OCEAN CITY, Md. - Maryland's Department of Transportation says officials from the department will join Ocean City officials on Thursday, April 30 to launch the 2026 Walk Smart, Drive Smart, Bike Smart campaign.
They say the campaign is intended to remind Ocean City residents and visitors to slow down, stay alert and follow the rules of the road in an effort to keep pedestrians, drivers, and bicyclists safe all year but especially during the busy summer season. MDOT's safety mascot Cheswick the Crab will be featured in the campaign, with the message spread through aerial banners, billboards, social media, outreach to local businesses and print, radio and bus advertising.
Maryland State Highway Administration and Motor Vehicle Administration officials, Ocean City Mayor Rick Meehan and representatives from the Ocean City Police Department will gather at the Roland E. Powell Convention Center at 11 a.m. on April 30 in Ocean City to spread awareness of the campaign.
Officials say this campaign is important as the population of Ocean City increases from 6,900 people to, on average, more than 300,000 on weekends in the summer. The campaign has existed since 2013. The original crab "lifeguard" mascot was later renamed Cheswick as a tribute to Matthew Cheswick, a young pedestrian who was struck and killed by a car along Coastal Highway in 2012.
