Chappy Path

Editors, Vineyard Gazette:

I write in response to the editorial in the August 11 issue of the Vineyard Gazette as well the two follow-up letters that were printed in the August 14 edition.

Forks in a Rural Road

There are deepening divisions on Chappaquiddick over whether a bike path should be built on the tiny rural island that lies off the extreme eastern end of Edgartown. Indeed, the debate over the Chappy bike path has continued for more than thirty years, but the discussion has taken on more urgency in recent months and weeks and landed in front of the Edgartown selectmen again.

A new report released this week by the Martha’s Vineyard Commission lays out an ambitious plan to fill in the gaps in the network of bike paths that runs through the three up-Island towns to create a continuous loop with better access to downtown areas while avoiding dangerous intersections like Five Corners in Vineyard Haven.