Meeting follows successful talk in Ocean Pines; aim to educate, inform and inspire

(Dec. 1, 2022) A community meeting regarding the exploration of walking and biking options will take place tonight at the Ocean City branch of the Worcester County Library at 6 p.m.

The meeting is expected to last around 90 minutes and it will be presented by the Worcester County Bike and Pedestrian Coalition chair Patti Stevens. Elected officials, the MDOT project manager and the Ocean City Bike and Pedestrian Advisory Committee are all expected to attend. Residents and business owners are also invited.

“Specifically, the coalition is advocating for the Route 90 Bridge to include separate bike and pedestrian lanes from Route 589 … in Ocean Pines to (Coastal Highway) in Ocean City to allow safe walking and biking for residents, employees, and visitors,” read a statement released by the county organization. “Major bridge crossings around the country now include shared-use paths for bikes and pedestrians and both federal and state transportation guidance recommend including these amenities when bridges are replaced or renovated. The Indian River Inlet Bridge and the Verrazano Bridge to Assateague Island are local examples.”

Preliminary plans of the Route 90 improvements will be on hand for Worcester County residents to review. They will be able to also provide input through a survey on the Maryland State Highway Administration website.

“Coalition Chair Patti Stevens notes that bridge projects that included bike and pedestrian accommodations have had strong support from the adjacent local communities and have significant positive health and economic impact,” the statement read. “Sen. Mary Beth Carozza and Del. Wayne Hartman have both publicly expressed support for including a bike-pedestrian lane in Route 90 planning.”

Likewise, the Ocean City bike committee is working on safe routes throughout the resort in hopes to be recognized as a “bike-friendly community,” the release states.

“Including safe and separate shared-use paths on one of two major crossings into (Ocean City) would help achieve this goal,” Stevens said in the release.

A couple of days before the meeting, Stevens said she hopes people will leave more educated about the entire process.

“(We want to show residents) what other communities have done when they have had bridge renovations and bridge expansions going on and what the federal and state guidelines say about including bike and pedestrian assets when bridges are renovated and what funding and resources might be available to do that,” she said.

More information on the coalition can be found at www.facebook.com/WoCoBikePed.