The Dec. 26 Cape Gazette article regarding the Route 1 study seems like a surrender to the obvious. More crosswalks will slow down traffic and people drive to a speed that they feel comfortable at rather than one posted on a sign. Further, slowing speed below the natural speed the road commands contributes to accidents.
This goes back to previous comments regarding the Forgotten Mile. A wide, flat, straight road is designed for higher speeds than should be acceptable in a residential area. This is a design problem, and one that should be approached with a design solution. If posting a lower speed limit without reducing the natural speed limit results in accidents, it seems the obvious solution is to reduce the natural speed limit. Traffic calming is how this is done. Greater enforcement is one way to handle this, and Bethany Beach is a great example of how effective this can be. Raised crosswalks and stop lights triggered by excessive speeds are others, and, unlike policemen, have the benefit of being there 24/7/365.
The unfortunate fact of the matter is that for all the public hoopla nothing meaningful has been accomplished. It’s a shame as the momentum gained by loss of life has, itself, become a casualty of the road.
D. Lee McCreary
Rehoboth Beach
-
A letter to the editor expresses a reader's opinion and, as such, is not reflective of the editorial opinions of this newspaper.
To submit a letter to the editor for publishing, send an email to viewpoints@capegazette.com. All letters are considered at the discretion of the newsroom and published as space allows. Due to the large volume of submissions, we cannot acknowledge receipt of each submission. Letters must include a phone number and address for verification. Keep letters to 400 words or fewer. We reserve the right to edit for content or length. Letters should be responsive to issues addressed in the Cape Gazette rather than content from other publications or media. Letters should focus on local issues, not national topics or personalities. Only one letter per author will be published every 30 days regarding a particular topic. Authors may submit a second letter within that time period if it pertains to a different issue. Letters may not be critical of personalities or specific businesses. Criticism of public figures is permissible. Endorsement letters for political candidates are no longer accepted. Letters must be the author’s original work, and may not be generated by artificial intelligence tools. Templates, form letters and letters containing language similar to other submissions will not be published.
