Gazette Launches Survey About Mopeds on Martha's Vineyard

Thursday, February 2, 2017 - 6:09pm

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To gauge public attitudes toward mopeds and moped rentals on Martha’s Vineyard, the Vineyard Gazette’s Community Surveys project is launching an online survey on the topic.

Full-time and seasonal residents are encouraged to fill out the short questionnaire. Respondents are free to pass the survey link on to others, but there is a mechanism in place to prevent more than one response from the same computer.

The community surveys project is an effort to stimulate debate around topics of community interest; results are not statistically accurate. Last fall, more than 1,300 people responded to a Gazette community survey on ticks and tick-borne illness.

Individual responses to the survey will be kept anonymous. Overall results and a sampling of comments will be published in a future issue of the Gazette and on vineyardgazette.com.

Mopeds

Gazette Community Surveys

Comments (17)

carl Young, medfield ma

Years ago I owned a moped rental business in Vineyard Haven. The problem is that renters feel that they can ride a moped like a bicycle on the roads. Not true. The ability to ride and control a moped in light of all the Vineyard traffic, which has substantially increased over the last twenty years, takes skills that are not always contained by the renter. It looks easy but it is very dangerous and has made the travel on the Vineyard hazardous for passenger vehicles as well as the mopeds. While the moped rentals and their operation make travel to the various sections of the Vineyard available to the visitors, which is desirable, the use of mopeds is inherently dangerous and should probably be discontinued. Martha's Vineyard is not Bermuda and while as beautiful and interesting to visit,moped use should be discontinued.

February 3, 2017 - 8:51am

Dennis, Hingham NA

I have been a long time visitor to MV. I have come the last 17 years for 2 -3 weeks in the summer. The car traffic on MV in July and August is getting to be a problem. I have been to Bermuda 6-7 times and have rented a moped. There is no car problem in Bermuda. I believe the comparison to MV and Bermuda is somewhat skewed: many visitors to MV rent for a day, rush from A to B to C and hope to visit 15 spots. 99% of the visitors to Bermuda do not visit for a day. There must be a way to restrict one day visitors to MV from renting. I am not trying to restrict moped rental; just hoping for a solution to avoid needless injury.

February 3, 2017 - 1:17pm

John Aldeborgh, Edgartown, MA

We need to protect personal liberties and focus on teaching users how to use mopeds safely. Let's focus on solving the root cause problem and not simply react emotionally, otherwise we'll be banning everything. It's more difficult but it's the right thing to do.

February 3, 2017 - 10:36am

Lisa Vanderhoop, Aquinnah, MA

Sorry John but I really disagree and I will tell you why. The roads here, particularly up island are too narrow for both cars, trucks and mopeds. There simply isn't enough space for both entities to travel safely. I have seen countless accidents, narrow missed crashes, crazy swerving of cars to avoid mopeds, etc. It isn't about protection of personal liberties it is more about the reality of the situation we have here. Not enough physical space on our roads for safety for both cars and mopeds. I am not for mindlessly taking away our personal liberties believe me. Anything but. But without a massive, impossible road widening a' happening, I just think mopeds are ridiculously unsafe and should be banned on the island. We already have bikes and bikers which obviously should not be banned, but again the roads are quite narrow especially up island. And many of the moped riders purposely ride in the middle of the road because they think they have the right to almost like they are on a motorcycle. And they often kind of erratically swerve from the side of the road to the middle of the road, back and forth. I have been given the finger when I have honked at a moped driver that is driving in the middle of the road. People on bikes don't do this.

February 6, 2017 - 5:02pm

walter marlowe, London / OB

I am all for protecting personal liberties but the reality is that moped riding as a renter is trivial in terms of rights and more importantly there is no practical way a moped rental company can adequately train a casual rider in 5 or 10 minutes or even an hour.

February 3, 2017 - 12:12pm

Tom, NYC

The Vineyard should make a 1 hour class on operating a moped mandatory before rental. Local laws and regualtions should be addressed (EC Drive and the drawbridge are perfect examples of mopeds abusing roads). The onle exceptions would be for licensed motorcycle riders.

February 3, 2017 - 2:17pm

Islander Too

(EC Drive and the drawbridge are perfect examples of mopeds abusing roads)" What is EC Drive? And what kind of abuse do you mean at EC DRive and the drawbridge?

