DelDOT says Camp Arrowhead crosswalk will stay
It appears state transportation officials will not back up a statement to remove a crosswalk near a curve on Camp Arrowhead Road made in August by former Delaware Department of Transportation Secretary Jennifer Cohan.
According to C.R. McLeod, director of communications, DelDOT engineers have determined that the project would include more than removing striping on the roadway. “We’d have to remove the shared-use paths – constructed by the developer – on both sides of the road to prevent people from using the crossing, otherwise crossings would still be attempted,” he said.
McLeod said the developer will remove some trees that contribute to sight issues, and DelDOT will install rapid-flash beacons to warn approaching vehicles of the crosswalk.
The decision does not sit well with residents who joined forces to raise awareness about the crosswalk on an S-curve connecting two sections of Marsh Farm Estates. Construction is still underway on the development.
Judy Kane, who lives in the Angola area, has written a letter to Nicole Majeski, acting DelDOT secretary, asking for reconsideration of the decision.
She wrote: “I do not understand why what Jennifer Cohan said would happen just months ago is now a no go. There surely must be a better solution. One such solution is to remove the landing pads and crosswalk, and reroute the shared-use paths back into the community sectors.
“Please note there is another crosswalk at the corner of Camp Arrowhead and Waterview. Is this not sufficient to move pedestrians from one side of Marsh Farm Estates to the other? With all due respect, DelDOT created this problem and should find a safer solution. The two flashing lights now do little to slow traffic and serious accidents have occurred on the S-curve. It's ironic the crosswalk was put in between the flashing lights in the first place, since they were supposed to act as warnings to a dangerous stretch of road ahead.
“The Camp Arrowhead crosswalk was the topic of much discussion last year and will continue to be controversial if it stays. The residents of the Angola area will once again react to this decision and ask, once again, for a better, safer, solution, as promised last August.”
