OCEAN CITY – Officials say town staff continue to evaluate proposals from four national firms interested in developing a strategic bike plan for the resort.
On Wednesday, President Paul Mauser presented members of the Ocean City Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee with an update on the town’s search for a consultant to develop a bike strategic plan.
In March, the town began seeking proposals from qualified and experienced firms to provide consulting services for a strategic bike plan that will be used to further Ocean City’s bicycle network. Mauser told the committee this week the town had received proposals from four firms – JMT, KCI, Mead & Hunt and Tool Design.
“They are all four top transportation consultant firms. We are very excited to receive those four proposals …,” he said. “They are being evaluated by town staff until May 7.”
In recent years, Ocean City has embarked on a multi-phased initiative to install a continuous bike path from one end of town to another without using Coastal Highway. And last October, the town received $79,700 through the Maryland Department of Transportation’s (MDOT) Bikeways Program to hire a consultant for the development of the strategic plan.
The planning document, 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 in January. “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.”
Mauser told committee members this week all four proposals were from national firms. He said those proposals are currently in the evaluation stage.
“It’s very sensitive right now,” he said. “We can only share so much information.”
