<p>Summer traffic on Martha’s Vineyard is causing significant headaches for people who visit and live here, according to the results of a Vineyard Gazette survey, with seven out of 10 respondents saying they avoid shopping in towns in July and August because of congestion.</p>
Summer traffic on Martha’s Vineyard is causing significant headaches for people who visit and live here, according to the results of a Vineyard Gazette survey, with seven out of 10 respondents saying they avoid shopping in towns in July and August because of congestion.
The online survey, designed to gauge the impact of traffic on the Island’s quality of life, elicited a variety of reactions, but most agreed that surging summer traffic had negatively affected their enjoyment of Martha’s Vineyard. As to what should be done, no clear consensus emerged.
“Time delays, taking alternate routes, having to avoid even trying to go to favorite places, noise pollution, air pollution, stress — degradation of the Island’s former beauty and peacefulness are nearly complete in July/August and the season gets longer every year,” wrote one respondent.
“We do not have the infrastructure to handle so many cars and if we build the infrastructure we lose the quaintness of Martha’s Vineyard. We have the VTA and bike paths. We need less cars and less building. More homes equals more cars,” another wrote.
“There’s nothing quaint about putting our safety at risk or idling in cars for 45 minutes to get through an intersection. We need bike paths that bikers will actually use. We need stop lights, lots of them, and quickly. We need to address the most absurd of our intersections,” said a third respondent.
Part of the Vineyard Gazette’s Community Surveys Project, the survey went live online on August 1 and was closed on August 20 after 2,200 responses were received. Though not a scientific sample, efforts were made to reach a broad audience and to block multiple responses from the same computer. Individual responses were kept anonymous.
Some 71 per cent of those responding said they are homeowners, and 36 per cent rely on a motor vehicle to get to a job or make a living on Martha’s Vineyard. Just under half of all respondents have spent more than 30 summers here. However, the range of responses was fairly consistent across all subgroups.
For example, 64 per cent of all respondents said there are too many vehicles on Martha’s Vineyard during July and August. Among longtime residents, that figure rose to 68 per cent. And 72 per cent of people who rely on a vehicle for work say there are too many cars on the Island in the summer. Of the 2,200 respondents, 30 said they had personally been involved in a motor vehicle accident and 85 per cent said they’d been stuck in traffic for long periods of time.
About a quarter of respondents said Island traffic was bad, but not unmanageable, with many remarking that the inconvenience is short-lived and not as troublesome as other places on the mainland.
“Compared to living near any mid- to large-sized city, it is a very minimal problem. It takes a few extra minutes to get anywhere, not hours,” said one. “Islanders need to make a living in the summer and visitors are required for them to do so.”
Perhaps the most surprising finding from the survey was the extent to which people said they have changed their behavior in recent years because of vehicle traffic.
Asked whether there were activities they had “consciously opted not to do” because of summer traffic, 70 per cent of all respondents cited shopping in the downtowns, 50 per cent said going out to restaurants, 40 per cent said riding a bicycle on Island roads and 32 per cent said going to the beach.
“It’s not just an issue with traffic, but also parking,” said one respondent. “There are only so many spaces to park and with more cars it makes it impossible to find a spot, especially for work.”
The Triangle in Edgartown was cited as the biggest problem area, followed closely by Five Corners in Vineyard Haven and the intersection of State Road and the Edgartown-Vineyard Haven Road. There were scattered concerns about the Roundabout, but it mostly drew praise. Many respondents commented that Island roads are insufficient to the current volume of traffic in the summer, but while some proposed various traffic management solutions, including the addition of stop lights, more roundabouts, turning lanes and traffic police, others supported more radical measures.
“There is a need to think outside the box. Like closing the downtowns to cars and have parking away from towns and a free shuttle. Vehicles must have a permit to get a ferry reservation. Islanders get them easily, followed by homeowners and longer-term leases and then day trippers,” offered one respondent.
