Patti Stevens presented options for improved bike and pedestrian safety at the November board meeting. She is pictured here with her husband Pat Trate on one of their favorite local rides to Southpoint looking to Assateague .

By Cindy Hoffman, Staff Writer

(Nov. 23, 2023) Many residents and visitors of Ocean Pines love to ride bikes or walk around the community to stay fit and to get from one place to another.

Unfortunately for them, there are no bike lanes or sidewalks throughout the community, making activities  somewhat dangerous on the roadways, according to cycling advocates.

“The incidents of bicycle injuries and fatalities is a national trend. They have increased across the nation and in our community,” Patti Stevens, the representative of the biking community for the Maryland Commission on Transportation Revenue and Infrastructure Needs, said to members of the Ocean Pines Association at a meeting last weekend.

She is also working with the Ocean Pines Community Bike and Pedestrian Safety and Access Work Group.

“There are three ways we can address making our roads safer and our community safer, whether it is our highway roads or our neighborhood roads,” she said.

The first is education of bikers, pedestrians and drivers on how to share roads safely. Second is the engineering of trails and pathways to create alternative ways for people to get around in communities that are not on the road. Simple options such as narrowing lanes, reducing speed limits, and clearly marking pedestrian and bike lanes can reduce accidents. The third is enforcement of speed limits and parking restrictions to keep bike and walking lanes open.

“Many people move here because they want an active lifestyle and to walk and bike safely,” Stevens said.

She also noted that many people bike and walk to work. Some must travel early in the morning or late at night, when visibility is low.

“Ocean Pines has the authority and the responsibility to manage all of our roads. We can take care of our own roads. That means we don’t have to ask for permission, except where it intersects with a county or state road. That’s a bonus,” Stevens said.

She would also like to see bike and pedestrian access to the Route 90 bridge. Currently, there are four options for the bridge to be redesigned and all have bike and pedestrian access.

“But we have to get people to the bridge,” Steven said.

Communities have created bike and pedestrian safety plans and the county is developing a countywide trails and greenways plan.

“My dream is that we can connect the north gate and south gate communities and go over the bridge to the beach club on a bike,” Steven said.

The Ocean Pines work group is prioritizing which improvements are most needed and is identifying available and needed resources. It also is coordinating with technical advisors and consultants to support their activities. Stevens said the committee will first look at things it can do immediately to improve safety and accessibility.