OCEAN CITY – State and local officials this week joined Gov. Larry Hogan to officially open the 64th Street public boat ramp with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at its new location.
Though the boat ramp has been open for nearly two months, Tuesday’s celebration highlighted the partnership between the Town of Ocean City and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to complete the project.
The public boat ramp, located at the base of the water tower on 64th Street bayside, features two ramps and parking for both cars and trailers. The DNR partnered with the resort to fully fund the dredging costs and 50 percent of the site work through its Waterway Improvement Fund.
The project was ultimately finished under budget and ahead of its original time table.
Ocean City Mayor Rick Meehan said the boat ramp has been a priority of the town council for years. He explained that the public boat ramp’s original location in the Little Salisbury residential area soon became crowded and lacked the parking capability needed.
“There was really no room for that boat ramp,” he said.
Meehan said a new public boat ramp became part of the town’s strategic plan in 2014 and since then the resort has garnered the support and partnership of state and local agencies to complete the project.
“We promised our community we would work towards developing and opening a new boat ramp and I am very proud to say we were able to fulfill that promise,” he said.
Meehan said the town had to acquire easements, permits and more to construct a centrally located ramp at 64th Street and thanked city, state and DNR officials for their efforts.
Mark Belton, DNR secretary, said revenue from a 5 percent boat excise tax and a small portion of gasoline tax supports the Waterway Improvement Fund, which has provided $300 million for 4,500 projects at more than 400 boating facilities in Maryland since its inception in 1966.
Belton explained that the fund’s purpose is to promote, develop and maintain the state’s boating infrastructure.
“We can’t be complacent,” he said. “There is a lot of competition for recreational boating dollars up and down the east coast.”
Hogan said the 64th Street public boat ramp will serve both recreational and commercial boaters and will ultimately support the maritime economy. He explained that the boating industry contributes thousands of jobs and $2 billion to the state’s economy.
“As you all know, recreational boating is a tremendous and incredibly important thing for our state,” he said.
Hogan applauded the project’s partners for making the public boat ramp possible.
“The only thing better than visiting Ocean City and being on the beach or being on the Boardwalk is actually getting out on the water,” he said.
While the public boat ramp in the Little Salisbury area will remain in operation, the newest ramp on 64th Street will be open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for 365 days a year.
