Rehoboth removes King Charles pedestrian improvements
A few months after a consultant said temporary pedestrian improvements on King Charles Avenue in Rehoboth Beach should remain permanent, the plastic bollards delineating those improvements have been removed.
The pilot program was the second phase of a city-wide traffic study conducted during the summer of 2023 by the city’s consultant Rossi Group. The consultant then made a number of short- and long-term recommendations, including the implementation of a traffic-calming and pedestrian improvement pilot program for King Charles Avenue. The improvements comprised curb bump outs at New Castle Street and crosswalks with relief islands in the middle at Stockley Street. The temporary plastic bollards were installed last spring, with the consultant conducting research this past summer.
During a meeting in October, the consultant said results from the summer-long pilot program suggested pedestrian improvements on one of the city’s widest streets are needed. Commissioners took no action at the conclusion of that discussion.
Lynne Coan, city spokesperson, said the temporary traffic-calming measures were removed in December. At this time, city staff have no direction from commissioners to move forward with making these measures permanent, she said.
This study is also the same one that recommended the city lengthen the parking season. During a meeting Dec. 20, commissioners said they will discuss this issue in 2025 for possible implementation for the 2026 season.
There are no plans at this time to bring other traffic study recommendations before commissioners, said Coan. Staff is working on a few administrative recommendations, though, such as signage, code clarifications and internal policies, she said.
Chris Flood has been working for the Cape Gazette since early 2014. He currently covers Rehoboth Beach and Henlopen Acres, but has also covered Dewey Beach and the state government. He covers environmental stories, business stories and random stories on subjects he finds interesting, and he also writes a column called Choppin’ Wood that runs every other week. Additionally, Flood moonlights as the company’s circulation manager, which primarily means fixing boxes that are jammed with coins during daylight hours, but sometimes means delivering papers in the middle of the night. He’s a graduate of the University of Maine and the Landing School of Boat Building & Design.
