The recent commentary by Dan Greenbaum in the Gazette completely misses the entire point of the proposed hybrid-hybrid Tristan Israel plan. He states that this shared user path is a vital link to the SUP transportation network on Martha’s Vineyard.

What network is he talking about? The plan was to have this link by a direct route, through the Tisbury Marketplace to an SUP on Skiff Lane that would connect to the SUP on Edgartown Vineyard Haven Road. I was involved with the MVC plan to try to put in a SUP on Skiff avenue and it fell through. There is none. There never will be one.

As a cyclist, riding up Skiff avenue and going out to the Vineyard Haven-Edgartown Road SUP goes to a very sketchy patchwork in Vineyard Haven along that road that is what is referred to as a SUP. The lane doubles as parking for cars; buses pull in and out. In this area, it is not protected, it really is just old infrastructure. Maybe it will change, but even if it does, there will be no SUP linking to it. Farther up it changes, but it is hardly a safe place to ride for quite a distance.

As to avoiding Five Corners . . . well, maybe it would be useful in the event that Five Corners is blocked off due to a fire or perhaps nuclear contamination, but other than that, the route goes around several businesses before exiting on Lagoon Pond Road, then up around Memorial Park to Cumberland Farms, crosses Beach Street and then goes up Cromwell Lane. All of this brings a cyclist to the junction of the rear of Stop and Shop, and cyclists then proceed past delivery trucks, dumpsters, shoppers with shopping carts, and out to Water street, where they cross for a third time, and get to the Steamship Authority. If this route is followed at night, it will need lighting

and security because the area around Cumberland Farms where this passes is not perfectly suited for cyclists.

There are many other issues with this plan, but I simply want to address the reason that Tristan voted for it and that Mr. Greenbaum supports — the idea that it is a vital link. It is not. It never will be. The SUP through the Marketplace is not in place, it may not even be built. We do not know, but if it is, it will not work. This plan is deeply flawed on so many levels. This is just one, but an important one. The most important one. The entire reason for the SUP on Beach Road.

Far better in every way would be the symmetrical plan. The Tristan option is deeply flawed and less safe, more intrusive than the symmetrical, requires serious land takings, will trigger lawsuits, is disruptive to shade trees, to businesses and will increase the problems with flooding. And it looks like it will be built.

Frank Brunelle
Vineyard Haven