Slow down and enjoy July Fourth
July Fourth is upon us, and the Cape Region is set to celebrate our nation’s independence in high style, with a full slate of celebrations starting with kids’ games, pie-eating contests, and bicycle and boat parades and then on to a regatta and other boat races, not to mention Lewes’ traditional Doo-Dah Parade.
Grills will be fired up from Slaughter Beach to Indian River and beyond, topped off with two nights of fireworks, starting in Dewey Beach on Saturday followed up by Rehoboth Beach on Sunday.
There’s plenty to do to keep busy over July Fourth weekend, and our very success at celebrating Independence Day brings with it some of the busiest travel days of the year.
Department of Transportation officials have been working for months to build sidewalks on Route 1, but long-awaited crosswalks in the Cape Region’s busiest, most congested commercial area will not be installed this summer.
That means pedestrians with shopping bags and children in tow will continue to defy traffic, attempting to cross Route 1 at random points along the highway. Cyclists – often including young children – are likely to ride on our busiest highway and try to cross it somewhere.
DelDOT cannot afford to hope for the best. A few signs have been posted in the Route 1 corridor, but officials should place additional signs and use any other means available to warn pedestrians and cyclists to obey traffic laws and call on drivers to slow down and be alert if people try to cross the highway.
State police must also increase their presence at critical intersections, including Dartmouth Drive after the ferry arrives in Lewes, to keep traffic traffic flowing. That would go a long way toward keeping tempers in check and travelers safe, whether they are in vehicles, on bikes or on foot.
In the end, though, it is everyone’s responsibility to take extra time and use caution when getting on the highway. This July Fourth, some Americans are celebrating new freedom proclaimed by the Supreme Court, while others continue to demand change that will one day bring freedom and justice to all.
