Did the signalized crosswalks help?

This is the first year all the signaled pedestrian crosswalks on Route 1 between Five Points and Dewey Beach were fully operational. It's also the first full summer for operation of the expanded and realigned intersection at Cedar Grove, Postal Lane and Plantation Road.

Going into the thickness of the 2016 season, the jury was out on what impact all the pedestrian crossovers would have on Route 1 traffic and whether they would make for safer conditions for walkers, cyclists and drivers. Would the increased wait times at the signalized crossovers make for greater traffic backups? Would cyclists and pedestrians take advantage of the improvements?

Would the continuous sidewalks on both sides of the seven-mile stretch be a major plus?

With Labor Day weekend in the rearview mirror, we can now make observations based on experience. Traffic this summer backed up more along the most commercialized stretch of the highway, from a mile or so north of Midway to the entrance to Rehoboth Beach. Signalized crosswalks made that happen.

Gnarly? Without question. Impossible? No. Was the effort and multimillion dollar expense worth it? Absolutely. Based on fatalities and serious injuries, Delaware Cape Region's main street - the Route 1 corridor between Nassau and Dewey - was safer for pedestrians and cyclists. In addition, motorists approaching Route 1 from sideroads, particularly at the signalized crossover intersections, found getting into the main stream noticeably easier because of more frequent breaks in the north-south flow.

Once they entered the flow they might slow to a crawl - especially on Friday afternoons - but at least they were able to get in. Pedestrians and cyclists used the sidewalks and crosswalks, and at the Plantation Road/Postal Lane/Cedar Grove intersection, the new signal ended confusion, allowing traffic to move efficiently. That intersection is part of an important grid system that allows local traffic, especially, to better navigate through the rapidly developing area.

Every possible effort to keep that grid system advancing needs to be encouraged and funded so we can continue to at least keep up with, if not improve, traffic handling in our continually emerging city.