LEWES, Del. — Residents are raising concerns about bicycle safety along New Road, where a bike trail ends without a marked way to cross the street.
The section of the trail is located along New Road from the intersection of Park Road to Forecastle Lane. The location was identified in this letter, which was sent to Lewes' Bike and Pedestrian Committee.
The letter cites safety issues with the missing section of the trail, as well as the lack of signage to cross as the intersection of Forecastle Lane into the nearby Pilottown neighborhood.
“My mom doesn't let me bike there because of how fast cars go by there," said 12-year-old Fiona Nehrbas.
Nehrbas said she wants to use New Road to bike to her friends’ homes, who live down on that end of the city. However, Nehrbas said her mom isn’t comfortable with the conditions.
“With cars going by as fast as they go down there, and no real signage or lights, that's just not something we're comfortable with,” Megan Nehrbas said.
Julie Stevenson, another Lewes neighbor, said she thinks there are safety issues for bicyclists along the length of New Road.
“For example, the intersection of New Road and Old Orchard is nerve-racking," Stevenson said. "You have to speed up quite fast, and then you feel like you're too far on the side of the road. It would be nice to see an extended, proper bike trail there."
City leaders are considering finishing the existing trail and installing a crosswalk at the city’s bike and pedestrian meeting on Tuesday night. No final decisions have been made at this time.