OCEAN CITY – Ocean City
will be gaining assistance from Maryland
once again in 2008 through the seasonal borrowing of articulating transit
buses.
George Thornes,
Transportation Superintendent, came before the Mayor and City Council this week
seeking approval for the annual request of the articulating transit buses.
Each year Ocean City’s Transportation Department makes
the request for additional buses during the season in an effort to accommodate
the inevitable influx of people that come to town in the summer months.
Upon approval by the
Mayor and Council, a request is made to the Secretary of the Maryland
Department of Transportation to borrow articulating transit buses for the busier
months.
A letter to the
Secretary of the Maryland Department of Transportation read, “The summer season
of 2008 is fast approaching and we once again focus our attention on planning
logistics for management of our seasonal fluctuations in population. It is with
this in mind we turn to you for assistance relative to our Transportation
Department and the ability to serve the explosion of ridership we face each
summer. As you have found within your means to do for the Town in the past, we
once again need to borrow articulating buses for the summer season. These
buses, and their sheer carrying capacity, are of unbelievable assistance to the
Town in management of our “crush load” time periods.”
For the 2008 season, the
town requested three buses to be received by April 29, three buses to be
received by May 21, and four buses to be received by June 3. All of the buses
will be returned by Aug. 26, Sept. 3 and Sept. 23, respectively.
“Articulating buses are
one of the most valuable tools that we have,” said Thornes, adding that the
town would not be able to carry the increased load of passengers without the
additional buses.
The council voted
unanimously, with Councilman Jim Hall absent, to approve the request and to
send the letter to the Maryland Department of Transportation.