Senate District 8 is based in Newark and also extends north to include parts of Hockessin and North Star. It borders both Maryland and Pennsylvania. (If you are not 100% sure whether you live in Senate District 1, you can search here using your address.) If you live in this district your choice on November 3 to represent you in the Delaware Senate is between Shane Cavanaugh and State Representative Mara Gorman. Using a multiple choice format, we asked these two candidates to share their views on five statements related to traffic safety in Delaware. Here are their answers
1) I voted for, or agree with, the Truth in E-Bike Marketing Act (HS 1 for HB 439), which prohibits commercial sellers from advertising high-speed electric motorcycles using terms like “electric bicycle” or “e-bike” and requires clear written disclosures regarding a vehicle’s legal classification, power, and licensing requirements.
Cavanaugh: Strongly Agree
Gorman: Strongly Agree
2) I voted for, or support, the recently passed HB 363, which allowed the default speed limit on streets in residential districts to be lowered to 20 mph.
Cavanaugh: Neither Agree or Disagree
Gorman: Strongly Agree
3) Single-vehicle run-off-the-road crashes account for over a third of Delaware’s fatal crashes. To address this, I would support legislation complementing HB 363 that lowers the default speed limit on low-volume rural roads (e.g. “tar and chip” roads) below the current 50 mph threshold.
Cavanaugh: Neither Agree or Disagree
Gorman: Agree
4) To further reduce traffic crashes on rural roadways, I support making Delaware’s rural road network more “self-explaining” using road surfaces and roadside design that convey a continuous visual message to drivers, providing more effective guidance than intermittent signage alone.
Cavanaugh: Agree
Gorman: Agree
5) To reduce crashes at intersections, I support the use of single-lane urban roundabouts and engineering those roundabouts to be slow speed junctions, keeping vehicle speeds under 20 mph at all potential collision points.
Cavanaugh: Agree
Gorman: Strongly Agree
6) Is there anything else about your record as an elected official, your experience or your views that you think is relevant to improving traffic safety in Delaware for the people you wish to represent in the 154th General Assembly?
Cavanaugh: Cycling is something that is close to our family, my Aunt is a Olympian in cycling and continues to inspire people. I believe community safety is a big topic and I will always stand with increasing safety over jeopardizing safety.
Gorman: As the Representative for the 23rd House District I have worked with the City of Newark to encourage safety improvements and traffic calming on Main Street and Cleveland Avenue. I am supportive of any effort that encourages not only cycling safety but access.
