Bring Back the Tram, Make It Affordable, Make It Safe: What OceanCity.com Readers Want From Ocean City's New Leadership

Hundreds of residents, homeowners and longtime visitors answered a simple question on OceanCity.com: what should the new mayor and council do first? Their answers form a clear, consistent mandate.

When Ocean City voters elected Matt James as mayor this week, along with Town Council members Carol Proctor, Billy Apostolou and Larry Noccolino, it marked the most significant turnover in town leadership in nearly two decades. Rick Meehan had held the mayor's office since 2006.

Within hours of the results, OceanCity.com asked its followers a direct question: As Ocean City looks ahead, what changes or improvements would you like to see in our town?

138,000 VIEWS, 84,365 IMPRESSIONS, 13,366 ENGAGED, 275 COMMENTS

The response was immediate and substantive. In what OceanCity.com is calling its first Reader Pulse, 275 people weighed in — year-round residents, second-home owners, small business operators, boardwalk workers, and families who have vacationed here for generations. Beyond the congratulations, a striking pattern emerged. The same handful of concerns surfaced again and again, often in the commenters' own personal terms: a grandparent who no longer visits the boardwalk, a family pricing out its final summer week, a local who locks the doors at sundown.

Taken together, the comments amount to something the new administration would do well to read closely: an unfiltered agenda from the people who live in, invest in and return to Ocean City year after year.

The headline finding: In the OceanCity.com Reader Pulse, roughly one in five commenters called for the return of the Boardwalk Tram, the most common request by far. Affordability, boardwalk safety and the pace of development followed.

By the Numbers: The OceanCity.com Reader Pulse

• About 40 commenters called for the return of the Boardwalk Tram — by far the single most common request.

• More than two dozen raised affordability: taxes, hotel rates, food and beverage costs, and parking fees.

• Roughly 20 asked for a safer boardwalk and a return to a family-friendly atmosphere, particularly at night.

• More than a dozen urged the town to slow development and protect Ocean City's character.

• Others raised the special events calendar, flooding and storm readiness, recycling, accessibility, offshore wind, and the needs of year-round residents.

1. "Bring Back the Tram"

No issue came close. The Boardwalk Tram was mentioned in roughly one of every five comments, frequently in just three or four words — "Bring back the tram!" — and sometimes with considerable feeling.

For many, the tram is not nostalgia. It is access.

"Bring back a real Tram! An inexpensive multi car tram, it's badly needed," wrote Thomas Marr IV. "Seniors, people with disabilities, families with young children used it constantly. Many seniors just stopped going to the boardwalk when it stopped."

Louise McCormick made the point personally: "I haven't been to the boardwalk since they stopped the trams. I can't figure out the parking app. Have some sympathy for the elderly."

Jeanette Hansen-Tsamouras framed it as an economic issue as much as a convenience: the tram, she wrote, needs to return "not just for tourists and the elderly but for the businesses all along the boardwalk (especially the upper end)."

Several commenters drew comparisons to competing destinations. "Sure has hurt O.C.," wrote Martha Voiter. "People been going to VA Beach and Wildwood, N.J. They have trams for blue collar families."

Not everyone thinks a return is realistic. "The Tram can't come back, there was a fatality and no one will cover them," wrote Reliable Ronnie Denson, pointing to insurance as the obstacle. Charlene Schaller James disagreed: "The fatality was NOT the fault of the tram. Bring it back, please." Others, including Deborah Meehan and Ron L Ejr, specified they want a traditional tram — "not being pulled by a Jeep."

The volume of this request is difficult to overstate. For a new administration looking for a visible early signal that it is listening, this is the one readers named most.

2. Affordability: "I Can Go to Greece for a Week"

The second dominant theme was cost — and the comments carried a warning that Ocean City may be pricing out the very families who built its reputation.

"It's cheaper to travel outside the country than it is for a family of 4 to stay in town for a week," wrote Tim McArdle. Rich Johnson put it more bluntly: "I can go to Greece for a week and be cheaper than going to O.C."

