How to avoid Christiana Mall traffic this holiday season

On By Littum

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With the holidays fast approaching, it’s time to brace yourself for the many unwelcome traditions that come with the seasons: the uncle who knows everything and won’t shut up; caroling chipmunks (or Mariah Carey) on a loop; traffic in the shopping centre.

Not sure Delaware Online/The News Journal can do much about the first two. But when it comes to minimizing time spent in traffic when you head to the state’s busiest mall — the Christiana Mall — Delaware Online has put together some potentially helpful solutions, including the best times and days to shop this holiday season.

We mainly provide information on getting around Christiana Mall because nowhere else in the state comes close to the super regional mall, primarily because it attracts more out-of-state customers.

While other malls, stores and Rehoboth Beach outlets along Route 1 will be busy, a Delaware Department of Transportation said it is not implementing any specific traffic control or monitoring like what is done at Christiana Mall – Center Boulevard, the road that intersects mall and the Christiana Fashion Center on the way to Costco, sees more than 11,000 daily drivers.

That number increases during the holiday season.

Delaware Online has also provided a list of the busiest shopping days in the United States

Getting around Christiana Mall

Steve Chambliss, senior general manager at Christiana Mall Retail, recommends visiting Christiana Mall on weekdays anytime and before noon on Saturdays. Traffic is consistently low on these days and there is easy access to good parking options.

“Black Friday is busy all day, but more manageable in the morning,” he said.

The challenging times are consistently Saturdays between noon and 5pm

The mall is normally open 10am to 8pm Monday to Saturday and 11am to 6pm on Sunday. There are some special opening times this season, including an opening time of 8 a.m. on Black Friday.

See times and special opening times here.

Chambliss said there are DART bus options to the mall and ride-hailing services where you don’t have to worry about parking.

If not a bus, watch the signs

There are actually several DART bus options to the mall.

Some of the routes serving Christiana Mall are 5, 15, 33, 51, 54, 64 and 301.

“We see an average of over 3,500 people driving weekly to and from the mall and is an alternative to driving,” CR McLeod, a DelDOT spokesman, told Delaware Online. “Drivers can even go to the Park & ​​Ride on Route 273 and Route 7, just south of the mall, and take the Route 54 or 64 bus into the mall to avoid driving in and around the mall during peak hours.”

For those driving, McLeod said bulletin boards will be posted near the entry points to the complex communicating messages about which lots are full, stopped traffic ahead and other traffic scenarios.

“There are seven traffic signals around the mall and fashion center complex that DelDOT manages,” he said. “We adjust the timing, but when the volume gets too loud, no change in signal timing can prevent backups from occurring.”

He said the mall contracts with the Delaware State Police to have a presence at intersections primarily to prevent vehicles from blocking intersections and impeding traffic flow. DelDOT also has emergency patrol units on site during peak periods to assist with incidents and report conditions back to the Transportation Management Center.

Predictions for busiest shopping days

Sensormatic Solutions, which provides retail insights and solutions for businesses, issued his predictions, of which 10 days will be the busiest this holiday season. This can help customers decide which days and times to go to the stores:

  1. Friday, November 29 – Black Friday.
  2. Saturday 21 December – Super Saturday.
  3. Monday 23 December – The Monday before Christmas.
  4. Sunday 22 December – The Sunday before Christmas.
  5. Saturday 14 December – Second Saturday before Christmas.
  6. Saturday 30 November – The Saturday after Black Friday.
  7. Thursday 26 December – Boxing Day.
  8. Saturday 7 December – third Saturday before Christmas.
  9. Saturday 28 December – The Saturday after Christmas.
  10. Friday 20 December – The Friday before Christmas.

Good luck to all of us on our way to the shops.

Send tips or story ideas to Esteban Parra at (302) 324-2299 or [email protected].