West OC Bike Path Review Raises Bridge Questions

OCEAN CITY- A review of the proposed bike-friendly trail along the Route 50 corridor from Route 611 into Ocean City raised some eyebrows this month for its apparent design flaw that has it crossing the busy highway.

During last Monday’s Mayor and Council meeting, Councilman Tony DeLuca briefed his colleagues on some of the highlights from a recent Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee including an update on a proposed bicycle and pedestrian-friendly trail along the Route 50 corridor in West Ocean City. Bicycle traffic along the section of Route 50 from Route 611 to the bridge has created challenges for years, but the issue has exacerbated recently with the proliferation of new hotels and shopping in West Ocean City.

Perhaps more importantly, more and more J-1 visa summer workers are living in West Ocean City where housing is often more available and more affordable and are commuting to jobs on the island on foot and on bicycles. To that end, the State Highway Administration (SHA) has been developing plans for a bicycle and pedestrian-friendly path along the Route 50 corridor in West Ocean City. There is some existing bike-friendly infrastructure along that section of highway, particularly in front of the outlets on the north side, but SHA is planning on tying the existing paths together with a more comprehensive system.

Ocean City’s bike and pedestrian advisory committee has been privy to the plans and got a review during a meeting this month. As chairman of the committee, DeLuca updated the Mayor and Council on the proposed plans during last week’s regular meeting.

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