Tisbury Moves Ahead with Bicycle Route Connector

Tisbury’s select board gave its unanimous approval Tuesday for a bicycle and pedestrian route on the Edgartown-Vineyard Haven Road that will lead cyclists away from the treacherous State Road intersection.

Tisbury’s select board gave its unanimous approval Tuesday for a bicycle and pedestrian route on the Edgartown-Vineyard Haven Road that will lead cyclists from Sanborn Way — where the existing shared-use path to town ends just south of Rockland Bank on the west side of the road — to Skiff avenue on the east side.

From Skiff, the bike lane will follow Causeway Road through Veterans Memorial Park to Beach street, next to the Cumberland Farms-post office building, where a crosswalk leads to Cromwell Road and downtown.

Public works director Kirk Metell said bicyclists and walkers alike are far safer entering Vineyard Haven by this route, which avoids the hazardous three-way junction of State and Edgartown-Vineyard Haven roads.

Two cyclists have died at the busy intersection, both in collisions with trucks, Mr. Metell said.

“It’s about time, I think, that we create this bike lane to make it safe for all pedestrians and bicycles,” he told the select board.

Mr. Metell said signs are expected to be up along the roadway by this weekend, directing cyclists to the connector route and advising motorists not to park along that strip of Edgartown-Vineyard Haven Road.

Eliminating the roadside parking will make it possible for drivers to comply with a two-year-old state law requiring them to give bicyclists at least four feet of room while passing, Mr. Metell said.

Among other business Tuesday, the select board approved the liquor license application for The Maker Pasta Shop and Café, which still must receive permission from the state Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission before the new eatery can start serving adult drinks with its meals.

The board also appointed Alex Wright and Jared Salvatore as Tisbury’s representatives on the Martha’s Vineyard Cultural Council, and agreed to increase the wastewater department’s emergency call-out fees, which superintendent Mike Alberice said have not kept pace with labor costs.

The new fee schedule raises emergency calls from $50 to $75 during regular work hours and from $150 to $250 after hours.

Mr. Alberice also received permission to add a $5 fee for small-batch septic discharges at the wastewater plant, which he said tend to come from businesses such as carpet cleaners and a mobile hair salon, and a $25 fee for “seed sludge,” which is used to start the treatment process in advanced septic systems.

At board chair Christina Colarusso’s recommendation, municipalities will be exempt from paying the seed sludge fee.

Tuesday’s meeting began on a high note with the appointment of Marques Rivers as deputy fire chief, a role that has gone unfilled since former deputy Patrick Rolston was promoted to chief in January.

Mr. Rivers is a veteran Martha’s Vineyard firefighter with 28 years of service that began in Oak Bluffs, where his grandfather Dennis Alley was fire chief, Mr. Rolston said. He has also worked at Martha’s Vineyard Airport.

“This is a big step for the town of Tisbury, the department of fire and [emergency services], to strengthen our foundation,” Mr. Rolston said.

Numerous family members and friends watched and recorded as Mr. Rivers’s son, Ethan, pinned the new badge on his father’s uniform and deputy town clerk Colleen Morris administered his oath of service. 

Comments

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 06/11/2025 - 17:40

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E. Thomas Fuller 4170

If two cyclists have been killed, then it is after the time rather than "about time."

Kirk Metell Tisbury

You are correct. It’s horrible that it takes a tragedy to implement change.this simple project took far too long .. I understand parking is a premium on our ever shrinking island , but pedestrians safety needs to be our number one priority. I would like to say thank you to the Selectboard for supporting this project. It

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 06/12/2025 - 19:00

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James Flynn

Marques Rivers is the right choice. He will serve the town well, and the people of Tisbury can sleep soundly knowing he’ll be diligent in his duties and committed to protecting the community.

Alex Wright is also a good choice for the Cultural Council. He’s a kind person and will represent the town well.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 06/12/2025 - 23:35

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E H Vh

Bike paths in tisbuty and Edgartoen and nearly unrideable, and they require major revamp.
Also the new bike path is a joke as cars park and block it, and let's not forget all the debris coming into them from connecting dirt driveways. Unstable for road bikes. Will continue to use main road and avoid bike paths until they sre actually fixed.

Robert Edgartown

Agree that bike paths around much of the island need major work, which pushes cyclists onto the roads and into traffic. Should be a priority on an island like this.

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