Proposed changes aim to make Ocean City more bike-friendly

OCEAN CITY, Md. — With bike-related accidents on the rise in Ocean City, officials are considering a list of new safety recommendations aimed at protecting cyclists and pedestrians—especially the J-1 student workers who rely heavily on bikes for transportation.

Anthony Mitchell, a manager at Big Jim’s Bikes in downtown Ocean City, knows firsthand how dangerous biking in town can be. “Two years ago, I had to go deliver a mobility scooter for an older lady on 17th Street. On the way back, I was taking the actual street, and I was hit by a car.,” Mitchell recalled.

According to the Ocean City Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee, there were nine more bicycle collisions in 2024 compared to 2023. And if current trends continue, this year is on track to surpass that number.

To help reverse that trend, the committee is recommending several changes:

– Widening the sidewalk along Baltimore Avenue to better accommodate both bikers and pedestrians

– Adding green paint striping between intersections to make bike lanes more visible

– Extending bike access on the Boardwalk from the current 2 a.m. to noon window to 12 a.m. to noon

Mitchell said those changes could make a big difference for the international workers who use bikes daily to commute between multiple jobs. “They have it hands down the hardest,” he said. “They have multiple jobs, and it’s very hard going on the street. It’s kind of dangerous. Lots of crazy people on the streets. Lots of accidents tend to happen.”