“Increasing the bike paths to cover the entire Island would make a huge difference. Too few locations are accessible by bike paths and the roads are incredibly dangerous for cyclists,” suggested another. “Citi-Bike-type concessions could be introduced at the ferry terminals (and other locations).”
Fifty-seven per cent of respondents said they would support efforts to restrict the number of vehicles on Island during July and August, while 22 per cent said they would not. Twenty-one per cent were undecided.
Four out of 10 respondents said they would support limits on the number of cars carried by the Steamship Authority and a similar number supported imposing a surcharge on people who bring more than one car to the Island. Increasing rates for car travel on ferries, whether for all people or just for non-residents, was less popular. Several people suggested imposing a surcharge on larger vehicles.
“Could giant SUVS be restricted in any way or charged a higher price on the ferry? People who drive them don’t seem to be able to park them. Traffic is held up big time while they try to get into a space that is not big enough,” one said.
Many respondents said expanding and subsidizing the Island’s bus system could reduce car traffic on the Island. Others suggested that free or reduced-cost parking in Woods Hole would encourage people to leave their cars on the mainland. Many respondents called for a further crackdown on mopeds and more bike lanes. A few called for better visitor education.
“Visiting cars, bikes and walkers seem oblivious of rules of the road, walking in the middle of the road, biking three abreast, but especially bikers that ride against traffic,” said one respondent.
Many commenters noted that traffic is simply one symptom of larger issues, brought on by the ever-growing popularity of the Vineyard.
“Affordable housing, clean waters, access to recreation and beaches, better public school facilities, an efficient regional police and fire department are among the Vineyard’s real problems,” said one. “Traffic for a few weeks pales in comparison.”
Added another, “If you build it, they will come. How many more can the Island take? And if you improve infrastructure to accommodate them, when will it end? More restaurants, concerts, casinos, etc. lead to more visitors, which leads to more traffic, which encourages more restaurants, etc ... all the while worsening the housing shortage for restaurant, etc., workers."
Comments
I can and do avoid the three
joanne chilmarkI can and do avoid the three down island towns in July and August, but I cannot avoid the airport. It is essential to install a right turn lane for people going up island!! I think we used to have one??!!
This will help people turning left too, as the right/left turners will not back up together!
Simple fix, no?
I agree that this should be
Mr. B ChilmarkI agree that this should be done, and soon, but it may not be as simple as it looks. That green box on the right hand side of the road at the corner? The drain that is not far from it? The electrical pole? All sorts of audiences there. But, to repeat, it should be done.
Island residents are ready
Lil Dove Vineyard HavenIsland residents are ready for change. But the Chamber of Commerce and the Steamship Authority are a like a runaway train, always pushing for ever-expanding tourism, without limit, without common sense, without respect. They push the outdated narrative that we need tourism to survive, but it's not 1973. It's almost 2020 and time to limit visiting cars, dogs and pets. Visitors leave residents with trash and raw sewage. It's time for Islanders to take charge of their own narrative and disengage the SSA's nefarious monopoly on car ferries. Locals should be able to come and go on their own ferry but the SSA says no way. I'm pro-union, even the Teamsters. But, it's time for locals to team together and take back our Island. The SSA took it from us, we want it back.
I agree, there are far too
Diane EdgartownI agree, there are far too many ferries. Stop the advertising. Can you imagine the number of people who will be coming now that President OBama is buying. The traffic could also be helped if we opened a bus location with ample parking up at the high school or create one near by, which would allow people to get into town on buses. Time to stop the Trustees from issuing weekly passes to Norton Point or at least limiting the number. It’s crazy they close the beach for plovers, okay, but then open the parking to the world. How is that protecting our resource? Now the Stop and Shop is expanding in it’s crazy location, and we continue to support private beaches. Funny how people won’t build a wall but love their private beaches....
There is ample parking in the
BS Oak BluffsThere is ample parking in the summer at the high school. From there you can catch the VTA route 9 into Oak Bluffs and the route 1 into either VH or Edgartown. You can also use these routes to connect to other routes going virtually anywhere on island.
