OCEAN CITY – Delays in the bidding process will postpone the start date for developing the town’s bike strategic plan.
In a meeting Feb. 17, Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) President Paul Mauser told committee members the town’s search for a consultant to develop a bike strategic plan will be delayed, as the bidding process will not conclude until mid-March.
“I have bid documents ready to roll, account numbers ready to roll, everything’s good to go,” he said. “I just haven’t sent it out to public bid yet.”
In October, the town received $79,700 through the Maryland Department of Transportation’s (MDOT) Bikeways Program to hire a consultant for the development of a strategic plan that will be used to further Ocean City’s bicycle network.
A few years ago, the town embarked on a multi-phased initiative to establish a continuous bike path from one end of Ocean City to another without using Coastal Highway. The strategic plan, officials say, will provide the town with designs and cost estimates for several proposed biking corridors throughout the resort.
“As far as the strategic plan goes, that is oriented such that it has to be actionable,” Mauser said last month. “And it has to be evaluating and providing plans and cost estimates for corridors in town. It’s not for wayfinding and projects like that, it’s for practical development plans.”
In January, MDOT Bikeways Program approved the town’s bidding documents, allowing Ocean City to proceed with issuing a request for proposals.
Initially, the goal was to conclude the bidding process in mid-February and select the top consultant by March 1. However, Mauser told committee members this week the bidding process would now end in mid-March.
“Our window is going to be more of a March 15, instead of a mid-February, timeframe …,” he said. “I’ve got it all teed up and ready to bid, I just haven’t sent it to our procurement department yet. It’s get down to the quick a little bit. I will commit to having that completed by the middle of next week.”