Ocean City Takes a Closer Look at Pedestrian Safety

Tens of thousands of people pack Asbury Avenue each May to turn Ocean City’s downtown retail corridor into a gigantic outdoor pedestrian mall during the Spring Block Party.

Then, Ocean City does it all over again in October for the Fall Block Party, another shopping, dining and entertainment extravaganza unfolding on Asbury Avenue between 5th and 14th streets.

While both block parties are signature events for Ocean City, the New Year’s Day terror attack on Bourbon Street in the French Quarter of New Orleans has prompted a security review for pedestrian safety during holiday parades or other special events on Asbury Avenue and the Boardwalk.

Ocean City Police Chief Bill Campbell said he went to Mayor Jay Gillian to recommend the security review after the attack in New Orleans.

“I brought it up to the mayor. He has tasked me to come up with a plan,” Campbell said in an interview.

In all, 14 people were killed and dozens more injured when a pickup truck driven by a sympathizer of the ISIS terrorism group plowed into pedestrians out celebrating New Year’s Day in the French Quarter. The attacker was later killed in a shootout with police.

One of the victims of the attack was Ocean City native Adam Coste, an Army veteran who now works at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans. Coste, whose family has deep ties to Ocean City, is recovering from serious injuries suffered in the attack.

    Police barricades protect pedestrians during the Fall Block Party in October 2024.
  

Pointing to New Orleans, Campbell said he wants to carefully evaluate ways to prevent anyone from using a vehicle in Ocean City to drive around barricades and possibly threatening or attacking pedestrians at special events on Asbury Avenue or the Boardwalk.

“We’re weighing our options and doing an evaluation of what works,” he said.

He acknowledged that police can’t “lock down every block” in town to protect all pedestrians.

Years ago, a car accidently drove through one of the block parties on Asbury Avenue, injuring several people.

Campbell noted that barricades and police vehicles parked at the street ends are already routinely used to protect the crowds at the block parties – and have proved “highly effective” overall.

Police vehicles are also occasionally parked on some of the Boardwalk’s pedestrian ramps to prevent anyone from driving up on the busy oceanfront walkway.

One idea that Campbell is considering is to park police cars close to the ramps in the busiest parts of the Boardwalk, possibly from 6th to 12th streets, every day during peak times of the year for Ocean City’s tourism – perhaps from May 1 to Oct. 1 or possibly to Nov. 1, he said.

The police cars would be parked close enough to the ramps to prevent any vehicles from driving onto the Boardwalk, but would allow enough room for pedestrians and bicyclists to access the Boardwalk, Campbell explained.

   Ocean City Police Chief Bill Campbell is conducting the safety review.   

Campbell also mentioned the possibility of Ocean City buying some type of equipment that could help with pedestrian security, but noted that a cost would be involved.

“Is it something we could use permanently year after year?” Campbell said of buying safety equipment.

Campbell said he has assigned Lt. Bob Reichanek, the police department’s traffic safety supervisor, and Officer Karl Ruf, a member of the traffic safety unit, to make recommendations to him for safety measures.

Campbell explained that he will review those recommendations before writing his own report and submitting it to the mayor. He said the report will probably be done by the end of January.

Last Friday, Gillian used his weekly message to the public posted on the city’s website to reveal that Campbell will look into pedestrian safety measures.

 “Our police chief is reviewing vehicle access protection at points throughout town, and we’ll look forward to his recommendations,” Gillian said.

At the same time, Gillian noted that Ocean City builder Bob Coste’s son, Adam, had been badly injured in New Orleans. Adam is a 2004 graduate of Ocean City High School.

“We hear he is starting to make a recovery, but our thoughts and prayers go out to Adam and his family,” Gillian said in his message.

    More safety measures will be considered to protect crowds on the Boardwalk.