DOVER, Del.- Concerns about speeding are accelerating in the city, now one councilmember is looking to address the issue with more speed radar signs.
Residents along Nob Hill Road and Marta Drive in the Clearview Meadow community are alarmed by the constant rush of cars zooming through their neighborhood.
"They come flying through like they are at Dover Raceway," said Francine Brown, President of Clearview Meadow's Homeowners Association, expressing her concerns about potential tragedies.
"We've had a couple of accidents in the community already with property damage, and we are really concerned it's going to get worse," Brown added.
Second District City Councilman Brian Lewis is actively looking for options to encourage drivers to slow down.
"I am coordinating with city staff to explore grants to get more speed radar signs as a deterrent," Lewis explained underlining the significance of his initiative as the chair of the Safety Advisory and Transportation Committee.
At the end of 2023, Dover only had four speed radar signs for the whole city to share.
"They rotate them around the city; they'll be placed in a neighborhood for a month, and then they'll be moved to another neighborhood that's having speeding issues," Lewis explained.
Ray Denson, who lives on Nob Hill Road, desires a more permanent solution.
"It's sort of like when you're driving on the highway and you slow down because you see a police car. But as soon as the police car is gone, you go back to speeding. So, we need more than just a deterrent," Denson stressed.
Councilman Lewis mentioned exploring speed cameras, but worried fiscal constraints might hinder their implementation last year.
Although some neighbors suggested speed bumps be installed, speed bumps are not allowed within Dover city limits because they could pose a problem for emergency service operations.
Lewis stressed that the speeding issues extend beyond the Clearview Meadow community, emphasizing, "It's all over the city. I'm focusing on the second district because that's what I represent, but speaking with my colleagues, it is in their districts too. So, we have to do something because, God forbid, a kid gets hit by a car, an animal, or whatever the case may be."
Trailer-mounted speed signs cost about $7,000, while pole-mounted signs cost around $3,000, not including installation fees. In December of last year, Dover leaders sought grants through Delaware's Office of Highway Safety and the Community Transportation Funds via the General Assembly to bolster their efforts in addressing this concern.
As of June of 2024, Councilman Lewis had acquired the grant funding to purchase a total of eight radar signs to help curb speeding throughout the city. Lewis tells WBOC the Dover Police and community members will help decide where to place all of the new signs.
"These eight plus the remaining four are going to be disseminated throughout the city," Lewis said. "How we are going to go about doing that is through coordination with the police department to find out what major areas have speeding concerns and also through citizens calling in and complaining about speeding in their neighborhoods."
