Newark council orders quick study and short-term fixes after two student deaths on Main Street

Newark Mayor Travis McDermott and the City Council on May 12 directed staff to accelerate a package of short-term and long-term safety measures for Main Street after two pedestrian deaths this school year and other serious incidents.

The move follows a city manager presentation of speed-study data showing that certain blocks of Main Street have frequent high outlier speeds — including one detected vehicle at 82 mph — and that the corridor’s 85th-percentile speeds exceed posted limits at the eastern end. City Manager Tom Coleman asked the council to “direct staff to work with DelDOT, Aetna, and UD to develop recommendations for council consideration” and to return with options the council could implement this summer, as well as a longer-term plan.

City officials said the impetus for the accelerated work is the recent deadly incidents involving fleeing suspects, and the immediate goal is to reduce speeds, improve sightlines and protect pedestrians while more comprehensive changes are developed. Coleman told the council he had activated “your speed” radar signs and that staff had identified curb and tree trimming, daylighting of crosswalks, and removal of 8–10 parking stalls near crosswalks as near-term…