Delaware

DART Beach Bus back in service May 20. Plus, where to find more free beach parking

Published

1 year ago

May 20, 2024

DART Beach Bus back in service May 20. Plus, where to find more free beach parking

Whether you frequent the beach during the summer or have a few short trips to visit friends planned, paying for parking can be just as much of a headache as finding it.

While most parking areas at the Delaware beaches require payment or passes to park, some spots are offering limited free parking for whoever gets to it first.

If you want to save some cash this summer, here’s how you can enjoy free parking in Delaware beach towns.

Free parking in Dewey Beach

Dewey offers paid parking on all public streets from May 15 to Sept. 15, but free parking every Monday, excluding federal holidays, from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.

For those with a handicapped placard or license plate, accessible parking is available for free in any zone. Your placard or plate serves as your permit.

Free parking in Rehoboth Beach

Paid parking by meter or permit in Rehoboth is enforced from May 15 to Sept. 15. Permits are required from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and metered spaces are required from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Free parking is available after these times.

Rehoboth requires those with handicapped permits to pay meter fees or purchase a parking permit during times when parking payment is enforced.

Free parking in Fenwick Island

Parking permits and paid spots are required from May 15 through Sept. 15 between 9 a.m. and 10 p.m. in Fenwick. Free parking is available after this time.

Fenwick requires those with handicapped permits to pay meter fees or purchase a parking permit during times when parking payment is enforced.

Beach parking guide: Delaware beaches reinstate meter, permit parking on May 15. How much will it cost?

Free parking in Bethany Beach

Public parking in Bethany requires payment or a permit from May 15 to Sept. 15. Parking rates are enforced from Hollywood Street to First Street from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m., and on all other streets from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Free parking is available after these times.

Bethany requires those with handicapped permits to pay meter fees or purchase a parking permit during times when parking payment is enforced.

Free parking in Lewes

Lewes enforces paid parking from May 1 to Sept. 30 at the beaches and until Oct. 14 downtown. Hourly parking costs $1.50 at metered spots downtown and $2.50 at metered spots at the beach from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Free parking is available after this time.

Lewes requires those with handicapped permits to pay meter fees or purchase a parking permit during times when parking payment is enforced.

There are several areas where free parking is available for longer periods in lots located at:

Franklin and Schley avenues, which has electric vehicle charging stations
Roosevelt Inlet, at the end of Cedar Avenue near the inlet
Beebe Healthcare, off Market and Fourth streets, on evenings and weekends only
Otis Smith Park, which has electric vehicle charging stations
Lewes Little League, between July and March only
The Lewes Library Trailhead

DART Beach Bus, Park & Ride

For a completely hands off experience, the Delaware Department of Transportation offers the Beach Bus shuttle service through DART, beginning May 20 and lasting through Sept. 8.

DelDOT saw a 16% increase in Beach Bus ridership from 2022 to 2023, with a whopping 242,566 passengers documented last year, the agency said, so if you haven’t tried it for yourself yet, you’re missing out.

The shuttle operates daily with increased frequencies from early morning to late at night. Exact times depend on which line passengers are aboard.

The Rehoboth Park & Ride is on 20055 Shuttle Road off of Delaware Route 1. The Lewes Transit Center is at 17616 Coastal Highway. Parking is free at both Park & Ride lots.

Upon boarding, bus fare costs $2 per trip, $4 for a daily pass, $16 for a seven-day consecutive day pass or $60 for a 30-day consecutive day pass. Student fare is $1 and reduced fare is 80 cents for those 65 years of age and older, or with a certified disability. Blind passengers ride free.

With the service’s family bargain, two adults with two children (46 inches or less) ride round trip to the beach on the 305 Beach Connection (Magenta Line) for $20 with a three-zone daily pass.

Buses stop at the beaches, lots and nearby areas including:

Rehoboth Beach and the Rehoboth Boardwalk
Lewes
Long Neck
Dewey Beach
Bethany Beach
South Bethany Beach
Fenwick Island
Ocean City, Maryland
Millsboro
Georgetown

Stops are also made at the outlets.

If that’s not enticing enough, all buses are air conditioned and equipped with wheelchair lifts.

Passengers can use the free DART Transit app to view bus stops, get real-time bus information and plan their trips. Payment also can be made from your phone with DART Pass mobile payment.

Deauville Beach visitor’s guide: Entry fees, annual passes announced for Deauville Beach, on sale beginning May 15

Bus passes can be purchased at DART First State Transportation stores, sales outlets, or online.

While at the beach, bus passes can be purchased from:

Acme at 18578 Coastal Highway, #13, in Rehoboth Beach. It offers seven-day passes and Paratransit strip tickets.
Big Oaks Campground (seasonal) at 35567 Big Oaks Lane in Rehoboth Beach. It offers seven-day passes.
Cape Henlopen Senior Center at 11 Christian Street in Rehoboth Beach. It offers Paratransit strip tickets.
DART First State — Lewes Transit Center at 17616 Coastal Highway in Lewes. It offers daily, seven-day and 30-day passes.
DART First State Rehoboth Park & Ride (seasonal) at 20055 Shuttle Road in Rehoboth Beach. It offers daily, seven-day and 30-day passes.
Lewes Senior Center at 32083 Janice Road in Lewes. It offers Senior Citizens Affordable Taxi tickets, also known as SCAT.
United Checking Cashing at 662 North DuPont Boulevard in Milford. It offers all passes.

