Why Should Delaware Care?
Residents have long complained about traffic congestion near the beaches in eastern Sussex County. Now, DelDOT is considering several projects to ease that congestion at costs of hundreds of millions of dollars. But residents will have a say in which path they choose.
Delaware’s transportation officials are considering widening principal highways that weave through Sussex County to its popular beaches.
As part of a study to examine ways to ease congestion along its coastal corridors, the Delaware Department of Transportation recently presented to the public three different ways to redesign Routes 16, 9 and 24.
Properties along Routes 9 and 24 also are the sites of three controversial developments proposing new shops and homes in the rapidly growing region.
All three proposals would widen Route 24 west of Rehoboth Bay. All three also would build a bypass around the Main Street section of Route 16 in Milton – though there are three different locations proposed.
The proposals for Route 9 would either widen a stretch of highway between Georgetown and Lewes, or build a new connector road around it.
During a public meeting last month, DelDOT officials presented maps illustrating with traffic data the congestion that many residents experience regularly on Routes 9 and 24. They also noted Milton’s plans to transform a section of Route 16 into a pedestrian- and bike-friendly “Main Street,” which planners said that could worsen traffic congestion there.
At the meeting, DelDOT Senior Project Planner Leah Kacanda emphasized that the agency may ultimately change details of their proposal, but said they offer a useful framework to think about ways to improve the corridor.
She said DelDOT is trying to learn when widening a road could work in a community, and when other changes to the transportation network could address the same concerns.
During the meeting, DelDOT representatives also presented analyses of each proposal’s cost, safety and effectiveness at easing traffic congestion.
For example, the proposal to build a bypass around Route 16 and widen Routes 9 and 24, would cost $400 million, according to DelDOT projections. Though it is the cheapest option, it scored the best among DelDOT metrics that included safety, access, and traffic congestion improvements.
DelDOT spokesperson C.R. McLeod said his agency will host additional public workshops and meetings regarding the corridor in the near future, but the dates have not yet been finalized.
Get Involved: To comment before the public meetings occur, contact DelDOT public information by email at coastal-corridors@publicinput.com and by taking the survey, which is open until Jan. 9.
Will the plans ease traffic congestion?
While DelDOT’s planners believe their proposals would ease congestion, many scholars question whether building new roads or widening existing ones help improve traffic conditions in the long run.
Nina David, an urban planning professor at the University of Delaware, said that as roadways become wider and able to accommodate more cars, more people choose to drive during peak times.
That leads to the same or worse congestion as before a widening, she said, describing a phenomenon called “induced demand.”
“Maybe road-widening expansion projects have short-term benefits, but not so much in the middle and long term,” David said.
David also suggested that while road widening or building new roads may work in some scenarios, they should be paired with increased public transport, pedestrian access and bike routes.
“One solution usually is never enough,” David said. “It usually takes a comprehensive package of policies to address any one issue.”
When reached for comment about David’s remarks, McLeod pointed to a slide presented at DelDOT’s Nov. 12 meeting stating “widening roads alone won’t completely address traffic congestion, nor other risks.”
The presentation laid out several other ways to address congestion, including promoting alternate forms of transportation and coordinating land use decisions, but did not present a specific plan to achieve those goals.