February 4, 2017 - 8:44am

Robert, Edgartown

Thanks for soliciting input on this issue! Driving on our roads is a priviledge not a right. Priviliges need to be reviewed regularly to see if they can still work. Drunk drivers lose their driving privilege for example. Mopeds no longer have pedal power and infact are a small motorcycle. They have more power and great brakes, suspension etc.. If you are not a licensed motorcycle rider you will not have the skills to safely handle these machines on our busy roads. It's time to decide, in my opinion, that the priviledge of riding mopeds on our roads just doesn't work.

February 4, 2017 - 11:49am

Islander, Off Island

Great comment. Totally agree.

February 6, 2017 - 3:24pm

WashAbhored, Edgartown

If safety is the concern: 1. Increase the efforts to arrest drivers operating while under the influence of alcohol. It's pretty obvious from the weekly court report that the personnel at various bars and package stores could use more and better training on not serving or over-serving patrons. 2. The speed limit on some of Martha's Vineyard's road is too high. We also need better signage and enforcement. 3. Many vehicles operating on our narrow roads are too large. They pose a danger to other vehicles, pedestrians, and bicyclists. 4. Lighting on many roads is inadequate. 5. Crosswalks are either poorly, or completely unmarked. 6. There is virtually no enforcement of secure/tie down rules. Many trucks have refuse, tools and large items coming off them into traffic.t

February 4, 2017 - 12:12pm

deshandra brown, mv

When these contraptions first became legal around 1978 I believe the speed was limited to 25 miles per hour or so. Now this things seem to be doing closer to 40. I have no problem with an owner/operator. Renters are a disaster waiting to happen. Take someone who hasn't ridden a bicycle in years...give them a moped that has a front brake, a passenger, and 30+ mph with the sand on the roads... we all know the results. Also these renters are in shorts and flip flops adding to their injuries. Operators should be required to have over the ankle foot wear, long pants, gloves at an absolute minimum. I see helmets but no eye protection on many. Preferably a motorcycle license.

February 4, 2017 - 1:58pm

Paulli D, Edgartown

Our roads are too narrow, and have no shoulders. Moped drivers move over to the white line and hit the ruts on the side and then lose control. We either need better roads, or no mopeds.

February 6, 2017 - 9:27am

Louis de Geofroy, West Tisbury

I agree with previous posters who have covered most of my concerns except this one: The island's Emergency Responders are already stretched thin by the number of calls in high season, mopeds add an unnecessary burden to our EMTs, Police, and Fire Department rescue squads. Most of the formerly volunteer ambulance squads are now staffed by paid personnel partially due to burnout of volunteers who can't afford the time and stress. Rental mopeds cause your taxes to go up to pay for those services, tie up responders unnecessarily, and take up emergency room beds. Why are we still talking about this 30 years later? -long past time to pull the plug.

February 7, 2017 - 7:12am

Binnie Ravitch , West Tisbury

I concur with all the concerns mentioned, especially Louis de Geofroy's spot on observations re: Emergency Services. And most of all, the human toll in injury and death is simply unacceptable. End this!

February 8, 2017 - 7:03am

Carol, Vineyard Haven

I don't feel that mopeds should be allowed to be on the Island. There have already been some horrible deaths from moped riders, serious injuries and so many moped users riding in the middle of the road or swerving back and forth with others like it is a toy! This is dangerous to all on the roads! And people absolutely do not dress properly as mentioned above for riding on a moped! I vote to get rid of them for safety of all!

February 10, 2017 - 10:45am

Fred Owen, North Bend, Washington

I have been coming to the Vineyard since the mid 60s and I have found Mopeds to be a great distraction. They are a hazard not only to themselves, but to drivers, pedestrians and families of everyone involved including first responders. An accident with an injury or death has widespread and life long consequences to those involved for generations to come. They definitely should be banned from the island

February 14, 2017 - 1:07am

Donald Brown, West Tisberry

I am shocked that more people aren't killed riding mopeds.Mostly they have little experience and often take a passenger which makes it even harder to control the moped.The danger is not just to moped riders, its also the cars behind them and the cars coming the other way. I have had more close calls then I want to remember. Renting mopeds is not smart and not fair to anyone.

February 16, 2017 - 11:17am

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Gazette Launches Survey About Mopeds on Martha's Vineyard

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Gazette Launches Survey About Mopeds on Martha's Vineyard

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