Limit dogs, really? Vehicles
R Scott Patterson EdgartownLimit dogs, really? Vehicles are the problem, can we keep you anti pet agenda out of this?
I agree. I am not sure how
Great Elsie Vineyard HavenI agree. I am not sure how dogs and other pets really contribute to the traffic problem, aside from the occasional runaway dog or outdoor cat crossing the road.
Where are dogs mentioned? I
Diane EdgartownWhere are dogs mentioned? I am just mentioning numbers. That’s all. I can’t understand why there is parking and busses at the triangle if you can be picked up before you enter the traffic problem. I guess busses aren’t the answer. Ps. I love dogs.
Diane, that is because my
R Scott Patterson EdgartownDiane, that is because my comment was not a response to you.
Wait. Are we talking about
Bulkington EdgartownWait. Are we talking about the dogs that drive cars? I thought I saw a Boxer (I lover Boxers) behind the wheel of a Defender 110, crossing the Lagon Pond Bridge yesterday.
The roundabout on Barnes Road
Robert EdgartownThe roundabout on Barnes Road has been a great success. We need another one where Barnes intersects with the Edgartown West Tisbury Road. Traffic heading east was backed up to Deep Bottom last week. Sufficient land and a simple fix.
I love the roundabout. I am
More Roundabouts! Oak BluffsI love the roundabout. I am for more of them!
Agreed. A roundabout at the
Cece EdgartownAgreed. A roundabout at the triangle.....
Summer is no longer fun. I no
Resident West TisburySummer is no longer fun. I no longer go to the beach in the summer- no parking, too much traffic to get there. No shopping or eating out in the summer for the same reasons. I am sad that the pleasant, bucolic, serene and relaxed Vineyard of the past that originally appealed to residents and visitors is gone. It’s roads are congested highways, there is no housing for workers, it’s roads, waters and beaches are at risk of becoming dumping grounds unable to support a healthy life for people and wildlife. Poor Martha.
I have been coming to the
Philip Hart Edgartown and Los AngelesI have been coming to the Vineyard for over 50 years and have been a homeowner most of that time. As I head back to my home in Los Angeles after a nice stay on the island I am reminded that this Gazette headline is similar to the headline that will greet me in the LA Times when I arrive home - the problem of traffic congestion and its impact on the quality of life. What is the solution? End the SSA monopoly? Traffic lights? Right turn lanes? Both LA and the Vineyard are popular destinations. I too bemoan the July and August congestion on the road, at the beach, on the sidewalks, etc., but I sure get sad even now when I leave for the big city and real traffic congestion. In any event we do need to still search for solutions as we enjoy our beautiful island with those we know and those we do not know.
Isn't it funny how you never
BS Oak BluffsIsn't it funny how you never see the people who complain the most about traffic riding on a VTA bus?
No A/C when bus is busy. Good
JC OBNo A/C when bus is busy. Good news whe bus not busy they have heat.
Do you know why?
BFDo you know why?
Because we have given up enough !!
Those of us born and raised here are sickened by what has been lost to us!
We have been repeatedly raped for the dollar bill!
We don’t want to ride the bus!
This is our ancestral home!
We don’t want to ride the bus!
We want to walk, safely ride our bikes, take our car, go to Edgartown when we want, and to the beach!
We don’t want to ride the bus!
We will not continue to give up more of why we chose many decades ago to make our homes here!
No to limiting traffic by the
William EdgNo to limiting traffic by the SSA or taxing cars. Better traffic management such as a turning lane at Edg. Stop and Shop and a round a bout at Barnes an West Tisbury Road. Above commenter has a good idea to put in a right turn lane at the airport exit.
Why does the SSA advertise?
Mitch Vineyard Haven / NCWhy does the SSA advertise? It seems ridiculous considering that people can’t get reservations in the summer and the number of trips per day only goes up. Isn’t their advertising proof that the SSA is only in this for themselves?
