A community survey completed by the Gazette this month documents what everyone already knows: summer traffic on Martha’s Vineyard is a major annoyance.
Seven out of ten people said growing traffic problems are keeping them out of downtown centers and interfering with their quality of life, as they go to lengths to avoid the most congested areas.
That rings true for everyone who has adopted the new normal in summer: taking circuitous routes to get from one town to another, shopping at odd hours, avoiding at all cost notorious hotspots like the Five Corners intersection in Vineyard Haven or the Triangle in Edgartown.
But responses also surfaced the age-old tension over whether the inconvenience is worth the economic boost or is ruining the very essence of the Island’s charm. And several zeroed in on the conundrum inherent in fixing the problems, noting that better roads and traffic signals have the potential to bring even more cars and people.
Still, the survey got people talking about solutions — some small, some radical — that might relieve the stress. A few well-placed turn lanes. Summer traffic lights. More frequent buses and shuttles. A surcharge on extra-large vehicles. Pedestrian-only zones downtown. Improved bike lanes. Self-driving cars. Incentives to encourage people to leave their cars at home.
High season is on the wane now, and that means traffic will be easing as hundreds head for the mainland, leaving their summer vacations behind.
And Islanders will venture out to downtown stores and the farmers’ market again.
Like mothers after childbirth, we tend to forget the pain until it is upon us again. Maybe this year will be different.
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