Rehoboth’s new traffic, parking study recommends old fixes

December 16, 2023 2

The preliminary results are in from a summer-long traffic study in Rehoboth Beach, and the consultant that conducted the study has made several suggestions city officials have heard before – parking rates are too low, there’s a continued need for more downtown parking, signage should be improved, and there are insufficient facilities for bikes and pedestrians.

Maryland-based Rossi Group was awarded a $150,000 contract to conduct a traffic and transportation study. The company helped the city through its proposed redesign of the streetscapes on Baltimore and Wilmington avenues. This study is an extension of that original work.

During a commissioner workshop Dec. 4, Alexis Morris, senior planner for Rossi Group, presented the company’s initial results and some items that commissioners might want to work on before the study is completed in full.

Morris said the company conducted 128 hours of in-person observation over the course of four days during the summer, reviewed all past studies and conducted stakeholder surveys as part of the work.

Observations and information gathering show there’s a need for more parking downtown, she said. The lack of a parking garage is still an issue, but people said they’d be willing to walk three or four blocks if it meant they knew they could find parking.

“Maybe now is the time,” said Morris.

The city has insufficient facilities for bike riders and pedestrians, said Morris. She suggested King Charles Avenue, because of its wide travel lanes, could be a place for a bike/pedestrian demo project that includes specific lanes for non-vehicles.

Currently, the city’s pay-for-parking season is May 15 to Sept. 15, but Morris suggested extending the parking season to May 1 to Oct. 31. There could also be demand-based or location-based meter rates, she said.

Morris suggested the city evaluate the number of free parking passes it gives to each address. Other suggestions include possible implementation of a private shuttle funded by downtown businesses, a modification of the sidewalk stencil telling people not to ride their bikes on the sidewalk, and an improvement to the design of 30-minute parking spots to better alert drivers before they pull in.

Morris said survey respondents didn’t prioritize delivery trucks on the city’s main commercial streets, but the city could still explore policies related to truck size and delivery times.

Traffic light signals could be modified to allow for better traffic flow, said Morris.

Wording on signage could also be modified for clarity, she said.

Commissioner Toni Sharp said people don’t care what signs say and wanted to know how that would help.

Morris said modifying signs doesn’t necessarily improve anything, but it gives police and other city officials the ability to point to something if they witness rules being broken.

Mayor Stan Mills said the city isn’t likely to implement any of the suggestions before the 2025 season. Parking and street safety are among the most challenging things Rehoboth has to resolve, he said.

Following the meeting, in an email Dec. 7, Mills said staff have indicated they believe several of the preliminary short-term recommendations could be implemented before the 2024 parking season, including installation of additional Yield to Pedestrians signs, installation of Walk Your Wheels pavement markings on sidewalks, and pavement markings to increase visibility of 30-minute parking spaces. Other short-term projects suggested by Rossi will likely require further conversation and are not likely to be ready for the 2024 parking season, he said.

“Traffic and parking are topics of perennial conversation and concern in Rehoboth Beach. We keep chipping away at the issue,” said Mills. “I look forward to hearing about additional short-, mid- and long-term recommendations in the spring when the final report is submitted, and to working with city staff and stakeholders to continue to enhance the Rehoboth Beach experience, and addressing the consequences of Rehoboth’s popularity.”

Morris said the traffic study is expected to be completed by March or April.