The SSA is a private
BS Oak BluffsThe SSA is a private enterprise with bondholders who are protected from being identified by it's enabling legislation. Why should they be prevented from advertising? Should all island businesses face the same fate? Should the hotels, stores, restaurants, Ag Society and rental agencies take down their websites? Keep in mind the SSA also carries passengers without cars who ride bikes and use our public transportation system. Increased revenue helps keep rates down which benefits all islanders. If people don't like traffic move somewhere more to your liking. We have traffic 2 months of the year. Most major population areas in this country have traffic 12 months of the year. We're very lucky.
So how do we handle added
public trust VHSo how do we handle added traffic? We add a new 3rd ferry slip in Woods Hole so more cars can come over, and try and extend the airport runway so more flights with rental cars are needed. I am sure these two methods helped traffic.
Here’s my humble idea.
Naomi Vineyard HavenHere’s my humble idea. Between Memorial Day & Labor Day have open-air trolleys in each town that stay within the different towns and can take you to the main hot spots. It could be two trolleys to a town (one at each end of the route). If you make it fun (kinda like everyone wants to ride the Cable Cars in SF, CA., or maybe have a therapy dog on each trolley as a mascot) it could ease up the road traffic a bit. The Trolleys could have a stop at a Park & Ride, a High School, at the ferry landings, etc...The VTA buses would be used for going from town to town while the trolley would just stay within the different towns. The SSA could do good ole Public Service Announcements on the Ferry or send out this info when people make a reservation. Maybe charge $10.00/day (or whatever works) & possible a discount showing you parked the car on the mainland. I think the least the SSA could do is agree to inform/educate passengers on the ferry (through the TV’s, flyers & their website) as they will always have people bringing over cars. When people bring their cars, ask them to be a good steward of the island and cut back their usage at least two days of the week & grab a VTA bus or trolley for their plans. Try and make it a win-win situation. Everyone feels good about doing their part for the love of the island. This, along with the other great ideas from the readers, could be a start of some traffic relief as well as an education for visitors that there is a problem and everyone should be part of the solution.
Well said. I agree.
D EdgartownWell said. I agree.
Ok. I am on the island 3-4
Shirley New York`Ok. I am on the island 3-4 weeks in August and the traffic is pretty bad for at least two of those weeks but I come from a town in the suburbs of New York where we have street fairs every month from June-Sept, young adults frequenting the bars on the weekend year round and when we hold special events like fireworks or community events we suffer from the same thing (traffic, no parking,etc). But.. we also realize that the revenue these events bring in help the storeowners, restaurants and retail establishments survive. Most of the residents (including myself) hardly go to these events but the overall good it does for the town outweighs the minor inconvenience it causes. Doesn't Martha's Vineyard effectively close down after October/November so you should just deal with it for a few months. And there are so many other issues you should be concentrating on like the need for a new elementary/junior high school, affordable housing,etc. And now.... we are directly affected with the new 15% hospitality tax but.... we will continue to come to the island to spend our vacation with our friends because we love the island.
If you rent for four weeks,
Kelly Hess EdgartownIf you rent for four weeks, rent for 31 days instead. No taxes.
It's obvious from reading
BS Oak BluffsIt's obvious from reading these comments that not many islanders are aware of, or use, the VTA. We are the problem folks. Not the visitors. If we can't take it upon ourselves to reduce the congestion why should we expect others to do so. Visitors are our lifeblood. We should be making concessions to alleviate the congestion, not the other way around.
Tourists that exit Post
Bulkington EdgartownTourists that exit Post Office Square from the entrance. Bicycle riders that ignore traffic laws. Our healthcare. Our quality of life. I think we make enough concessions. To suggest one engage in a certain activity for payment is not a concession. It is vulgar. Someone else's money is not an entitlement. It is not a mandate. We are not the problem. I have one car. Every summer I do not bring to the Island an ever-increasing number of additional vehicles. No one should have to bow to the pleasures of those who do.
