By Elle Wood

SLAUGHTER BEACH — The town continues to grow, and its leaders are seeking to add to the development with a bike path along Del. 36 to Milford.

Slaughter Beach Mayor Bob Wood said he wants to enhance the town’s infrastructure with the pathway, an idea that came about after discussions with cyclists about the dangers of riding bikes across busy roads.

“A lot of people ride bikes in the town, and this would be a safe way for them to get in and out of town,” he said.

Slaughter Beach has 250 residents, and many use bikes around the city and into Milford, which is 9 miles away.

“Milford is the town we go to for groceries and for eating dinner sometimes,” said Mayor Wood. “Milford is our sister city, kind of like our big brother.”

That partnership includes other initiatives, like a wind project, he said, adding that Milford helps Slaughter Beach grow because it has more residents to share news of development.

For the bike path, the University of Delaware’s Grant Assistance Program got the proposal in motion in May 2023, with $295,000 in funding for the planning process.

Now, the municipality is working on the next steps.

In January, Slaughter Beach held a meeting with various organizations, including Bike Delaware, the Department of Transportation’s Delaware Byways program and Southern Delaware Tourism, to discuss what will be upcoming for the bike path.

“People were overwhelmingly in favor of it,” Mayor Wood said, adding that a date has not been set for the beginning of construction.

He went on to say that this effort is one of many ways he wants to enhance the town.

“One thing I am really pushing for the town is to add as much infrastructure as I can,” the mayor said.

To that end, Slaughter Beach is updating its sewer system, a process that is also in the planning phase. Another amenity is a boardwalk that traverses through the Marvel Saltmarsh Preserve.

Mayor Wood said these investments ensure citizens that the beach town is worth their residency and involvement.