At the Bike Delaware Everyone Gets Home Summit in Dover on May 4th, the message of safety was emphasized because of a trending increase of 8% in the state’s traffic deaths.
The event’s special speaker was Minnesota Department of Transportation State Traffic Safety Engineer Derek Leuer. Minnesota has the lowest traffic fatalities per capita in the nation.
Summit Key Point
- Strouds are the “futons of transportation”—a combination that is not good at the two things it wants to be. Streets, which are designed to have many entrances and driveways for interaction between residences and businesses, and roads, which are designed for fast thruway travel, are united. Bottom line: Stroads are dangerous—especially for pedestrians and cyclists.
Approximately a third of the summit attendees were from the Delaware Department of Transportation. Other audience members included interest groups from cycling and pedestrian as well infrastructure professionals.
State government representatives introduced four current efforts to reduce traffic deaths:
- 90 MPH Is Reckless Driving
- Child Safety Seat Act
- Open Your Beer When You Get Home
- Targeted Electronic Speed Enforcement in Work Zones and Residential Areas
WCBC helped aid the summit’s safety message with a supporting sponsorship donation and a display table participation. Delaware State Rep. Frank Cooke (RD-16) gave a shoutout to the WCBC proudly recited his participation in Club activities.