OCEAN CITY, Md. - A proposed state pilot project that would have converted part of Ocean City’s bus lane into a dedicated bike lane is now on hold after town leaders raised concerns about how the change could affect traffic and public safety along Philadelphia Avenue.
The Maryland State Highway Administration had been considering a temporary pilot between 15th and 26th streets as part of its broader effort to improve conditions for pedestrians and cyclists along the corridor, according to SHA Deputy Chief Engineer Ray Moravec. The concept called for turning part of the bus lane into a bike lane while moving buses into the travel lane to pick up and drop off passengers at floating bus stops. Moravec said the idea came out of the agency’s Pedestrian Safety Action Plan work on Maryland Route 528, also known as Philadelphia Avenue and Coastal Highway.
But after discussions with Ocean City officials, the agency decided not to move forward with the pilot this summer.
“At that point, instead of rush something and the implementation and get out there, we decided to put it on hold for now to do some further coordination with the city and locals and decide a path moving forward on that,” Moravec told WBOC.
Mayor Rick Meehan said town leaders were worried the proposal could create new conflict points in an already busy corridor. He pointed to vehicles turning right into and out of businesses, buses stopping in travel lanes, and riders having to cross past bike traffic after exiting a bus. Meehan also said he believed the state’s proposal did not address what he sees as one of the biggest existing problems along Coastal Highway: bicyclists and scooter riders ignoring traffic signals.
Ocean City’s concerns had been building for weeks. In late March, the City Council voted to send a formal letter of opposition to the state after staff argued the pilot could create safety risks for bus riders, drivers and others traveling through one of the town’s busiest corridors. The original proposal focused on the northbound bus lane between 17th and 26th streets.
Even with the pilot paused, state and town officials say the larger safety conversation is not over. Moravec said SHA is still looking at other options, including additional median protection, signage, pavement markings and other tools aimed at guiding people toward safer crossings and reducing serious injuries. Meehan said Ocean City remains open to improvements that better fit the way traffic moves through town.
