Starting this summer, visitors and residents in Lewes will have a new way to travel.
This small coastal town is set to launch Lewes Line, a pilot seasonal transit system, after City Council approved the plans in a 3-1 vote, with one abstained, during its meeting on Monday.
The vote also authorized the city to lease five retired paratransit buses from the Delaware Transit Corp. for $1 per bus. The lease would be in effect until Dec. 31, 2024, and council members requested that Delaware Transit add a clause that allows the city to get out of the lease if the pilot program was canceled.
The goal of the seasonal transit is to help residents and visitors get around town, including spots like the Cape May-Lewes Ferry, Johnnie Walker Beach, Lewes Beach and the downtown area.
Lewes Line would run daily from Friday, May 27, through the end of September, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. The fare was originally proposed at $1 for a full day of riding, but City Manager Ann Marie Townshend said the fare is not yet confirmed. The city may adopt a per-ride fare to avoid litter from any kind of day pass.
The approval of the lease allows city staff and council to move forward and establish some of these details.
The cost of setting up Lewes Line, including insurance and hiring drivers, is estimated at around $157,000. The projected revenue is $20,000.
MORE ABOUT LEWES LINE: This beach town is tackling parking issues with a new seasonal transit option. Meet Lewes Line
BACKGROUND ON PARKING:Some big parking changes are coming to Delaware beaches. What that says about tourism
Lewes City Council also voted to set a public hearing to address the city’s beach parking plan for Thursday, March 10, at 6 p.m. at the Margaret H. Rollins Center.
This public hearing is meant to collect feedback on specific questions raised in the report that Townshend presented on Monday.
One big takeaway from that report: Lewes will not be implementing a parking permit system in 2022. Because the city received hundreds of comments during its January public workshop, Townshend said the city did not have enough time to go through the feedback in a meaningful way before the summer.
The city does, however, plan to clarify and identify available parking spaces through markings and signage. This means the council needs to consider…
- If the city should designate on-street parking for residents who do not have off-street parking,
- if parking should be permitted on the paper streets — the open space that was never developed into marked or paved streets off Cedar Street, and
- if the city should mark the side streets where parking is currently not allowed off Cedar Street.
The plan also includes a proposal to delineate parking spaces — through timber parking bumpers and signs — and add two paved parking spaces that are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act at Roosevelt Inlet.
The cost of this project is estimated between $28,000 and $35,000. The gravel parking lot at Roosevelt Inlet does not currently have marked or metered spaces.
For more information about the city’s beach parking plan, visit the City of Lewes website.
Emily Lytle covers Sussex County from the inland towns to the beaches. Got a story she should tell? Contact her at elytle@delmarvanow.com or 302-332-0370. Follow her on Twitter at @emily3lytle.
