Friday, June 12–Firemen Arrive In OC This Weekend

OCEAN CITY – The Maryland State Firemen’s Association comes to town June 13-19 for their annual convention. Once again, the convention will include a parade down Baltimore Avenue. This year’s parade will be held at 1 p.m. Wednesday, June 17.

Downtown traffic patterns will be affected as follows: Beginning at noon on the day of the parade, traffic entering Ocean City via the Route 50 bridge will be directed to one of two routes. Vehicles crossing the bridge in the left-hand lane will turn left onto Philadelphia Ave. and travel in a coned-off lane going north to 9th St. Resort officials advise motorists to take this route as traffic should flow more quickly in the coned-off lane. Vehicles crossing the bridge in the right-hand lane must turn right at Talbot St. and travel north on St. Louis Ave. Motorists traveling southbound on Philadelphia Ave. will be directed to the far two right lanes beginning at 9th St.

To accommodate the altered traffic patterns, parking will be prohibited from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the day of the parade at the following locations: All of Philadelphia Ave. from 9th St. to N. Division St.; the west side of St. Louis Ave. between 2nd St. and 3rd St.; the east side of St. Louis Ave between 1st St. and 2nd St.; the south side of 2nd St. between St. Louis Ave. and Philadelphia Ave. and the north and south side of 1st St. between St. Louis Ave. and Philadelphia Ave. Vehicles not removed prior to 10 a.m. will be towed.

The bus route also will be temporarily altered from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. on the day of the parade. City buses normally traveling south to the downtown area will go no further than N. 1st Street where they will turn right to St. Louis Ave. The buses will then return north along St. Louis Ave. to 15th St. to rejoin the normal route to the Delaware line. There are no bus stands along St. Louis Ave.; if you need to catch a bus just give the driver a wave. Those waiting for northbound buses on St. Louis Ave. between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m., are asked to wait on the east side of the street. Normal bus service should resume after 6 p.m. The fare is $2 to ride all day.

The Firemen’s Parade begins promptly at 1 p.m. and travels north on Baltimore Ave. from Wicomico St. to 9th St.. No traffic will be permitted on Baltimore Ave. Traffic leaving the Inlet parking lot will be allowed to proceed northbound on Philadelphia Ave., turning west on Somerset St., and north on St. Louis Ave. The Inlet parking lot will remain open to the public during the event. Employees in the downtown area should use the West Ocean City Park and Ride located on Route 50 where parking is free. Shuttle bus service is $1. Ocean City shuttle buses make regular runs between the Park and Ride and downtown Ocean City, where passengers will be dropped off at St. Louis Ave. and 1st St. during the parade.