OCEAN CITY, Md. -- The resort town is ramping up their "Walk Smart" campaign that was first launched in 2019. It encourages people to use crosswalks, and do so at the right time.
This summer, "Walk Smart" ads will be placed on 12 buses, billboards and possibly even a banner plane. While Ocean City is ramping up the efforts to educate people, some feel the campaign should go even further.
When you hit the button at crosswalks in Ocean City, you hear a distinct, but sometimes faint, 'wait'. It's a directive we should listen for while waiting to cross, but Eric Langville, who lives in Ocean City, feels like it's ignored far too often.
"I think they're crazy[pedestrians], they need to push the button and not their luck," said Langville.
Dawn Dillon, who also lives in Ocean City, said in the summer, people crossing the road either when they shouldn't or where they shouldn't happens on a regular basis.
"I have seen a lot of people crossing and not watching, it does concern me," said Dillon.
Knowing that a lot of people in the summer are visitors of Ocean City, Dillon hopes the "Walk Smart" campaign helps people stay safe.
"We don't want to see anyone get hurt here," said Dillon.
Over the past three years, town officials say 54 people have been hit while trying to cross Coastal Highway. It's part of the reason this summer, The Cheswick The Crab Walk Smart ads will be on buses in town.
Ocean City's mayor, Rick Meehan, said an educational approach is the best move.
"It doesn't necessarily have to be about ticketing somebody or arresting somebody or those type of things, it needs to be about communication and just getting everybody on the same page," said Meehan.
Dillon feels communication will work best.
"I think that we've been advocating for this and the mayor has done a good job making sure that it's out there," said Dillon.
But, a grieving grandfather feels like the town should do even more. Robert Starr's granddaughter, Sophia Battisti, was killed last summer while crossing Coastal Highway. He said a simple change in traffic light timing would be a more effective solution.
"As far as I'm concerned, as long as the pedestrian signals are set so brief that pedestrians have to run to get across Coastal Highway, these problems will continue," said Starr. "Another ad campaign placing the onus on the pedestrian to be careful is not the only answer."
Starr would also like to see Ocean City install overhead pedestrian bridges.
Langville is not fully confident the ad campaign will be effective, either. He said those just traveling through may not stop long enough to get the message.
"People are only here for such a short time, three days, five days, something like that and then they're back out of town, they don't think about it," said Langville.
Right now, there aren't any other plans in place to address pedestrian safety. Town officials feel the "Walk Smart" campaign will be the most effective way to keep people safe this summer.
