I was looking at some biking information today and happened across the Delaware Bike News blog. I saw a great idea from them that I think is worthy of support.
At present there are no truly safe non-motorized crossings of the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal, creating a huge impediment to connecting Delaware’s networks of safe routes for bicycles. Fatalities have been recorded on the Reedy Point Bridge, as well as near misses on the Summit Bridge and the St. Georges Bridge in its current lane configuration.
The solution? Unfortunately I had to jump into the suggested letter to Carol Ann Wickes to get the details:
I strongly support the conversion of the two unused motor vehicle lanes on St. Georges Bridge to non-motorized lanes that could accommodate bicyclists, pedestrians and even people with disabilities. At present there are 14 lanes for motor vehicles on the four bridges in Delaware across the canal, but no safe non-motorized crossings of the C&D Canal. The central location of the St. Georges Bridge makes it an ideal choice to correct this major gap in Delaware’s networks of safe routes for bicycles.
Personally, I think this is a great idea. I plan to contact DelDOT and support it. Until I can actually get them to take my advice and fill the canal in and make a big park, this will do.