Lewes council approves Savannah Road project

After months of debate, Lewes Mayor and City Council will move forward with bicycle and pedestrian improvements on Savannah Road.

The ball is now in the court of the Department of Transportation, as council rejected the agency’s proposed plan and offered their own alternative. Ann Gravatt, DelDOT planning supervisor in charge of the Transportation Alternatives Program, which will help pay for the project, said DelDOT’s engineers have not seen Lewes’ alternative. 

The original plan called for streetscape, landscape and other improvements along Savannah Road from the Lewes-Rehoboth Canal to the beach beyond Dairy Queen, including a controversial two-way 8- to 10-foot-wide bike and pedestrian path along the marsh-side of the roadway. Lewes’ alternative narrows the path to a 5-foot bike pathway in order to add a second bike lane on the opposite side of the road, where bicyclists would ride in the same direction as vehicular traffic. 

Mayor Ted Becker said there appears to be enough room to shift vehicular travel lanes a few feet to accommodate the second bike lane, although some residents questioned the safety of the plan.

The original project was to be completed in two phases; Lewes’ alternative only changes Phase 1 of the project, from the canal to American Legion Road. Though the project may take longer, Lewes’ alternative is still expected to be completed in two phases. 

Gail van Gilder, chair of the Historic Lewes Byway, said the goal of the project is to improve safety, beautify the beach side of Savannah Road, preserve the natural environment of the marsh and provide educational opportunities for the public. 

“This project is much more than a bike path,” she said. “It is a community enhancement project that will upgrade the streetscape and revitalize our city.”

The project is being funded through DelDOT’s Transportation Alternatives Program, which receives funding from the Federal Highway Administration. DelDOT manages and allocates funds to projects it deems worthy. The City of Lewes will be responsible for 20 percent of the cost of the project, with the remaining 80 percent covered by federal funds. 

DelDOT’s original proposal for the first phase was estimated at $535,000, with the city contributing $107,000. The Lewes alternative would cost more, Becker said, but he is unsure just how much more at this time. 

Beautification and other enhancements along Savannah Road are included as part of the Historic Lewes Byway Corridor Management Plan and they are also mentioned in a study on the marine-commercial zoning district by planning consultant Environmental Resources Management, said Councilwoman Bonnie Osler. Becker said the affected business owners on the stretch of road are mostly in favor of the project, with many saying they’ve asked for improvements for more than a decade.

Osler, who has been very critical of DelDOT’s plan, said the city’s alternative provides a much safer option for bicyclists. 

Two-way bike and pedestrian traffic would be completely unacceptable, Osler said. “We want to emphasize not just what’s important for good bicycle etiquette, but we also want to keep people traveling safely over the bridge,” she said. 

Osler expressed her continued concerns about the safety of bicyclists and pedestrians on Gills Neck Road, where the Junction and Breakwater Trail and the new Lewes-to-Georgetown Rail with Trail end, with limited access for people to get into town and onto the proposed bike path to the beach.

“I think we have to do something about signage to ensure walkers and bikers and cars are safe on that very, very narrow street,” she said.

Deputy Mayor Fred Beaufait said he was happy the city could find an alternative that works. 

“Up until a few days ago, I think a number of us felt like it was [DelDOT’s] concept or nothing,” he said. “I’m very pleased to have this alternative now. It gives us a very workable solution we can go with. We have a platform we can move forward with that will enhance Savannah Road.”

In passing a motion to move forward with their own alternative, council also appointed Beaufait and Councilman Rob Morgan to work with DelDOT officials to flesh out their alternative. 

Gravatt said funding is still available, but the project may have to be pushed back a fiscal year.

The city’s alternative was well received from the large crowd who attended the meeting; however, not everyone was pleased with the new direction. Some residents said a bridge should be built over the canal and continue to follow the railroad tracks, while others said a bike path on both sides of the road could be more dangerous than anticipated, particularly on the business side of the road with cars pulling in and out of parking lots.