Page 30 The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch November 15, 2013 Regional Digest Paving Project Underway SALISBURY – A major county road paving project began this week in Wicomico and will likely take about two weeks. Wicomico County Executive Rick Pollitt Jr. and the Public Works-Roads Division this week announced the fall paving project for roads throughout the county began on Wednesday. About 11 miles of county roads will be resurfaced during the current project. The contractor, George and Lynch, began paving on the east side of the county and will make their way to the west side over the next two weeks. The paving program will start with Sixty Foot Road from Route 50 to the Pittsville town line. Also included in the early phase is Morris Road, Purnell Crossing Road, Three Bridges Road, Sheppard’s Crossing Road, Bethel Road and Richardson Road. The next phase will include Morris Leonard Road, Dagsboro Road, Rum Ridge Road, and Naylor Mill Road. “This year’s paving funds will be used to repair some of the most deteriorated roads in the county since the last major paving project was before the economic downturn five years ago,” said Public Works Director Lee Beauchamp. Pollitt and the County Council allocated $1 million in the budget for the major road repair project. During the operation, traffic will be impacted with single lane closures controlled by flaggers and signage. SHAUpdates Council On Future Pedestrian Plans By JOANNE SHRINER STAFF WRITER Local Schools Score In Math Competition SALISBURY – Local schools excelled last week in an annual regional mathematics competition at Salisbury University with Stephen Decatur High School finishing second and Pocomoke High finishing third among the 21 schools across Delmarva involved. A lot of high-powered calculating took place at Salisbury University last Wednesday when 63 students from 21 schools in Maryland, Delaware and Virginia demonstrated their mathematics expertise in the 30th Annual Eastern Shore Mathematics Competition. Delmarva Power, the Klein G. and Mary Lee Leister Foundation and SU’s Department of Mathematics and Computer Science co-sponsored the event. This year; students explored various ways to measure distance using taxicab geometry, in which travel can only be done as a taxi moving on gridlike streets. North Caroline High finished first in the competition. Heejun Choi of Parkside was first in the individual competition, while Fei Gao of Broadwater Academy was second and Daniel Beck of Decatur was third. Other schools particSEE NEXT PAGE OCEAN CITY – During Tuesday’s bi-annual meeting between the Town of Ocean City and the Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA), Assistant District Engineer Ken Cimino recapped pedestrian safety efforts in Ocean City. Cimino started by reviewing the pedestrian safety campaign, Walk Smart, that was initiated this past spring in Ocean City through a partnership with SHA, the Ocean City Police Department, the Maryland Highway Safety Office and Maryland State Police. Overall, on all roads within the Town of Ocean City, pedestrian-involved crashes were reduced by 40 percent, and along Maryland state highways pedestrian-involved crashes were reduced by 49 percent. Within the SHA’s target area, 52nd to 59th streets., where a pedestrian safety study was completed this summer with pavement markings and signage pointing pedestrians towards marked crosswalks, there was a 100percent reduction in pedestrian-involved crashes, and overall throughout the town there was zero fatalities, which is a 100-percent reduction. Also, within the target area there were six crashes this year compared to 13 in 2012, which is a 46-percent decrease. “To date the program has initially been very successful. We still have a lot of work to do and a lot of ideas to implement in 2014,” Cimino said. SHA conducted surveys during several weekends last summer surveying visitors to Ocean City and their perception of the Walk Smart campaign. Out of those surveyed, 43 percent came to Ocean City from Maryland, 25 percent from Pennsylvania, 7 percent from New Jersey and 7 percent from New York. “Out of all of those who respond- ed it seemed like the most noticeable improvement that we implemented was the sidewalk and pavement markings followed by outdoor advertising,” Cimino said. Cimino furthered, as requested by the Mayor and City Council, on Nov. 1 following a speed study on Coastal Highway during the summer, SHA reduced the speed limit from Route 90 south to 33rd Street from 40 mph to 35 mph. SHA will be installing a new pedestrian crossing signal on 54th Street similar to the signal that was installed on 49th Street. Between 52nd and 56th streets is the longest segment on Coastal Highway without a signal. It’s also a portion of the highway that generated high foot traffic from the number of night clubs in that area. “We are working on acquiring the right of way and anticipate that will be constructed in February and will be up and running by Memorial Day,” Cimino said. Councilman Dennis Dare suggested SHA study the area of 100th Street where