The VTA is great and have no
R Scott Patterson EdgartownThe VTA is great and have no complaints about it at all but I have no idea how you can argue that the year round residents are the problem when the traffic is unbearable for 6 weeks in july and august. If the we caused the problem the terrible traffic would be year round and that isn't the case.
There is just no way around
AM EdgartownThere is just no way around the fact that the feel / character / charm of the Island has been damaged by meaningful increases in people and vehicles. Property owners (who rent) and business are doing the natural thing by begging for more, more, more and the SSA is happy to facilitate, but the tragedy is they are effectively strangling the golden goose.
Every tourist town had the
Tony PlymouthEvery tourist town had the same problems. Learn to deal with it. Limiting vehicles will only have other towns state wide contemplating the same restrictions. You won’t like that. Let’s try limiting hunger, the poor, poor education, things that really matter in life.
But we don’t need to repeat
AM EdgartownBut we don’t need to repeat the mistakes that other tourist towns have.....
The bigger picture is the
RJ OBThe bigger picture is the environmental impact all the cars and people have on our precious island. How do we determine the point of no return? Might we be already be there when it comes to Mother Earth? How can we not have a serious dialogue about this?
I've been a visitor to The
Gregory New Brunswick, New JerseyI've been a visitor to The Vineyards since 1985, and have loved and appreciated the beauty of the Island every single year. Certainly traffic comes with popularity its the new reality but proposing new restriction isn't the answer. Rather resident's making sight adjustments during July & August doesn't seem so unreasonable. What I saw this season that needs addressing is how hotels and Innkeepers overcharging guest for rooms and rentals was outrageous. Especially, realtors. their lease agreements were laced with costs/provisions and unbelievable restricts never seen before. Traffic is one thing but making the Vineyards unaffordable for a day or week is also a bigger issue.
Okay, first of all, it's not
Kelly Hess EdgartownOkay, first of all, it's not called the Vineyards. What kind of adjustments are you referring to? Not going to work? Not taking our kids to camps? Not trying to live our lives? Going to the bank or the PO? And as far as Realtor's restrictions go, I am a Realtor and we abide by the MA. Association of Realtors lease. Are you upset that you can't squeeze 9 into a home that sleeps 6? That you can't have a party at the property? Realtor's also don't set the rental rates, the homeowner does. The short term rental tax also went into effect this year which has nothing to do with Realtors. We have fought for 9 years to oppose it. We won the fight for 9 years. Lost this year to our Republican Governor. MA is the 47 state in the nation to adopt the tax. ew Jersey short term rental tax is higher than ours. So please, Gregory from New Jersey, don't bash the people who live here or Realtors.
The SSA should increase the
Bigboy WTThe SSA should increase the cost of bringing a vehicle round trip when departing from and returning to WH.
Having been born and raised
DL OB/ westfieldHaving been born and raised on the Vineyard I too am saddened by some the changes that have taken place. But life goes on. I have read all the comments so far ,some make sense some not so much . My problem is a safety issue.This past summer while my children and grandkids were visiting everyday I would drive them to the beach on that long stretch between OB and Edgartown, drop them off and then when they called I would pick them up. This was very difficult at times. My suggestion is that at every entrance gate along this beach should have a drop off and pick up only sign with two painted lines. One easy fix. Thank
you and God Bless
There is no solution as long
Toll TakerThere is no solution as long as the only car access is via ferry. It's long overdue. Now is the time. BUILD THE BRIDGE! Woods Hole to West Chop. A $20 toll coming over. Free going back. Too much traffic? Drivers will see this and drive back across. $8 heirloom tomatoes at the grocery store? Pick some up at a local Cape farm and bring them over at 1/2 the cost. Sure there's too much island traffic. Build a 4 story parking garage at Mink Meadows ready to greet the traffic. Park and get picked up by local shuttles. This plan will also solve labor shortages by allowing day labor to bus over. Helps guarantee a health profit margin for local businesses by expanding their pool of cheap labor to exploit. And much more reliable than constant mechanical failures with the Steamship Authority. Let's get this done!
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