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OC Today-Dispatch APRIL 17, 2026
STUBBORNLY LOCAL, EQUALLY INDEPENDENT
Big weekend of events planned in Berlin. — Page 26
PRICELESS
Bike lane test pulled to curb for now in OC Ocean City government’s protests heard by state highway officials, who agree not to swap buses for bikes on Philadelphia Avenue ... at least not this summer. — PAGE 3
Tent rules patrol will get trial run through summer New enforcement division will be on lookout for violations of beach canopy code this summer to relieve Beach Patrol of that duty. — PAGE 12
School exec faces theft charge State audit of school system’s books finds $118K allegedly embezzled by long-time school system employee. — PAGE 22
POLICE DEPARTMENTS, SHERIFF’S OFFICE SAY THEY HAVE LITTLE CONTACT WITH ICE — PAGE 18
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OC Today-Dispatch
APRIL 17, 2026
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APRIL 17, 2026
OC Today-Dispatch
State will not proceed with bike lane plans this summer
issue a letter of opposition to the agency. “You don’t expect to get off of a public bus and immediately step into a travel lane with motorized vehicles going 20, 30 mph,” Council President By Bethany Hooper Matt James said at the time. “An elecAssociate Editor (April 17, 2026) A state plan to tric scooter going 20 mph is going to convert a portion of Ocean City’s bus kill a kid … Walking into a travel lane lane into a dedicated bike lane this is a disaster waiting to happen.” This week, Meehan said he and summer has been suspended. Mayor Rick Meehan announced other city officials met with SHA to Tuesday that the Maryland State talk through the city’s concerns. As a Highway Administration (SHA) will result, he said the agency opted to not proceed with a pilot project along halt its summer pilot project. When reached for comment this Philadelphia Avenue this summer. The decision comes less than a month week, SHA Media Relations Manager after the City Council issued a letter Shanteé Felix said that the agency remains committed to improving safety opposing the conversion plans. “All of their intentions were good, for all users. While acknowledging there’s no question about it,” Meehan that the Ocean City corridor has been identified as a said in a transporta“high-risk” corridor tion committee for pedestrians and meeting this week. ‘You don’t expect to get off bicyclists, she said “What they were trying to do was fig- of a public bus and immediately the agency was postponing its pilot ure out ways to step into a travel lane with project. make Coastal Highmotorized vehicles going “The Town of way as safe as possi20, 30 mph’ Ocean City raised ble. I think they concerns about the recognized some of Council President pilot and project our immediate conMatt James scope; therefore, cerns.” SHA has decided to Earlier this year, defer the pilot and SHA officials announced they would test having a will continue to coordinate with the dedicated bike path in the existing Town of Ocean City, the public, and bus lane between 17th and 26th key stakeholders to identify other safety improvement opportunities as streets this summer. As proposed, the agency would part for the MD 528 [Pedestrian have moved municipal buses into the Safety Action Plan] project,” she said slow lane of the highway, where they in a statement. Meehan said this week that efforts would pick up riders from a “floating” bus stop located between the slow to improve Ocean City’s main roadway will continue, explaining that lane and a dedicated bike pathway. From the outset, the agency made SHA would be exploring other safety it clear the goal of the project would enhancements. Those include inbe to improve bicycle and pedestrian creasing signage along the roadway safety along the roadway. From 2018 and expanding the median fencing, to to 2023, for example, the agency name a few. “Their intentions were all right. It recorded 49 crashes involving pedestrians, 38 crashes involving bicyclists was just a matter of, practically, does and four fatalities along the portions what they are proposing work for us,” he said. “Not everything that works in of the highway being studied. However, city officials continued some areas is going to work in other to express their opposition, arguing areas, and we asked them to do more the conversion project posed safety monitoring with some of the traffic risks to bicyclists and pedestrians, as situations, especially right-hand well as to motorists and bus users. turns and bicycles and scooters not Last month, during a biannual meet- obeying traffic signals. I still think ing with SHA representatives, the that’s our number one safety conCity Council voted unanimously to cern.”
OC Council says proposal for Coastal Highway would reduce pedestrian safety
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