the Clarion Hotel is located. The hotel has a large parking lot across the highway that creates a large pedestrian crossing point for hotel guests, banquet attendees and employees. Cimino agreed with Dare and stated SHA will take that area into consideration next summer. Moving forward into 2014, SHA will shift its focus to include 17th to 34th streets on Coastal Highway and on Baltimore Avenue. Funding has been requested to design curb extensions, or pedestrian bump-outs, on Baltimore Avenue from 9th to 15th streets during the spring season. Councilman Brent Ashley brought to attention the habit of fishermen running across the Route 50 bridge lanes at night. “I was real close the other night of having a tragic accident of my own,” Ashley said. “It is lit but not lit enough where you can’t see somebody that is dressed in dark clothes ... it is an accident waiting to happen.” Cimino explained it is the perception of pedestrians that if they can see headlights from 2,000 feet away then the driver can see them but the fact is the driver can’t see a pedestrian in the dark until they are only a few feet away. He suggested minimizing the number of crossings between the chain linked fence that runs along the sidewalk to prevent pedestrians from running across the bridge. After conducting light readings on Coastal Highway himself, Dare said the lighting on Coastal Highway is also deficient, in his opinion, as the only light posts are on the ocean or bay side of the highway and none in the median. Dare suggested during an upcoming effort to work on medians in the highway for SHA to consider installing lighting. He pointed out lights were installed at one time in the medians from 9th to 26th streets but the equipment used did not hold up and the lights were eventually removed. However, the conduits and bases are still in place. At the conclusion of SHA’s discussion with the Mayor and City Council, Mayor Rick Meehan asked Cimino to come to the podium. Cimino is leaving SHA at the end of this week to take on his own endeavor in the private industry. He has worked closely with Ocean City for many years as well as was the point person when it came to preparing and recovering from storms in Ocean City as well as for the Walk Smart pedestrian safety campaign. Meehan presented Cimino with a Key to the City on behalf of the Mayor and City Council, city employees and Ocean City citizens. “You have made a difference, Ken,” the mayor said. . . Agency Keeps Same Ocean City Bond Rating FROM PAGE 7 ployers including several hotel and restaurant establishments. Worcester County unemployment rates generally follow the pattern of the tourism season in Ocean City with rates as high as 15 percent from January to April and dropping to about 8 percent from May to August. The report indicates the town’s population has remained flat for the last decade at around 7,000; however, additional wealth flows in during the summer months from tourists and second-homeowners. The Fitch report touts the town’s efforts to extend the season and specifically mentions the convention center expansion as a catalyst. “Through local and state economic development efforts, Ocean City has tried to extend the visitor season beyond the summer months,” the report reads. “The well-utilized Ocean City Convention Center, a joint state and town project, attracts largely state and regional trade groups. A $9 million joint expansion project with the Maryland Stadium Authority is currently underway with partial funding from the current issuance.” The Fitch report also touts the town’s fiscal responsibility as a reason for the stable economic outlook and the solid AA- rating, the same it received in 2012. According to the report, the town’s financial condition is “sound,” with consistently healthy reserve levels and tax-raising ca-pacity. At the conclusion of fiscal year 2013 in June, the town’s general unrestricted fund balance equaled $15 million. “The town realized positive budget variances mainly in economically sensitive revenue such as room and food taxes, which is a reflection of the stability of the economy,” the report reads. “The town has a fund balance to handle potential revenue shortfalls and cash flows for the peak employment in the summer season and for emergencies. During the fiscal year, the town council evaluated economic conditions and weather-related risks that the town could be exposed to and prudently changed the policy of 12 percent of general fund expenditures to 15 percent. As of the year-end at June 30, the town met and exceeded the policy.” The Fitch report also speaks highly of the town’s manageable debt burden. “Debt levels are low as a percent of market value in contrast to the higher per capita debt burden, which is indicative of a tourist-based economy with a smaller permanent population,” the report reads. “Pension and other post-employment benefits are well managed and do not stress financial flexibility. Ocean City’s outstanding debt and future capital needs are driven by the necessity to ensure an infrastructure that can accommodate the needs of the tourist industry.”