Roger, 
I am in receipt of a survey from the Chappy Path Committee and the Northeastern University engineering students. Apparently, time is of the essence since the instructions say I must send the "opinion survey" back by April 12th, so I will contact you by email. The student survey indicates that based on their findings from a few days spent on Chappaquiddick that a multi-use several million dollar pathway is recommended. As engineering students they have explained how to build a bike path, however, what they haven't done is include the Chappaquiddick community prior to their advisement that this major construction project of a bike path should go forward. 
Although I have expressed my opposition to the need for and expense involved for such a project previously, I would like to know, before I submit answers to a survey that is, in my opinion, flawed due to its inherent bias towards the construction of a bike path, how am I to answer these questions? Half of the questions are irrelevant. They do not address the basic question: Is there a need for a bike path on Chappaquiddick? The remaining questions are asked in such a way so as to suggest that a bike path is necessary. 
If we fill out the survey, the assumption is that we are commenting on a bike path. If we disregard the survey, the answers from others on Chappaquiddick easily can be used for an argument for a bike path. It's a dilemma. 
Last summer at the CCC, Dr. Colvin said this would be an open discussion. This is not the case, in my opinion. I cannot answer these survey questions properly given the inherent bias towards the construction of a road-side bike path. There is not one question of the 27 that asks, "Are you for or against a bike path?" 
Again, these engineering students need to learn that there are often times many more issues to be concerned with apart from the design of a bike path -- where is the safety data that supports this major construction project on a rural stretch of road on a small island? Where did the students get the idea that Chappy is the "missing link" in the bike path system existing on the Vineyard? What will prevent bicyclists from using the road should a path be constructed? How much will this cost? Who on Chappaquiddick has received a survey? Who will receive the information from the survey? Who wrote the survey questions? How familiar are they with the Vineyard and Chappaquiddick aside from a few days spent here in January? These are important questions to be answered before there is some type of presumed consensus on Chappaquiddick. 
A clear majority of Chappaquiddickers do not need nor want a bike path along the road. As for the need for a multi-million dollar children's bike path on Chappy, I suggest this is absolutely unnecessary. There are miles and miles of trails and roads and pathways to learn how to ride a bike. Generations of Chappaquiddick children have done just fine. Parents must always be responsible for their children on or off the roads. 
James Williams 
Chappy