The most detailed response came from Keith Armstrong, 55, who said he has spent a summer week in Ocean City nearly every year since he was 12. He described pricing a Florida vacation with flights and a rental car at close to half the cost of an oceanfront week here, and said next summer — his daughter's 21st birthday trip — will probably be the family's last. "I've seen change, all of it," he wrote, "but the last 3 or 4 years have been a bit much."

Commenters pointed to specific pressure points:

• Taxes. Property taxes, hotel taxes and food and beverage taxes drew repeated criticism. "Lower taxes! Top of the list!" wrote Koreen Nalesnik. Shane Sparky suggested "lowering some hotel and food beverage taxes to start with."

• Hotel pricing and fees. Dee Englehart called for an end to summer "price gouging," and Rick Sweigart objected to hotels charging guests nightly parking on top of premium room rates.

• Parking. Complaints ranged from rates ("Lower parking rates," wrote Don Sendelbach) to the ParkMobile system to paid parking at the convention center. Shena Slusarski noted that hotel parking fees push guests onto residential streets.

• Card surcharges. Slusarski also asked the town to stop businesses from passing 3% credit card processing fees on to customers.

Cindy Ryan summed up the theme: "OCMD is a great place but it is outpricing itself, limiting who can come and enjoy all we have to offer!"

3. A Safe, Family-Friendly Boardwalk

The third major theme was safety and atmosphere, particularly on the boardwalk after dark.

"Just don't feel safe in OC. Sun goes down, I lock my doors," wrote Ed Bamberger. Rose Ward called for more law enforcement in the evening and overnight hours, "especially June weeks and during events. It is often scary to be there at night," while adding that "our local police are great."

Joe Koziol, who said he works on the boardwalk and has lived here for more than 20 years, echoed both points: "While our police force does a great job, we need more law enforcement presence on boardwalk."

Many comments focused on unsupervised teenagers, unsanctioned "pop-up" gatherings and car meetups. "Get a handle on the teenagers and the pop ups. It was the worst I've ever seen it this year up here on the north end," wrote Lisa Kent. Several, including Sherine High, Richard Bartrom and Dee Englehart, asked for a youth curfew "like other beach towns."

Others said the family image depends on what visitors see in storefronts. Melissa Martin Malone objected to obscene shirts displayed along the boardwalk around her grandchildren, and Vickie Jean asked for "no more vape/smoke shops." Gary Jester asked whether marijuana use could at least be confined to designated areas.

And several readers asked for consistent enforcement of rules already on the books. "It's all good to have rules," wrote Tim McArdle, "but if you don't enforce them — what's the point?"

4. Slow Development, Protect What Makes Ocean City Ocean City

A strong current of comments asked the new leadership to slow construction and preserve the town's historic character, especially downtown.

"Preservation of historic hotels and houses, especially downtown," wrote Neil Caulfield. "Too much redevelopment going on while lots sit vacant uptown." Nicole Lagniappe asked whether incentives exist for preserving historic homes, arguing that "a charming old town would go a long way in fostering a new, family friendly legacy."

Jeanette Hansen-Tsamouras urged the council to slow development and build more parks and open space, noting that Northside Park is essentially the town's only large park. "People's interests have changed over the years," she wrote. "Outside activities, biking, walking, sports, etc. are more desirable now."

Katie Frock asked for "proper zoning" and an end to tightly packed townhouses, adding: "I would like to see no personal interests shape our town." Marsha Rooney Schoeberlein proposed incentives for Marylanders to buy property here rather than out-of-state investors.

Some readers asked the town to rediscover its local identity in its marketing as well. Elaine Jankunas Bean suggested bringing Randy Hofman's local art back to the convention center: "It told the story of OC."

5. Fix the Events Calendar

A notable number of readers want the town's signature events returned to their traditional dates.

"Put established events like Springfest and Sunfest back where they belong, and give the new events new event dates instead of bumping out long established events," wrote Ron Weaver. Sandra Beall Walp and Shena Slusarski made the same request, and Dave Doyle asked for car shows to return to their original dates.

