OCEAN PINES – As a Worcester County group continues to advocate for bike and pedestrian access along the Route 90 corridor, board members last week discussed plans to submit a letter of support to the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA).
Last Saturday, Worcester County Bike and Pedestrian Coalition Chair Patti Stevens came before the Ocean Pines Association Board of Directors to discuss plans for improving bike and pedestrian safety and accessibility within the community, most notably as it relates to the redevelopment of the Route 90 corridor.
“We’re trying to think of big-picture connections that will enhance walkability and bikeability in our community,” she said.
As project planning continues, Stevens encouraged board members last week to advocate for bridge improvements and to take steps to create and maintain trails and access points.
“My point of being here today is to talk to you about what Ocean Pines can do to improve the safety of walking and biking, specifically with the planning of the Route 90 bridge,” she said.
For years, local officials in Ocean City and Worcester County have advocated for improvements to the Route 90 corridor, including an expansion of the current highway and its two bridges from two lanes to four lanes. Officials have argued those changes would not only ease access in and out of the resort for members of the public but would improve travel for emergency service vehicles.
In August 2021, Gov. Larry Hogan announced funding would be included in the state’s Consolidated Transportation Plan for the planning phase of a Route 90 improvement project. And last month, MDOT SHA initiated a survey to receive public input on the proposed alternatives that are currently being considered.
Stevens told board members last week the survey will remain open through Nov. 30, giving community members more time to share their thoughts on design concepts.
“There is a shared use path for each option,” she said. “Jeremy Beck [project lead] has told me it’s fully on the table for consideration if there is interest and collaboration on making that happen.”
She added that the Ocean Pines Association could also send a letter of support to MDOT SHA.
“Review the project plans and potential designs and give input as the community,” she said. “Individuals are doing it, but what is the community saying would be the best option for our community?”
Stevens also encouraged the association to form a workgroup on bike and pedestrian access.
“I think it should be bigger than the Route 90 issue,” she said. “Making this community more walkable and bikeable is something that’s been requested for a long time … I would make that scope broader.”
Association President Doug Parks told board members he was looking to gauge interest in submitted a letter of endorsement to the appropriate agencies. He said not only would the letter offer the association’s cooperation but would outline the community’s desires when it came to the redevelopment of Route 90.
“I think it’s important that we, as the Ocean Pines Association, reach out to all the folks that are involved in that project …,” he said. “This would be on two levels, to make sure they understand we are interested in the project and want to move forward, and – once a project team is put together – to send them a list of things we want.”
Parks said requests to improve the Ocean Parkway overpass and develop bike and pedestrian access points to Route 90 could be included in the letter.
“I know first and foremost we are going to do something with Route 90 and the overpass over Ocean Parkway,” he said. “It needs to be bigger so firetrucks can get through there. I think the other big thing is the access. It’s great to have this bike path but if we can’t get from Ocean Pines up onto there, what’s the point.”
Director Steve Jacobs, however, said the association would need to do more if it wanted to improve bike and pedestrian access.
“This is not going to be a one-shot deal. We can assume, at least through the planning process, that we need to find access points and have internal bike paths …,” he said. “We should also begin the process of reaching out to our county commissioners, state government to see what funds we can get … There’s money out there for these sort of undertakings … It would be smart to be proactive with this.”
Jacobs added that bike and pedestrian improvements within the community would also make Ocean Pines more attractive.
“Other communities in and around this area that are similar to Ocean Pines, they are aggressively working on walking and biking paths within their communities …,” he said. “To be competitive with other communities would mean we would have to be more involved than what we are right now.”
Director Colette Horn agreed.
“I fully support this letter, but Patti’s presentation identified some other things the Ocean Pines Association can do,” she said. “I don’t want our support to stop with this letter. I’d like us to really take to heart the power we have as a community to promote biking and pedestrian safety in our community.”
