The Vineyard Transit Authority is to be applauded as it makes the transition to electric buses, backed by generous state grants and at no burden to Island taxpayers.
The Vineyard Transit Authority is to be applauded as it makes the transition to electric buses, backed by generous state grants and at no burden to Island taxpayers. Amid rising concern about climate change, fewer diesel fumes spewing into the air are a small but important step toward moving away from Island dependence on fossil fuels.
But the regional transit authority’s plan to build a new electric bus charging station and redesign the terminal at Church street in downtown Edgartown could benefit from a careful second look and more thorough public airing.
The plan seemed to come out of nowhere when it surfaced last week before the town selectmen. A public hearing was required because as part of the new bus terminal and charging station on Church street, the VTA wants to remove most of the shade trees at the site. Otherwise the public might not have known about the plan at all.
After the shade tree hearing, the selectmen decided to require the VTA to keep a large old linden tree at the site. They have agreed to allow the removal of three other trees, pending a detailed plan for replacing them, possibly elsewhere in town.
Taking down shade trees to make way for an electric bus charging station is an obvious environmental contradiction in itself. And while the VTA will build a pergola at the site to make up for the loss of tree canopy, it’s hard not to cringe at the image of the leafy, sun-dappled area around the visitor center, right in the heart of the downtown historic district, transformed to an urban-like setting with more hardscape.
But there are even larger issues to consider as downtown Edgartown with its narrow streets, most of them laid out in the days when horse and buggy were the main mode of transportation, becomes increasingly congested with summer traffic, including bus traffic. Today the downtown village is a main hub for the VTA, including the well-traveled number 13 bus that runs between Oak Bluffs and Edgartown all year long, the South Beach bus that runs in the summer, buses that run routes to the airport and many others.
Will the electric bus charging station add more stress on downtown infrastructure? And is Church street really the best place for it? These are valid concerns, and it’s not clear whether alternatives were considered.
After the Gazette published a story last week about the shade tree hearing and new bus terminal plan, a large number of readers reacted with alarm and dismay. Many thoughtful and comments were posted online, including one from Tim Boland, director of the Polly Hill Arboretum a respected Vineyard arborist.
We urge the VTA advisory board and selectmen to read them and consider soliciting a second opinion on the plan, perhaps from the capable transportation planners at the Martha’s Vineyard Commission. This is after all why we have the MVC.
If the plan is worth doing, it’s worth getting it right.
Comments
Thank you: the plan must be
Jane Chittick EdgartownThank you: the plan must be reviewed and it must be right. As a co-author of the 1987 Historic District Commission Bylaws (and founding executive director of the Preservation Trust), the townspeople heartedly embraced the preservation of out unique town, settled in 1641. Today it is on of the most important Historic villages in the country. Since learning of this project last week (and I live ONE block from Church Street! and am an active town member), I have spent a huge amount of time researching this ill-conceived and detrimental project .. in essence a "hub" for the new 300kW Electric buses will be charged inductively in the pavement. There is no worse location for recharging than Church Street. Without going into all the details here that I have uncovered, suffice it to say there are at lest 4-5 other places where these buses can recharge. #1 is where the current 200kW electric buses are now being charged: at the VTA/Airport headquarters .. plenty of room, the buses all end up there, and it's already happening for the 200kW electric buses. Other possibilities are Edgartown's VTA "Park and Ride"; VH's "Park and Ride"; and possibly OB's and VH's SSA. There are other numerous questions too. But suffice it to say: we need to preserve the Historic District. I am soon gathering 100+ signatures for a Non-binding Referendum to be put on the April Town Meeting floor - for exactly what you say here. We need to reviews the plan and get it right. Thank you again for a well-thought out Opinion piece.
CHEERS!!!
BFCHEERS!!!
Thank you, Gazette, for
Sara Piazza EdgartownThank you, Gazette, for picking up on the importance of this story.
And you are correct - this goes beyond the issues of shade trees. Yes, we need to reconsider this plan, and, as I have said elsewhere, it is time to rethink the Church Street terminal altogether. What started as a bus stop that accommodated much smaller buses has become a destination hub for buses from Oak Bluffs, Vineyard Haven, South Beach, and the West Tisbury Rd./airport routes. If you look at the schedule you'll see that during the summer months, there are fifteen buses per hour that utilize the Church Street station, which adds up to approximately thirty buses per hour that travel in up and down Upper Main Street, a street that is a combination historic and residential district and is filled with pedestrians, bicyclists, and normal people just trying to live. Not only are there thirty buses per hour, but also, during the busiest times, when the queue on Church Street is full, some of the buses have to circle around the block again to find a place to park (and it’s no easy feat, maneuvering those buses on the left hand turn onto Main from Pease’s Point Way) -so how many buses is that, now? Certainly more than we bargained for, which is already too many. The buses are too loud, too big, and too fast for downtown Edgartown, and have, quite honestly, ruined the character of the town. Friends who sit on my porch on Upper Main Street are not just amazed by the frequency and size of the buses - they are shocked and appalled. Thirty an hour. All too big, too loud – belching, hissing, and roaring - and too fast. Come and sit on my porch for an hour on any day or night during July and August and you will see what I mean. And it's not just about me - these two blocks are filled with pedestrians and bicyclists, all who must be wondering how, when they thought they were visiting a quaint village, ended up on a runway at Logan Airport. It’s also a serious safety issue. From my porch you will also see bicyclists precariously close to being taken out by these behemoths. A few months ago, when the bus drivers were on strike and the service was cut way back, the absence of the monster buses on Main Street was heavenly - it felt as though Old Edgartown had returned. And while I appreciate how much quieter the electric buses are - please consider that they are even bigger than the regular diesel buses. Have you seen them, with giant painted-over windows and splashy artwork that make them look as if they belong in a big city? I recognize that there needs to be public transportation here, but at what cost? Our historic village? Our sanity? We can do better than this. Yes, the VTA’s new plan does need careful reconsideration, and this would also be an opportune time to reconsider Church Street altogether. Thank you.
To clarify, when I say
Sara Piazza EdgartownTo clarify, when I say reconsider, I do not mean eliminate. I mean reconsider as in how can we reconfigure the size and frequency of the buses to stay true to the character of our town while also providing much needed transportation.
Guess what? Bids for
Mature Tree-Lover EdgartownGuess what? Bids for removing the Historic District's trees (thanks to the VTA's insistence that the ONLY spot on the entire island suitable for electric induction charging) is due next week on 1/22/20. Proving that this Historic site is NOT the only site on the island is this earlier VTA online posting re "Deployed Induction Charging in the Future": 4 proposed inductive charging locations on Island map – Church Street, Edgartown; Aquinnah Cliffs; West Tisbury Town Hall; Ocean Park, Oak Bluffs. Q – What is the address on Church Street? A – 29 Church Street, Edgartown, MA 02539.
Those phony graphics of the Bus Terminal waiting area with new, fully leafed trees will take 15-20 years from now (2040) to produce shade as depicted here. Too late for me tp enjoy, but I hope your own children and grandchildren will like sitting under them.
If you have questions or
Sara Piazza EdgartownIf you have questions or concerns or an opinion regarding the VTA's plans for Church Street, there will be a public meeting at the Edgartown Library on February 4 at 4pm.
Add new comment