After years of discussions and debate about beach access on Martha’s Vineyard, it’s clear there is still a fundamental misunderstanding about Oversand Vehicle (OSV) access. Many people frame it as driving on the beach for recreation. In reality, OSV travel is simply the only practical way for the public to reach large portions of the Island’s public shoreline.
Because of the Island’s geography, many of the south- and east-facing ocean beaches are surrounded by large bays and great ponds — including Cape Pogue Bay, Katama Bay, Edgartown Great Pond, Poucha Pond, Oyster Pond, and Tisbury Great Pond. Much of the shoreline is also bordered by private land that limits where the public can cross to reach the beach.
The result is long stretches of shoreline that are publicly accessible in theory — but extremely difficult to reach in practice.
Walking isn’t always a realistic alternative. Walking on soft sand requires two to three times the effort of walking on pavement, turning even a short distance into a long, exhausting trek — especially if you’re carrying chairs, coolers, fishing gear or helping children. For many older residents or people with limited mobility, it simply isn’t possible.
That’s where OSV access comes in. It allows people to reach the beach for shore fishing, bird watching, shellfishing, beachgoing and simply spending time with family and friends.
In fact, OSV travel on the beaches of Chappy and Norton Point provides practical access to about 47 per cent of the publicly accessible beaches on Martha’s Vineyard.
So the conversation about OSVs shouldn’t really be about vehicles. It should be about something much more important — whether the public can reach the public beach at all.
Peter Sliwkowski President of MV Beachgoers Access Group
Edgartown
This article appears in March 13, 2026.