Delaware’s Department of Transportation’s traffic safety team will launch a study into Old Capitol Trail to see what safety changes can be made.
A Brandywine Springs Elementary student was struck and critically injured May 22 after being dropped off by their school bus.
State Rep. Kim Williams, State Sen. Spiros Mantzavinos and New Castle County Councilmember Brandon Toole joined more than 30 community members Monday evening to discuss the need for more safety measures in the area. The group met at the Mill Creek Fire Company.
“With the success of McKennans Church Road Speed Camera, we are actively pursuing a camera in Old Capitol Trail,” Toole said. “Col. Jamie Leonard and S.Sgt. Gregory Bruno presented data on the effectiveness of the currently deployed cameras and are hoping [to] share this success with implementation on Old Capitol Trail.”
Toole added two roundabouts are already funded in the area with the goal of calming traffic. The projects will soon enter the property acquisition stage.
Many attendees called for speed camera installations along Old Capitol Trail, while others discussed the area’s lack of infrastructure.
The Trail doesn’t have sidewalks or designated crosswalks.
A DelDOT engineer attended the meeting to hear community concerns, and Director of Community Relations C.R. McLeod reported there isn’t a crash history in the area, but he and his colleagues still want to address concerns and prevent future injuries.
“Just because we haven't seen them happen frequently doesn't mean there's not close calls… So we're going to look at the speed limit,” McLeod said. “Currently it's 35 miles per hour. We're going to do another study just to see what the average speed is out there – do we need to consider lowering the speed limit?”
McLeod said DelDOT will also review signage in the area, especially those indicating frequent bus stops.
Parents at the meeting heavily suggested adding speed bumps in the area, which McLeod confirmed his traffic safety team will also consider.
The attendees requested a follow-up meeting in September for updates.
