Ocean City announced that it will no longer operate its boardwalk tram more than a year after a young child was struck and killed.

Town officials said the decision “was not made lightly.”

“The Town acknowledges the long-standing tradition and the fond memories many residents and visitors have of the Boardwalk tram,” Ocean City spokesperson Jessica Waters said in a statement, “however after thoughtful review and extensive discussion, the trams will not return in their previous form.”

Waters said Ocean City is seeking ways to reimagine the boardwalk without trams.

“The goal is to introduce new attractions and experiences to connect visitors along the Boardwalk in a safe and enjoyable way,” Waters said.

The tram has shuttled people back and forth across a 2.4-mile concrete path of the beach’s three-mile boardwalk since 1964.

Trips on the tram’s two wagons, pulled by a white Jeep at its helm, are remembered fondly by beachgoers. But a fatal crash that left a little boy dead last summer led to the suspension of the tram’s operations more than a year ago.

Shortly after sunset on Aug. 20, 2024, a 2-year-old boy was crossing from the beach to the wooden boardwalk near Dorchester Street when he was struck and killed by a southbound tram.

“There are no words to convey the profound sadness we feel for the family and their unimaginable loss. ... We are committed to supporting the family and ensuring that everything possible is done to prevent such tragedies in the future,” Mayor Rick Meehan said in a statement at the time.

The crash shocked Marylanders and raised questions about the safety of the popular transportation service.

Over the years, the Ocean City Boardwalk tram has served hundreds of thousands of riders annually without many reports of incidents.

A Delmarva Now analysis of reports submitted to the town’s Risk Management office from 2015 to 2019 showed 10 tram accidents, the majority resulting in minor injuries.

The most serious collision, in 2017, left a Westminster woman with severe injuries and prompted her to sue the town of Ocean City.

The site of the 2024 fatal collision was identified as too dangerous for street performers by a 2015 task force formed by Meehan.

A police investigation into the crash found that issues with the tram’s braking systems and towing capabilities were in part responsible for the tragedy, according to reporting by the OC Today-Dispatch.

Local representatives have been weighing the public safety concerns against the financial impact of closing the tram.

In light of the tram’s suspension in April, drivers initially hired to operate the tram were being trained to drive the city’s buses, according to an interview with Rob Shearman Jr., Ocean City’s transportation manager. Earlier this year, the city added three more buses to its fleet.

WJZ is a media partner of The Baltimore Banner.