DOVER, Del. - As development continues south of Dover, transportation planners are taking a closer look at South State Street and how increasing traffic is affecting the people who use the corridor.
The Dover Kent County Metropolitan Planning Organization has launched Phase I of the South State Street Corridor Study, covering the stretch between U.S. 13 and S.R. 10.
The corridor connects Dover, Magnolia, Little Heaven and surrounding communities and is used by commuters, businesses, agricultural traffic and people traveling to medical offices, homes and other destinations.
The MPO says residential and commercial growth south of Dover is contributing to increased traffic and creating new transportation challenges.
For businesses along the corridor, those challenges can already be noticeable during the afternoon rush.
"Traffic kind of gets behind. And definitely during that four, four-thirty, it even gets worse," said Anika Cohen, a program manager at NorthNode Group Counseling along South State Street. "So that's really when we see an issue just exiting out of the parking lot."
The MPO says the study will examine existing traffic and safety conditions and how people move through the corridor — whether they are driving, walking, biking or taking public transportation.
"We found several roads that are having increasing capacity issues," said Malcolm Jacobs with the Dover Kent MPO. "There's commercial businesses going in there. We have more residences popping up. And State Street was one of those roads that's having more traffic."
Jacobs said the study is intended to identify potential improvements that could make the corridor safer and easier to navigate.
"Our plan is to come up with some recommendations for ways to improve the corridor and make sure people can get to where they're going safely and on time," Jacobs said.
The MPO says potential recommendations could eventually include pedestrian improvements such as crosswalks, bike lanes or sidewalks, although officials say it is too early to know exactly what changes will be proposed.
Phase I data collection is underway, with public outreach expected to begin in fall 2026.
The MPO also expects to hold a public workshop in the coming months and is encouraging people who regularly use South State Street to share their concerns.
