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Bethany Beach committee and police step up bike-safety outreach ahead of July 4
Summary
The Bethany Beach Bicycle & Pedestrian Safety Committee and the police department reviewed recent crashes, praised volunteer-led training, and organized distribution of reflective gear and bike lights for July 4 parade staging; the committee approved canceling its July meeting to focus on outreach operations.
The Bethany Beach Bicycle & Pedestrian Safety Committee heard a detailed police report in June and organized an outreach push ahead of the July 4 parade.
Chief Foley of the Bethany Beach Police Department described recent outreach events — a shoplifting and bike‑safety seminar, a Saint Anne’s bike class served by the ABC bike ministry, and a foreign‑student picnic — and said the department distributed 30 reflective bags and first‑aid kits funded by an Office of Highway Safety grant. Foley said some recent fatal collisions involving cyclists occurred outside Bethany Beach limits but stressed the department’s goal of preventing similar incidents locally through education and targeted enforcement. "Ride safely, be predictable, be visible, and get home safely," Foley said as the summary message for the department’s materials.
Committee members and the chief reviewed multiple near‑miss examples captured on body and dash cameras, including riders traveling the wrong way on Coastal Highway and an electric‑bike rider blowing a red light at Saint Anne’s. Foley said patrol officers have emphasized education-first contacts — a short roadside conversation instead of automatic citations in many cases — and that seasonal officers and volunteers handed out safety materials during outreach.
With tourism and visitor crowds increasing for holiday weekends, members debated distribution methods for safety gear. Chief Foley said many clip‑on bike lights were acquired through an Office of Highway Safety grant and offered to reserve roughly 50 light sets for parade staging and checkpoints. Members proposed installing lights on bikes at the staging area rather than simply handing them out, to improve immediate use and limit loss; Foley advised that officers ask riders to step off bikes before installation for safety and optics.
The committee also reviewed infrastructure updates: two new crosswalks were installed (one across from Wawa and one at 26 and Treetop Lane), and members noted DelDOT has committed to completing signal programming at the 1 and 26 intersection by July 4. Town staff and committee volunteers will staff parade and trolley outreach; members agreed to pair up for shifts and to document key takeaways from interactions for an August follow-up.
As a procedural outcome, the committee voted to cancel its regularly scheduled July meeting so members could support the July 4 operations. The motion was moved, seconded and approved during the June session.
Next steps: the police department will finalize the allocation of light sets and sandwich‑board flyers for the parade, committee volunteers will collect supplies from town storage, and members will report back in August with outreach learnings and any recommended adjustments to distribution policy.
