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Slow down and be safe this summer

May 29, 2018

Memorial Day. It's a day for all of us to pause and pay tribute to men and women who died defending the rights our nation has long promised. War has its promoters and its protestors, but all of us can come together to honor those who gave their lives to defend ours.

Memorial Day also offers a glimpse of the summer ahead. Holiday traffic brings stop-and-go gridlock along Route 1, but this year, tragedies began just after midnight May 25. Police say a pedestrian, just 22 years old, died when he stepped into the path of a northbound car on Route 1 just south of Dewey Beach.

The next day, a 76-year-old cyclist was struck by a turning car in Ocean View and suffered life-threatening injuries. Then on May 27, police charged a man with drunk driving after he crashed into a pickup. Three people were injured.

For residents and tourists alike, summer is time to slow down. Plan for any trip to take twice as long as it did in February. Tourism and traffic are part of living at the beach. Let the key word be living.

Besides crowded roadways, our growing network of scenic trails makes our region a popular destination for cyclists and hikers. Whole families with children in tow rode the trails this weekend, while others walked with strollers and toddlers.

With so many people on the trails, Delaware River and Bay Authority and Lewes city officials wisely agreed to lower the Freeman Highway speed limit from 50 mph to 40 mph, with a promise to consider other safety improvements on the bridge. It's a great step in the right direction to keep visitors and residents safe.

As summer heats up, our roads and trails will be busy. Trails that are serene in winter are now enjoyed by families and slower-moving groups. Pedestrians, runners, cyclists and, on the roads, cars will all share the same spaces. In summer we should expect our favorite places to be crowded with people enjoying what we enjoy all year long.

Let's slow down so we all safely reach our destinations.

 

 

  • Editorials are considered and written by Cape Gazette Editorial Board members, including Publisher Chris Rausch, Editor Jen Ellingsworth, News Editor Nick Roth and reporters Ron MacArthur and Chris Flood. 

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