Got a tip or a story idea? Contact Krys’tal Griffin at kgriffin@delawareonline.com.

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Delaware

Delaware Life CEO offers strategies for combatting sequence of returns risk

Published

6 hours ago

October 29, 2025

Press Room

Delaware Life CEO offers strategies for combatting sequence of returns risk

Colin Lake, president and CEO of Delaware Life, sits down with InvestmentNews anchor Gregg Greenberg to explain how workers approaching retirement can counter sequence of returns risk through guaranteed income products.

Oct 29, 2025

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Delaware

Save the embarrassment. These expungement clinics may help with clearing a Delaware record

Published

1 day ago

October 28, 2025

Press Room

Save the embarrassment. These expungement clinics may help with clearing a Delaware record

A criminal history, even one stemming from a juvenile arrest or a minor driving violation, can be a lifelong barrier to opportunity for many Delawareans. Whether or not a conviction occurred, a record can follow a person for years, showing up in background checks run by employers, landlords and loan officers.

An expungement offers a way to break that cycle. The legal process removes police and court records from public databases, allowing former defendants to move forward without being required to disclose past arrests or charges.

To help people navigate that process, several Delaware lawmakers and state agencies are hosting free expungement clinics this fall, offering one-on-one legal counseling to help eligible residents clear their records and reclaim new opportunities.

3 events planned across Delaware

Before the year ends, Delaware residents will have three opportunities to attend an expungement clinic where free, individual legal counseling will be available.

The events are organized in collaboration with the Office of Defense Services, the Delaware Criminal Justice Information System, or DELJIS, and the Delaware Department of Labor’s Advancement through Pardons and Expungement APEX Program. The Office of the Marijuana Commissioner has joined as a new sponsor this year and is contributing up to $5,000 to help cover expungement-related fees.

The sessions are open to individuals with Delaware criminal records. Services are offered on a first-come, first-served basis, and advance registration is required.

Where and how to attend

The Middletown Expungement Clinic will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. Oct. 29 at the Whitehall Recreational Center in Sen. Nicole Poore’s district. Registration is available at bit.ly/48gnKto.

The Smyrna Expungement Clinic will take place from 2 to 5 p.m. Nov. 6 at the Duck Creek Regional Library in Sen. Kyra Hoffner’s district. Registration is available at bit.ly/3KaHOn3.

In Sussex County, the Office of Defense Services will host the Life Church Expungement Clinic from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 18 at The Life Church in Laurel. Registration is available at forms.gle/bACj1h1xouk452oz8. For more information, contact Maria Clark at the Office of Defense Services at 302-688-4560.

Organizers say the goal of these clinics is to help Delaware residents overcome the lasting effects of old criminal records and move toward greater economic and personal stability. They said, by removing barriers to employment and housing, expungements can help people reenter the workforce, support their families and participate fully in their communities.

To share your community news and activities with our audience, join Delaware Voices Uplifted on Facebook. Nonprofits, community groups and service providers are welcome to submit their information to be added to our Community Resources Map. Contact staff reporter Anitra Johnson at ajohnson@delawareonline.com.

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Delaware

Would adding nuclear power solve Delaware’s energy needs?

Published

2 days ago

October 27, 2025

Press Room

Would adding nuclear power solve Delaware’s energy needs?

Nuclear energy is seeing something of a renaissance, helped in part by executive orders from President Donald Trump boosting the industry. The four orders include rapid development and deployment of advanced nuclear technologies, reconsidering radiation exposure standards, eliminating or expediting environmental reviews of applications and funding for workforce-related opportunities. Big tech companies are also betting big on nuclear energy to fuel power-hungry data centers.

Investment firm Starwood Digital Ventures is currently pitching a massive data center for Delaware City. Critics are concerned it will drain large amounts of energy and water.

Kathryn Lienhard, an offshore wind energy research associate with Delaware Sea Grant, said nuclear power generates electricity through chain reactions that produce heat. That heat is used to make steam that spins a turbine to create the electricity. Reactors use uranium, which is radioactive, for nuclear fuel, and exposure can cause lung cancer and other diseases. Spent reactor fuel is a highly radioactive byproduct that is normally stored on site, but Lienhard said the U.S. has yet to develop a long-term storage solution for the waste.

Public anxiety about the harmful health effects of nuclear power plants grew after the worst commercial reactor accident in U.S. history at the Three Mile Island plant in 1979. The partial core meltdown at the plant near Middletown, Pennsylvania, forced the evacuation of thousands of nearby residents. Numerous studies since then found no direct negative health effects on the nearby population. Microsoft is reopening the plant to power its data centers.

Dover Air Force Base in Delaware (Google Maps)

Union boilermaker Martin Willis, another task force member, said members should look at deploying a small nuclear reactor at the Dover Air Force Base. He also said the public is still resistant to adopting nuclear energy.

“I hate to say it, but even with America being in an electric generation crisis because of the demands of AI data centers, Bitcoin mining, cannabis farming and a robust economy, our nation will not embrace civilian nuclear power until parts of America suffer widespread blackouts and rolling brownouts,” he said.

The task force’s next meeting is Dec. 1. The group’s chair, state Sen. Stephanie Hansen, said the group will deliver a final report, but that date is yet to be determined.

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