The City of Rehoboth Beach is adding sidewalk stencils to help with bicycle safety in the resort.
The City of Rehoboth encourages bicycle and pedestrian traffic, but officials there want to ensure everyone gets where they want to go safely.
One concern is bicyclists' riding on sidewalks. No one 12 years of age or over is allowed to ride their bike on City sidewalks.
So city projects coordinator Evan Miller says Rehoboth has painted stencils at 45 intersections throughout town telling bicyclists to “Walk Your Bike.”
“The City felt that the stencils were a great way to help improve the safety of both the pedestrians, and bicyclists that we see here in the City,” Miller said.
Miller says the stencils appear on busy sidewalk intersections, including those along Rehoboth Avenue, Wilmington Avenue, Baltimore Avenue - and the canal bridge.
"Obviously in the summer the sidewalks can become extremely congested with pedestrians, especially near the beach-blocks," said Miller. "Whether it’s pedestrians headed to the beach, from the beach, out to restaurants, or just shopping around downtown - and when the sidewalks become congested bicycling on the sidewalks can be very dangerous.”
Miller notes the cost of painting stencils was minimal.
“We actually had borrowed the stencil that we’re using from a neighboring municipality. We’re using spray paint to apply the stencil, which is inexpensive.”
Miller says the idea for the stencils came from various City committees, as well as other First State municipalities using them, including Lewes and Newark.
He says the stencil message in those cities has been successful in keeping bicyclists off the sidewalks.
Miller says officials will monitor how well they work in Rehoboth, but suspects more will be used in the future.