Others questioned the town's investment in events altogether. Sven Finnis, a homeowner and taxpayer, asked for emphasis on "the boring things — dunes, drains, utilities, roads," adding: "Give [events] space, but not money." Kathie Walker noted that festivals close the inlet parking lot for weeks at a time.

6. Infrastructure, Environment and Storm Readiness

Several readers looked further ahead. "Flooding downtown and beach erosion is going to happen more and more," wrote Nicole VdZon. "Try to look forward and help design the city to be more storm ready." Mike Spione asked for more sewer cleaning to reduce flooding.

Recycling came up repeatedly. Local group Go Green OC asked for "more support for our citywide compost program and implementation of recycling," and Dottie Norton Roach simply wrote: "Bring back recycling."

Dean Thompson proposed a behind-the-dune bike and pedestrian path running from 28th Street to the Delaware line to take cyclists off Coastal Highway. Rick Miller suggested painting the concrete barriers on the Route 90 bridge so the town's front door looks "colorful, festive and welcoming" rather than like a construction zone.

Offshore wind drew several comments, all urging the new leadership to continue the town's opposition. "Please keep up the fight to Stop Offshore Wind," wrote Kim Bassich.

Accessibility was raised as well. "ADA compliance!!" wrote Christine Lynn. "People in wheelchairs are almost unwelcome there."

7. Don't Forget the People Who Live Here

Woven through the comments was a request that the new leadership remember full-time residents and property owners.

Readers asked for locals' parking stickers and discounts, free or reduced bus fares for seniors and seasonal workers, and better parking for taxpayers on the north end. "I'd rather pay for an annual parking permit than have no place to park," wrote Patricia Abrahms. Mary McGaffin Redmiles noted that a $4 daily bus fare is steep for employees earning minimum wage.

On short-term rentals, opinion was divided. Sharon Rose Cohen asked the town to protect homeowners who rent: "It's the way we could afford to have a home in Ocean City," she wrote, adding that her renters are large families who couldn't afford hotels and restaurants for a week. Neil Caulfield asked for simpler vacation rental rules. Jason Foster, by contrast, said rentals have hollowed out residential neighborhoods and that he sold his own home to an investor.

Eka Suryadi Poling captured the sentiment of many: "Ocean City is not just a vacation destination; it's our home too!"

The Message to New Leadership

Read together, these comments are not a list of complaints. They are a portrait of a community that cares intensely about Ocean City and is worried about losing what made it special: a boardwalk where grandparents and toddlers can both get around, a week at the beach a working family can afford, and a downtown that still feels like Ocean City.

The priorities are remarkably consistent. Bring back the tram. Make the town affordable again. Make the boardwalk safe after dark. Protect downtown and slow overdevelopment. Respect the events calendar people plan their year around. And remember the people who live here.

Gerry Sutter put the whole agenda into a single sentence: "Tram back, preserve downtown, deal decisively with unruly teens and disruptive events, back the police strongly, keep what makes us want to return."

Ann McGinnis Hillyer, CEO of StateVentures, LLC, which operates OceanCity.com, said the response shows how much readers care about the town's direction.

"OceanCity.com has been part of how people experience Ocean City for 25 years, and our readers are the people who keep this town going: residents, homeowners, business owners and families who come back every summer," Hillyer said. "We asked a simple question, and they gave a clear answer. We'll make sure the new mayor and council hear it, and we'll keep asking."

Mayor James and the new council take office with a great deal of goodwill; the thread was full of congratulations. They also take office with a clear set of expectations.

What would you add? Share your thoughts in the comments on OceanCity.com's social channels.

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About this story: The OceanCity.com Reader Pulse is based on public comments left on an OceanCity.com social media post following the November 3, 2026 Ocean City municipal election. Quotes have been lightly edited for spelling and clarity. Comments containing personal insults were not included. Counts are approximate, and the findings reflect reader responses rather than a scientific poll.

About OceanCity.com: For 25 years, OceanCity.com has served as a regional destination platform for Ocean City, Maryland, connecting visitors, residents and local businesses with local perspectives on lodging, dining, events, things to do, webcams and local news. OceanCity.com is operated by StateVentures, LLC.