Ocean City Still Awaits Recommendation on Causeway Gulls
A large number of herring gulls are dying in collisions with cars on the reconstructed Route 52 causeway to Ocean City.
Photos
Ocean City is still waiting for a recommendation from the state on a strategy for protecting the herring gulls that are dying by the dozen on the reconstructed Route 52 causeway.
Since the completion of the new elevated causeway in the spring, the gulls have perched on the railing on the north side of the four-lane highway — putting them on a collision course with the vehicles driving by at more than 40 mph. It remains unclear if some sort of wind or draft phenomenon contributes to the problem.
Ocean City Business Administrator Mike Dattilo reported to City Council on Aug. 10 that an environmental consultant, the state Department of Transportation and the State Department of Fish, Game and Wildlife have been studying both causes and solutions — and that the city expected the officials to report back within a few days.
But on Tuesday, Dattilo said the city has yet to see a recommendation.
Dattilo said one potential solution could include the installation of spikes to prevent the gulls from perching on the railing. The state would bear the cost of any modification to the railings on the state highway.
A six-year, $400 million project to reconstruct the Route 52 causeway between Ocean City and Somers Point is in the final stages. It is expected to be fully complete by the end of the year with the opening of a mid-causeway visitors center and a separate lane for bicycles and pedestrians.
Duffer
6:38 am on Thursday, August 30, 2012
How much are the taxpayers paying this environmental consultant????
Frank Robey
6:47 am on Thursday, August 30, 2012
Probably less than the $400 million the taxpayers paid for that ugly bridge...
Marlin Magnet
7:21 am on Thursday, August 30, 2012
Hey Mike,
Get the lagoons dredged and here is your solution. Stainless steel wire 12 guage and install with spacers just above the rails so the gulls cant land. Spikes present a danger to pedestrians crossing the bridge and create a harborage for trash and debree. You dont need any more consultants and dont allow the unions to run up the bill. go with private businesses who continue to struggle in this economic environment
Peter M
9:41 am on Thursday, August 30, 2012
If the railing was raised about five feet along that stretch, the gulls would then be above the traffic coming in for a landing.
zoetwater
12:57 pm on Thursday, August 30, 2012
Run fishing line @ 5' above the length of the railing. The gulls bump into the line they can't see and fly away. Marinas have been using this method for 50 years. safe to birds and inexpensive.
t.t.
1:38 pm on Thursday, August 30, 2012
always amazes me the intelligence of the south jersey people..." the ugly bridge"?? you preferred the dinosaur that was there before?? 400 million?? what did you think it would cost?? taxpayers cost??? this is the planet earth dummy... that is how we build things here... did you expect the gods to pay?? i mean really... the non stop rhetoric is ridicoulas!!!
Frank Robey
1:55 pm on Thursday, August 30, 2012
The old 9th Street Bridge had a lot of character...only in America would we spend that kinda money and build such a monstrosity so a couple sailboats could fit under the bridge...what's that work out to a million or so spent per sailboat over the lifetime of the bridge?
Donald Kelly
5:09 pm on Thursday, August 30, 2012
Nice to see tradition unimpeded by progress still exists in the land that time forgot. Then you wonder why 25% of the population left..
Virgil Harris
11:08 am on Saturday, September 1, 2012
Let them die, there are enough of them regardless. I bet the same people trying to save the gulls are also pro-choice. So, let me get this straight, you want to save the birds but not fetuses?
Sam Samstie
10:05 pm on Saturday, September 1, 2012
Virgil is right!!!!!! If you are pro-choice, you are a hypocrit if you want to save or protect any other living thing. Even if you want to do anything right, you are a hypocrit! So pro-choice people, please stop caring about, and especially trying to help or protect, any other living thing, from zygotes, to viruses, to amoebas, non-human animals, post-natal humans (yuh know, the borned types - who we no-choicers also don't care about becasue they been borned), and to be consistant, I must insist that you just don't do or support anything good, or kind, or right because you want the womens to have the right to chose whether to bring a pregnancy to term so you are bad and you should be bad all the way. Thank you.
Chuck Biscuits
11:58 am on Sunday, September 2, 2012
Quit crying about the price! Would you rather have a bunch of illegal Mexicans build the bridge? If you enjoy the weekend thank a Union.
@ the gulls . They'll be leaving like the rest of the road trash soon enough
Chuck Biscuits
12:01 pm on Sunday, September 2, 2012
Oh and we built it 65 feet above the 100 yr flood mark so when the island gets inundated by water you can drive your ass back wherever you came from Frank Robey