Dear Terry, Recently the members of our association were surveyed whether they would support or oppose a plan to build bike paths on Chappy. I think before the survey was circulated there should have been a discussion of the pros and cons of the plan. In this letter I would like to present a few reasons why I do not think it is a good plan. 1) Safety According to Professor Paul Schimek of the Department of Urban Studies and Planning at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the usefulness of bike paths is much more limited than many advocates believe. Moreover, if they are improperly designed, they can be dangerous and even worsen the safety problems. He sites the previous studies that have shown that 85% of all car-bike collisions take place in the urban areas, and 89% of these involve turning and crossing movements, and only 7% involve cars overtaking bicycles. Another piece of relevant information is that in his judgment 12 feet is the minimum width necessary for sharing a bike path with bicycists, pedestrians, rollerbladers, and skate boarders. The paper of Professor Schimek can be reviewed on the internet ( http://www.massbike.org/info/dilemma.htm). As far as personal experience is concerned, for over 40 years I have been biking on Chappy and on Martha's Vineyard. During this time I have had hardly any problems on Chappy but I have had many close calls on the bicycle path in Edgartown. In the summer there are many bicyclists on the Edgartown bike path who do not follow the rules of biking, like the rules of single file and staying on the right-hand side. 2) Environmental Impact In a recent letter to the Vineyard Gazette ( September 5, 2008), Timothy Leland has envisioned the "hidden horrors of the latest proposal to build paved bike paths on Chappaquiddick." It is not hard to envision that building 12 feet- wide asphalt bike paths through our island will dramatically and forever change its rural and natural character. 3) Solution I do share the concern of people for safety when riding on bicycles on Chappy. However, in the opinion of the experts, the first step in assuring safety is not building facilities but educating bicyclists and motorists who share the same road to follow the rules. Furthermore, efforts to build bike paths could be futile because of scarcity of money and reluctance of landowners to give the necessary easements. In my opinion, the cheapest, simplest, most effective and doable solution is to urge the Selectmen to assign a policeman to monitor the Chappy roads during the summer. This will ensure that bicyclists and motorists follow the rules. Bicyclists and motorists could be informed of the rules by placing educational materials at the Chappy ferry and by positioning a few more speed limit, no passing and single file signs on the road. In conclusion, I hope you will find my letter worthy of distribution among the CIA members and whomever else is interested. It is my hope that this letter will promote a meeting of Chappy homeowners to discuss the pros and cons of building bike paths. Sincerely, Siamak Adibi, M.D., PhD