Unfortunately, it’s our occasional frustration with traffic. In fact, it’s an experience we have in common with the larger community and many who visit the Delaware beach resorts.

(Aerial view of the Route 1 entrance to Rehoboth Beach)

Now is your opportunity to learn more about what road improvements are being considered to increase traffic flow when entering the City of Rehoboth Beach. A Public Workshop will be held Monday, May 24 from 4 to 7 p.m. in the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center. Short presentations will be repeated on the hour with stations set up describing alternatives being considered.

Last year the General Assembly established the Rt. 1 Traffic Congestion Mitigation Committee, co-chaired by State Representative Peter C. Schwartzkopf and DelDOT Chief Engineer Carolann Wicks. Their bold leadership has this year provided a second left-turn lane onto Rehoboth Avenue, shared use of a section of the southbound bus lane, better signage, and other road improvements.

This year DelDOT appointed members of state, county, and municipal officials and business, civic, environmental, community and emergency service leaders to serve on the Rehoboth Beach Entrance Improvement Work Group. We should be pleased that there are several work group members representing the lesbian and gay community. We bring our better than average good taste along with a good measure of practicality!

The Purpose and Role: The Rehoboth Beach Entrance Improvements Work Group will provide suggestions, review alternatives, build consensus and make recommendations regarding improvements needed to the transportation system at the entrance to Rehoboth Beach, especially at the Rt. 1 and Rt. 1A/Rehoboth Avenue intersection, and connections between Rehoboth Beach and its surrounding communities.

The goal is to balance the competing transportation needs, preserve and protect the environmental resources, and accommodate planned growth in the beach area. The objectives for this project include considering safety, mobility/congestion, land use planning, aesthetics, natural and historic environment, and public outreach to meet the fore mentioned purpose and role for the work group.

The project area focuses on a 1½ mile section of Rt. 1 (Coastal Highway) from south of the Rt. 1B (Washington Street) intersection to north of Sea Air Avenue and along Rt. 1A (Rehoboth Avenue Ext.) from Rt. 1 to the Lewes and Rehoboth Canal Bridge. The project area also includes portions of the surrounding communities.

A stakeholder listening tour, public workshop, interviews, and work group meetings have produced a series of seven alternatives being considered to improve the entrance to the City of Rehoboth Beach. Several of these alternatives have options as variations that make it difficult to communicate effectively without graphic representations. Unfortunately, space limitations make including all existing graphics impossible. Along with advance apologies, we appreciate your effort to follow along.

Thanks to the Traffic Mitigation Committee our base conditions begin with a double left-turn lane and two inbound lanes on southbound Rt. 1 at 1A (Rehoboth Avenue Ext.). Other base conditions include West Rehoboth pavement resurfacing and a connection through Canal Point between Holland Glade Road and Hebron Road. While these improvements increase overall intersection capacity and permit more efficient signal operation, but they do not address long term capacity needs.

Alternative 1 adds to the base conditions by building a connection between Hebron Road and Canal Boulevard. This provides the missing connection between West Rehoboth and Rehoboth Beach.

The rest of the alternatives all contain 3 options to consider at the intersection of Rt. 1 at SR 1A (Rehoboth Avenue Ext.). Option A is at ground level and includes 3 northbound lanes and 2 southbound left-turn lanes. This is basically what will exist this summer and although it improves the situation will not address long term needs. Option B erects an overpass carrying northbound Rt. 1 lanes over southbound left-turn lanes into the city. This significantly increases intersection capacity, but impacts properties along the east side of Rt. 1. Option C erects an overpass of southbound left-turn lanes into the city over northbound Rt. 1. This also significantly increases intersection capacity, but significantly impacts businesses at that intersection.

Alternative 2 would limit traffic on SR 1A (Rehoboth Avenue Ext.) to one way traffic into the city. Two-way connection from SR 1A through Suburban Propane, along Canal Boulevard and Hebron Road to Rt. 1 would be built. While this alternative increases capacity entering and exiting the city it significantly impacts property owners and businesses. It was the most unpopular among the working group.

Alternative 3 provides 3 lanes along SR 1A (Rehoboth Avenue Ext.) 2 inbound and 1 outbound. It also adds the two-way connection from SR1A (Rehoboth Avenue Ext.) through Suburban Propane, along Canal Boulevard and Hebron Road to Rt. 1. This alternative increases capacity and provides missing connections. But it does affect some property owners and Suburban Propane, while fewer are affected than Alternative 2.

Alternative 4 also provides 3 lanes along SR 1A (Rehoboth Avenue Ext.) 2 inbound and 1 outbound. But, this alternative builds a two-way connection from SR 1A through properties opposite Atlantic Avenue (Crystal Restaurant) along Canal Boulevard, through Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Concern (DNREC) property, and exits at the Ames property to Rt. 1. This alternative increases capacity and provides missing connections. But, this significantly impacts DNREC property, Ames property, and properties opposite Atlantic Avenue.

Alternative 5 includes the previous two-way connection from Atlantic Avenue to the Ames property. This alternative adds to that a connection between the Ames property, crossing Holland Glade Road, behind Rehoboth Outlets 3, to the K-Mart driveway. While this provides an alternative Rt. to Rt. 1 from the city it has potential impacts to DNREC property.

Alternative 6 begins anew by building a new bridge across the canal connecting to Hebron Road and Columbia Avenue in the city. Again two lanes inbound would be designated on SR 1A (Rehoboth Avenue Ext.) A one-way outbound connection from SR 1A (Rehoboth Avenue Ext.) to Rt. 1 behind properties north along SR1A would be built. While this alternative increases capacity and provides missing connections it negatively impacts property owners and businesses on SR 1A (Rehoboth Avenue Ext.). This was perhaps the second least favored of the alternatives.

Alternative 7 is the newest of the suggested alternatives to be considered. There are a series of options as part of this alternative that include using existing lanes differently or widening SR 1A (Rehoboth Avenue Ext.) to include additional lanes. Using the existing lanes differently would include a combination of 1 or 2 lanes into or out of the city with a full or partial lane dedicated to turning. Widening SR 1A (Rehoboth Avenue Ext.) would include a combination of 2 lanes in and 2 lanes out of the city and partial turn lanes. This alternative negatively impacts trees, property owners, and businesses along Rehoboth Avenue Ext..

Alternative 7 was another alternative not popular with a number of the working group members. It is important to know that 2 lanes exiting the city onto Rt. 1 will not significantly increase capacity as it may first appear. This alternative does less to alleviate congestion by not allowing for the potential removal of a traffic signal at the intersection of Rt. 1 and SR 1A (Rehoboth Avenue Ext.).