LITTLE CREEK, DE- Neighbors in the small town of Little Creek are raising alarms over speeding and road safety in their community. While the problem has persisted for years, neighbors say recent toll hikes on Delaware highways have worsened the situation, and many are fed up. A potential solution, however, may soon be on the horizon.
The town of Little Creek, located just off Route 1, has long struggled with speeding on its 25-mile-per-hour streets.
Denis Gentry, who has lived in Little Creek for 50 years, says speeding is nothing new.
"I've seen people go 60, and I holler at them to slow down. They hit the brakes a little bit and keep right on going."
Neighbors say the situation has reached a tipping point in the past month, following major toll increases for both in-state and out-of-state drivers on three highways—I-95, Route 1, and Route 301. The toll hikes, approved earlier this year through House Bill 164 and signed into law by Gov. Matt Meyer, took effect on August 15.
On Route 1, which runs past Little Creek, Delaware E-ZPass users now pay $1.50 on weekdays and $4 on weekends, while out-of-state E-ZPass holders and cash users pay $2.50 on weekdays and $6 on weekends.
Longtime neighbor Glenn Gauvry says the increases have worsened the speeding problem, with many drivers now using Little Creek as a shortcut to avoid the tolls.
"Now that they've increased the tolls, we're getting an awful lot more people trying to circumnavigate the toll routes, and they're coming through town. Nobody seems to pay any attention to the signs."
Mayor Edward Strouse, who has spent months coordinating with state leaders on a solution, says he is frustrated by the lack of progress.
"We've been going at this for at least five months, active dialogue with the state, and we still have no corrective action in place."
Little Creek has no police department and relies on the Delaware State Police for enforcement. Earlier this summer, Strouse explored hiring them to enforce the speed limit, but the state police raised their hourly rate from $99 to $140 starting July 13, making it too costly for the town.
Two weeks ago, traffic counters were installed at the north entrance to track vehicle volume and monitor speeding.
C.R. McLeod with DelDOT says the agency is exploring a solution for the town this fall.
In a statement to WBOC, DelDOT said: "Speeding is a problem on roads across Delaware, and we share Little Creek's concern about the danger this poses in their town. This fall, DelDOT will be converting the intersection at S. Little Creek Road and Bayside Drive to an all-way stop, and we are working with Little Creek on improved signage to alert drivers to the reduced speed limit through town that will hopefully have a positive impact in lowering speeds along Route 9."
While the all-way stop may provide some relief, Strouse says more permanent solutions—like installing speed cameras—are needed.
"It should help a little bit, but we need a more permanent solution. We would hope that the state would be amenable to traffic cameras. It doesn't require somebody to be there all the time. It's constant enforcement."
In August 2023, the town installed a stop sign at the corner of Main Street and Port Mahon Road. But many neighbors, like Gauvry, feel it hasn't been effective, which is why he believes speed cameras would be a better solution than an all-way stop.
"You put those electronic devices in those towns, and you're going to see a collapse of the speeding going through there. So that would be the ultimate solution."
Strouse says he has contacted state leaders and hopes that when the Delaware legislative session begins in January, legislators will prioritize solutions, including installing speed cameras in Little Creek, to address the town's long-standing speeding problem.