Milton officials contemplate speed limit changes

Milton’s Streets and Sidewalks Committee is having preliminary discussions about lowering speed limits on certain town-owned streets. 

The first set of streets up for discussion is in Wagamon’s West Shores. Committee Chair Randi Meredith said there has been a request to possibly lower the speed limit in Wagamon’s from 25 mph to 15 mph. She said the committee plans to reach out to the homeowners association to solicit the opinion of residents.

Ownership of Milton’s streets can be a bit complicated; major thoroughfares like Union Street, Federal Street, Chestnut Street or Mulberry Street are all maintained by the Delaware Department of Transportation. While the town could make a request to change speed limits on those streets, DelDOT has a statutory minimum speed limit of 25 mph. 

Most of the town-owned streets are within developments, like Wagamon’s West Shores, or are narrow connector streets between two main thoroughfares. 

Several town-maintained streets already have a 15 mph speed limit, including Reed Street, Tilney Street, Broad Street, Clifton Street, Coulter Street and all the streets in Cannery Village. 

Meredith said the idea of reducing speed limits is based in part on Federal Highway Administration studies that show the human body is unlikely to survive an uncushioned impact from a collision with a car going 20 mph or more. 

In addition, she said, there are many areas of town without sidewalks where pedestrians would have to walk in the streets, such as Shipbuilder’s Village, streets between Bay and Atlantic avenues, and streets between Mulberry and Union streets. She also noted there are streets that are too narrow for sidewalks, such as those between Federal and Chestnut streets. Meredith said the committee would consider whether it should recommend the town reduce speeds on those streets to either 20 mph or 15 mph.

The committee held its first meeting May 24. Meredith said there is no timetable for recommendations at this point.  

“This is a great group of engaged citizens and they are open to discussion,” Meredith said. “My hope is that every recommendation that comes out of this newly formed committee will consider all users of the public space.”

She said discussion of streets will not just be about motorists, but also about walkers and bicyclists, people who walk with children or pets, the elderly and disabled, and joggers.

“To achieve safe streets, the streets and sidewalks committee must always make our most vulnerable street and sidewalk users a major focus of the conversation,” Meredith said. “It can't just be, ‘How do we get these drivers through Milton as quickly as possible?’ That would only result in poor decisions with unacceptable risks to the health, safety and well-being of our residents and visitors.”