LEWES, Del. -- Potential improvements for two intersections in Lewes will be on the agenda at the city's next bike and pedestrian committee meeting. The talks come as some neighbors are raising safety concerns about the intersections' lack of crosswalks.
The first intersection is located at Gills Neck Road, at the start of the Lewes-Georgetown trail. City leaders are expected to discuss improving the intersection. Some walkers say gaps in pedestrian infrastructure create dangerous conditions where the trail meets traffic.
“When you go out onto Gills Neck Road, there's no sidewalk," Jennifer Maguire, who lives on Gills Neck Road, told WBOC. "You end up in the street. We're gonna do that right now as we walk into town. The road is pretty narrow, and there are no sidewalks; there is no bike lane. A lot of bikes then travel on that road, especially in the summertime."
Maguire said she thinks both a crosswalk and a sidewalk would be helpful on the road. The city does not have any plans to do either set in stone.
“I think it would be great if we had a sidewalk," Maguire said. "I would say bicyclists should even go on the sidewalk, because it's really hard for cars to pass on the left.”
A similar situation exists at an intersection along New Road near Forecastle Lane, as well as Captains Circle. There, a path for cyclists and pedestrians ends abruptly at the roadway, forcing people to cross traffic without marked assistance.
Some residents say the crossing feels especially unsafe for older adults.
“I'm 85, and my children always worry about me ever crossing that street; they tell me not to do it, so I don't," Mary Lou Bogia, who lives in the area, said Monday.
City officials are also considering adding crosswalks at that location to improve visibility and alert drivers to pedestrian traffic.
“I feel it's necessary. There are a lot of seniors who live here, and people who bike in this area. Something to keep that spot safe," Bogia said.
Lewes’ Bike and Pedestrian Committee is expected to discuss both intersections at its meeting scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, January 20th, at Lewes' city hall.