As a local resident, I have grown increasingly concerned about traffic in and around the area, particularly in the Lewes community. Now that the summer visitors have mostly left, I wanted to point out a few continuing problems I have observed with driving behavior (or lack thereof):
Gills Neck Road should be renamed and advertised as “Delaware Motor Speedway 2.” Is there anyone who lives off the road who drives at the 35 mile-per-hour speed limit, let alone the 25 mile-per-hour limit as you approach town. Where are you going in such a rush?
I have been passed notwithstanding the double yellow lines when doing the speed limit at various and regular points on the road by all manner of vehicles with Delaware tags. One of the Cadbury residents or a bike rider will surely suffer a serious accident before long, I fear. I have never seen the Lewes Police or the state police monitoring traffic on Gills Neck. Why not?
New Road is not far behind. Again, is there anyone who drives at the speed limit 40 miles per hour? Far worse, I know of very few who abide by the 25 mile-per-hour limit when on it in town, where I have felt my bumper routinely all but touched by the Delaware car or truck behind me when I adhere to that lower limit.
I have only seen one cruiser monitoring the speed on this in-town section of New Road on one occasion recently. Are we missing some serious revenue opportunities here? More importantly, are we an accident waiting to happen?
Is it now legal to use a hand-held telephone in Delaware while driving? I think I missed the change in the law. I estimate that 20-25 percent of the drivers dropping children off at Shields, for example, are driving one handed with a phone in the other. I see our finest driving in police vehicles around town with a phone held in one hand to their ear, too.
When was the last time someone was stopped and ticketed for inattentive driving due to one handed, telephone in the other, driving? I suggest anyone even standing on the side of Savannah Road would witness plenty of drivers talking on a hand-held phone while moving about town.
Parking is not being enforced evenhandedly. Recently, six cars were parked on the inbound side of Kings Highway for an extended period on a busy Saturday without being ticketed. Why? They were just around the corner from City Hall, so it is hard to believe that no one in authority noticed them.
I approve of the meter enforcement, but in and around Second Street is not the only area where parking regulations apply. For example, what does the sign mean at Lloyd's directing 30-minute parking behind the sign at the corner of Manila and Savannah? One can regularly find vehicles parked at or near the stop sign, pointing either toward Savannah or down Manila (the wrong way), on the wrong side of the parking sign, I believe.
These, unfortunately, are but a few of my observations. I invite comments from the community and our officials.
Joe Lewis
Lewes
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