After about 60 years in service, the Ocean City tram that shuttles beachgoers along the boardwalk during the bustling summer months will spend the season out of commission.

The pause in service is part of a suspension that began last August after a 2-year-old boy was struck and killed by a tram.

The Aug. 20 collision sent shockwaves through the Maryland vacation destination as the summer season came to a close. Months later, local representatives are still evaluating the tram’s safety and the financial fallout of keeping the service closed during the town’s busiest season.

“We do not have a budget for tram service,” said Ocean City Transportation Manager Rob Shearman Jr., discussing the budget for the coming fiscal year at a meeting last week before the mayor and City Council.

A tram-less summer means Shearman’s division expects to spend 12.3% less on transportation this year. But that will also cost Ocean City at least $1 million in revenue, Shearman said.

Last fiscal year, the tram generated more than $1.5 million, according to transportation fund budget documents.

Three buses are being added to the city’s transit, and Shearman’s team is recruiting more drivers, he said at the council meeting, adding, “It’s been a challenge.”

Several people initially hired to work the tram are in training to drive the city’s buses, he said.

“We’re trying to find places for them,” Shearman said. Some tram seasonal employees may be able to work with the transportation division for special events, he said.

One-way rides on the tram cost $5, according to the Ocean City government website.

Comprised of a Jeep pulling two wagons, the tram travels up to 2.4 miles beside the boardwalk’s pedestrian walkway.

Although it will not run this year, Shearman said, the transportation fund will still need to pay $440,00 for the debt service on the tram’s carriages.

Since 1964, the tram has been a staple for Ocean City tourists looking to traverse the town’s sprawling beachfront. Residents could not recall tram collisions with pedestrians prior to last year’s fatal incident.

Ten incidents occurred between the tram and pedestrians in the summer season of 2015 through July 2019, according to records reviewed by Delmarva Now. Most of the collisions were minor, the news site said.

However, residents have long been concerned about the tram’s impact on large crowds. Recommendations of a 2015 task force that sought to make the service safer prompted the city to designate certain spots along the boardwalk for street performers and artists, outside the tram’s path.

In the fatal incident, the child was crossing a tram pad near Dorchester Street at about 8:15 p.m. when he was struck by a southbound tram. That area was considered an unsafe spot for performers, according to a previous report by the Baltimore Sun.

Ocean City Mayor Rick Meehan described the fatal collision as an “unimaginable loss” in a statement last August. “We are committed to supporting the family and ensuring that everything possible is done to prevent such tragedies in the future.”