffic down.
State and city police should note that these locations pose a public safety hazard: Sweetbriar Road, Minos Conaway Road, Nassau Road, Old Orchard Road, Ritter Road and Donovans Road.
There is another spot on the trail that is a safety issue. Bikes enter Gills Neck road on either side of the the Kings Highway bridge. Someone was already hit by a car at this location. A stop sign for bikers was installed after this incident. I suggest a sign for motorists: “Caution: bikes entering roadway.”
Bike safety is everyone’s responsibility, bikers and motorists. If Lewes and the surrounding area wants to be known as a bike-friendly town, let’s also make sure it is a bike-safety town.
Barry Dunkin
Lewes
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