House District 9 extends south from the C&D Canal along the Delaware River to the Cedar Swamp Wildlife Area and includes Odessa and Port Penn. (If you are not 100% sure whether you live in House District 9, you can search here using your address.) If you live in this district your choice on November 5 to represent you in the Delaware House of Representatives is between the incumbent Representative Kevin Hensley and his challenger Terrell Williams. We asked these two candidates to share their views on four questions related to traffic safety in Delaware. Here’s how they answered:
1)I voted for, or agree with, the Everyone Gets Home resolution (SCR 94 in the 151st Delaware General Assembly), which called for reducing traffic fatalities in Delaware to no more than 100 people each year by 2025 and also affirmed support for the Delaware Strategic Highway Safety Plan goal of no more 60 annual traffic fatalities by 2035.
Hensley: “Strongly Agree”
Williams: “Strongly Agree”
2) I voted for, or agree with, the Everyone Gets Home Act (HS 1 for HB 247 in the 152nd Delaware General Assembly) – Delaware’s first-ever anti-“stroad” law – which authorized DelDOT to acquire property rights along busy, high-speed, multi-lane highways to consolidate commercial entrances or to create new commercial interconnections if DelDOT determines such consolidation or interconnection would likely reduce serious and fatal crashes.
Hensley: “Strongly Agree”
Williams: “Agree”
3) support Delaware establishing a clear public policy that requires that every street, road and highway in the state be assigned to a specific functional category with clear design requirements to either facilitate safe and smooth traffic flow or safe direct access to properties (but not both) in order to help Delaware meet its goal of no more than 60 annual traffic fatalities by 2035.
Hensley: “Strongly Agree”
Williams: “Strongly Agree”
4) I support the construction of multimodal roundabouts that are safer than signal- or stop sign-controlled intersections for people driving, cycling and walking in order to help Delaware meet its goal of no more than 60 annual traffic fatalities by 2035.
Hensley: “Strongly Agree”
Williams: “Agree”
5) Is there anything else about your record as an elected official, your experience or your views that is relevant to improving traffic safety for the people you wish to represent in the 153rd General Assembly?
Williams: “I will be sponsoring legislation to bring a light rail system to Delaware to connect Northern Delaware with Southern Delaware. My goal would be to connect SEPTA and MARC transit systems, and create a regional interconnected public transportation system. This will allow Amtrak to become the high speed national rail system it was originally intended to be. Moreover, having a light rail system will reduce traffic congestion and roadway fatalities in Delaware.”
