MILTON, Del. — As Milton continues to grow, neighbors are feeling the effects of increased traffic and infrastructure challenges. With major housing developments coming down the pipeline, the town is facing new transportation hurdles.
In response to these concerns, Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) and local officials held the first meeting of the Milton Traffic Advisory Group. The aim is to establish a Milton Transportation Plan by this winter.
Mayor John Collier emphasized that while they may not be able to fix every issue, they are committed to addressing local concerns on a broader scale.
"We’re getting down to the nitty gritty, they’ve identified Milton as an area of particular interest, this group works on the smaller and finer details. Pedestrian improvements, bicycling, a variety of things – but a little more concentration on town. It’s just another step in a long, long process," Mayor Collier said.
During the meeting, residents voiced their concerns about crosswalks, school crossing safety, heavy speeding, and the small size of roads. However, for some, the efforts may seem belated.
"I think it’s way too late, DelDOT should have done this 10 years ago – before they took the farms and started planting townhouses," said Kevin Fleming of Milton.
Tyler Teed is in the process of opening up a new business in town, and while he is excited by the growth and the new opportunities development provides for the area, he says the infrastructure needs some improvements,
"There’s a lot of work that needs to be improved, where the parking is, to the quality of the roads, to drainage – things like that."
But he is optimistic the town has it's finger on the issues and the potential of the new group,
"Definitely have some room for improvement, but I know the town is on board and their actively perusing those changes, we just had the road repaved on front street and the roads like glass now, so they're doing the job." he added.
The next meeting, a public workshop, for the new committee is scheduled for Thursday, May 16th in Milton. Residents are encouraged to attend and contribute to the discussion about improving traffic conditions in the growing town.
