OCEAN CITY, Md. — The Ocean City Council will hold its second and final reading Monday on an ordinance that would require bikes and scooters to stay off sidewalks and ride on the road.
John Fisher and his friends love to ride their bikes around town, but they try to avoid Coastal Highway when they do. “It's actually a lot more dangerous to be out on Coastal Highway and on the streets because there's people that are distracted, they're on their phones and everything,” Fisher said.
The State of Maryland previously had a similar rule, but changes made earlier in October removed it from state law. Now, Ocean City is looking to implement its own local regulations, something Fisher disagrees with.
“In the off season and other times of the year, I don't really think that should be such a thing. We should be able to ride where we want,” he said.
According to the council, keeping bikes, scooters and similar modes of transportation on sidewalks can lead to conflicts with pedestrians, safety issues at busy intersections and an increased risk of crossing against traffic signals. Under the proposed ordinance, bikes, scooters, skateboards and roller skates would all have to stay on the road to get around town.
If the ordinance passes on Monday, the new rules will officially take effect in town.