As an investigation into a late-summer tram fatality continues, City Manager Terry McGean said it is unlikely the Boardwalk tram operation will return in 2025.
In the weeks following an Aug. 20 tram accident in which a toddler was killed on the Boardwalk, transportation officials announced that the Boardwalk tram service would not return for the remainder of the year. However, as an investigation continues, and with the city now facing a potential lawsuit related to the fatality, McGean on Monday said that suspension could continue into 2025.
“It is likely they will not be in operation next year,” he said.
Tram service was suspended in the weeks following an Aug. 20 incident, in which a tram driving south on the concrete lane of the Boardwalk struck and killed an unidentified toddler who was running west from the beach onto the Boardwalk near Dorchester Street, according to preliminary reports. And since that time, the Ocean City Police Department has continued its investigation into the fatality.
However, the future of the Boardwalk tram service was called into question last month, when an annual discussion on tram driver and conductor recruitment was noticeably absent from an Ocean City Transportation Committee meeting. After that gathering, Transit Manager Rob Shearman said “there are some legal questions that need to be worked out first” before a decision to return the Boardwalk trams next year could be made. He said once the police department’s investigation into the Aug. 20 fatality concludes and those results are provided, tram operations would adjust accordingly.
Something fishy here.
Yeah, like law suits!
I can see the reason behind not having it on the boardwalk, but the decision not to have it for the Winterfest of Lights does not make sense. I’ve always likes riding the tram and seeing all the beautiful lights. Won’t be going anymore.
Oh…no winterfest means the elders who paid for the ride won’t attend….that means another revenue generator gone gone. Sad.
Hey City Fail…stop being afraid. Lawsuit is coming. Settle and move on. For the love of God, make sure ALL trans folks have CDLs. Not worth the risk.
Also City Fail. Isn’t it about time to DUMP Pepsi as the drink of OC. Awful sweet cola. Cola isn’t suppose to be liquid syrup sugar. Pick up Coca cola. Better taste. It’s the REAL thing and have a coke and a smile. Slogans gents… Pepsi? Barf.
It’s the real thing! Rickie, it won’t bloat your stomach either.
Please don’t anybody get me wrong on this. I’m not trying to play the blame game here. This was a very tragic accident. And with that said it was an accident.
Sunset was at 7:45 that day. Accident was around 8:15 – 8:20. Semi dark, mostly dark, I can’t remember. I can’t remember if the toddler was truck by the Jeep or by one of the cars the Jeep was pulling. We have all seen videos where a toddler to school age children damn near get run over because they run out into the road way. Whether it was from the front of a vehicle or from between two vehicles. Hell, I’ve seen adults doing the same thing. We all were taught to look both ways before crossing the street.
” as an investigation continues, and with the city now facing a potential lawsuit related to the fatality, ” “there are some legal questions that need to be worked out first”.
Here’s where I might seem a little cold on this.
There have been airplane accidents big and small where people have been killed. We are still flying.
There have been bus accidents where people are killed. We still ride busses.
There have been train accidents where people are killed. We still ride trains.
In every accident, there is a potential lawsuit in the wings. Somebody wants to sue somebody over the event.
As long as all safety measures were in place and adhered to, there should be no reason the tram should not be running in 2025. The Ocean City Boardwalk Tram began operating in 1964. In the past 60 years, how many accidents / incidence have there been ? How many times has the Boardwalk Tram service been shut down due to the accident / incidence ?
Learn from the mistakes that might have been made and then apply what you have learned.
I always did say that damn thing would run over you if you didn’t move quickly.
So will a bus if you get in front of it. So will a train if you cross in front of it. Same thing with a car.
Here’s an idea that you might not have thought of, STOP and let the tram go by !!
We’re talking about a young child here.
I feel like there is more to this story as well. I’m sure they are expecting a lawsuit. But I wonder if there was something wrong with these set of trams that is leading them to act this way. This set was purchased in 2019 with the jeeps and that might be the issue.
Trams acting what way 8:32 ? The kid ran away from his parents and got struck or ran over. Clearly the parents fault for not keeping him safe and secure.