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Chesapeake Beach council rejects ordinance to allow bicycles on boardwalk
Summary
After a public hearing and council debate, the Town Council voted down Ordinance O‑26‑1, which would have amended Chapter 196 to permit bicycle riding on the boardwalk under specified conditions. The motion failed 4‑to‑(remaining votes), and the town will keep the current prohibition while separate e‑bike and motorized‑vehicle rules remain addressed elsewhere.
A majority of the Chesapeake Beach Town Council voted on Feb. 19 to reject Ordinance O‑26‑1, a proposed change to town code intended to allow bicycles and certain pneumatic‑wheeled recreational conveyances on the town boardwalk under defined conditions.
The proposal began with a public hearing early in the meeting. “What the ordinance does basically is it allows bicycles on the boardwalk when they were previously prohibited,” said Laura, the council committee member who sponsored the draft, explaining that the measure would also permit pneumatic‑wheeled scooters and allow the boardwalk to be used for routine transportation and jogging.
Supporters at the hearing emphasized walkability and multi‑modal access. Written comment raised concerns about electric bicycles; the committee and town attorney noted that motorized vehicles are separately addressed in §196‑5 of the town code and that e‑bike rules would be considered under a different section.
During the regular meeting, council members debated the ordinance’s timing and interplay with pending state legislation. One council member said the measure should wait until related state bills were withdrawn or finalized; another questioned whether allowing more users would increase boardwalk crowding and enforcement burdens.
When the council took a final vote on the ordinance later in the meeting, four members opposed the change and the motion failed; the ordinance was not adopted.
The council did not specify additional steps to revisit the boardwalk policy at this meeting. For motorized vehicles and e‑bikes, council members and staff pointed to §196‑5 and said any separate amendments would be considered in the applicable section of the code. The council also noted that enforcement and fine schedules remain governed by existing code provisions.
What’s next: Council members and staff said they will coordinate follow‑up work on motorized vehicle rules and potential separate e‑bike language; no new public hearing was scheduled on boardwalk bicycle access at the Feb. 19 meeting.
