Chappybikepath.com is an open, transparent discussion board available to the Chappaquiddick Community. It will enable Chappy people, for the first time, to cast their "votes" on the issue of a bike path on Chappaquiddick. It will also post any and all relevant material, supplied by any interested party, on a weekly basis to keep this discussion up to date. Whatever your view, you can depend on Chappybikepath.com to get your message out, reflect the sentiments of all discussion participants, and keep you informed about the latest developments concerning this important issue.

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Though Chappybikepath.com is not affiliated with the Chappaquiddick Path Committee or the CIA (Chappaquiddick Island Association), it will post whatever may be submitted by both those groups, as well as providing links to other sites offering information which could help you decide how to "vote" about a bike path on Chappy.

​Rules:

​!. All submissions to this web site are to be addressed to RGBecker@Yahoo.com.

​2. Editing will be limited to redactions of personal attacks (if I can catch them).

​3. All submissions will be posted by date, regardless of content.

​4. The list will include everyone expressing a "Vote" on the issue. These positions will be determined by the following methods:

1. A communication with Chappybikepath.com indicating a position the "Voter" wants to post. These positions are: "Against the Bike Path" "In Favor of the Bike Path" and "Undecided." .​

Anyone can communicate with Chappybikepath.com by emailing RGBecker@Yahoo.com, Telephoning Roger Becker at 508 627 8720, speaking to Roger Becker directly, or by writing Roger Becker, 296 Chappaquiddick Rd. Edgartown, MA 02539. Requests for a posting, removal, or shifting of position can be made, but once anyone has been placed on the list, that person will remain under one of the three headings.​

2. When a person publicly expresses an opinion clearly indicating a position.​

3. When a person can be identified as a respondent to another poll or survey as clearly indicating a position.

​ ​5. All other lists, surveys etc. will be included in the dated debate pages and, along with all other submissions, must include the name of submitter.

​6. Duplicate postings: Because of limited web space, repetitions and duplications will not be posted. If a previous submission has been amended and needs to be posted again, amendments must be highlighted or clearly indicated in some other fashion.

​7. Along with dated debate pages, special features and articles may be posted at the webmaster's discretion to present facts, schedules of public meetings and other announcements helpful to the "voting" population.

​8. Persons found to have no connection to Chappaquiddick will be removed from the lists.

Why?

​ When the Chappaquiddick community needs to determine where people stand on an important issue like the construction of a bike path along the roads of our little island, there needs to be a reliable source to determine where people stand on the issue. Surveys conducted by proponents or opponents or even a community group are suspect if they don’t show who the respondents are, and allow those respondents to see who has been included in the survey, as well as the survey results. Some may not like their positions being made public; but if they are taking a stance on this issue, which is a public issue, their views should be known to everyone, not just a select few. No one is making anyone choose between “yes” or “no.” Those who are undecided about the advisability of building a bike path on Chappy can declare themselves “ undecided.” Choose this position if you don't want to be counted when people ask: "Are you for it or against it?" Please listen to your neighbors, read about the issue, consider all of its aspects and ramifications, and assess its possible impact on Chappaquiddick. Let your neighbors know what you think, then get your name on one of the lists.

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History of proposed Bike Path on Chappaquiddick:

Summer 2008 -July 2010

Summer 2008 - Dick Knight, Peter Wells, Bob Colvin, Melissa Kagan, and Tom Tilghman form a committee to plan and build a bike path on Chappaquiddick. They declare their intentions at the Annual August meeting of the CIA and ask for a show of hands of support. The group calls themselves the Chappaquiddick Path Committee and on August 6th, go to the selectmen's meeting looking for support from the town. Pam Dolby, town administrator, offers her help and will look into past efforts.

August 13, 2008 - Melissa Kagan emails a poll, asking if the recipients favor a "Bike path in principle."

August 31, 2008 - The path committee claims 70% are in favor of a path in principle and 94% want to be kept informed. The five proponents describe themselves as the Steering Committee.

October 21, 2008 - The Steering Committee announces that a fast approaching deadline requires they act quickly to obtain money from the town Community Preservation Act funds to do an engineering survey of the Chappy and Dike Roads from the ferry to the bridge and build a "Demonstration path" across the Gardner Conservation property.

November 6, 2008 - The Path Committee presented its request for $74,842.00 of Community Preservation Funds to the Edgartown Community Preservation Committee.

November 20, 2008 - Because of the community controversy, the Path committee sends out another email poll and claims 60% favor either the study or the path or both but does not share with the public just who are the respondents.

December 11, 2008 - At the Community Preservation Committee hearing, there is significant opposition expressed by members of the year-round community and seasonal residents by emails. The Community Preservation Committee votes to include the engineering study from the Chappy Ferry to the Dike Bridge, but rejects the demonstration path.

December 20, 2008 - The Chappybikepath.com website is launched to provide a place for discussion and debate and a method to gauge opinion without imposing deadlines or cutting off expressions of opinion. The community responds with their names to be listed as either opposing, supporting or undecided about the path as planned by the Path Committee, that is, a two way side path along the road from the ferry to the bridge.

January - February 2009 -When the Edgartown Finance Committee reviews the Community Preservation Committeee's requested fund appropriation for the engineering survey, the Finance Committee votes not to recommend the request for $27,800 because a survey was just done in 1995. The Path Committee reduces its request to $6500 for a survey of the Dike Road only.

June and July 2009 - The Chappy Path Committee presents their plans for the path and shows the engineering survey done of the Dike Road. Opponents present their case by distributing hand bills and show the list of opponents which outnumber the proponents. Opponents to the two way side path are disappointed that alternatives to building a path are not being considered and ask for an opportunity to participate in the discussion, beyond asking pointed questions. The Path Committee says there will be no more discussion during the summer, and the opponents decide to organize.

July and August 2009 - Siamak and Joan Adibi, Roger Becker, Skip Bettencourt, Bill and Ann Brine, Bob and Fran Clay, Susan Gomez, Chrissie Haslet, Geoff and Norma Kontje, Ginny Murray, Tom and Lys Pike, Edo Potter, Hatsy Potter and Steven and Barbara Raichlen form the Sharing Chappy Roads Committee and invite the Path Committee to have a discussion about a Bike Path on Chappy moderated by a professional. The Path committee declines either a private meeting or a public meeting and the Sharing Chappy Roads Committee decides to have a public presentation and discussion at the Community Center. They invite the Selectmen and the Planning Board and all who would be interested.

August 11, 2009 - The Sharing Chappy Roads Committee airs their concerns and the public speaks about the issue for three hours under the careful guidance and encouragement of Deborah Medders, a professional moderator. Selectman Michael Donaroma attends the meeting. Bill Brine provides ice cream for all. Members of the Community continue to request that their names be moved from list to list on the website, Chappybikepath.com as they consider the issue. The lists show opponents outnumbering proponents, and 400 are expressing their opinion. Only 5 of 45 abuters to the route support the path.

August 3, and August 17, 2009 - The Selectmen consider the Path Committee's request that the Selectmen appoint a committee to plan, fund and build a Bike Path on Chappaquiddick. The Sharing Chappy Roads Committee objects to jumping headlong into planning a multi-use path before studying safety and traffic management alternatives. They propose forming a committee to study the present situation on Chappy and recommend changes if needed. Because of the extent of the controversy, the Selectmen tell the Path Committee that no proposal will be considered by their board until the community of Chappaquiddick comes to a consensus. They strongly recommend that the two sides meet and work out their differences. The Selectmen also tells the CPC that they could take their proposal to the Planning Board if they wanted to.

September 1, 2009 - The Path Committee meets with the Planning Board and presents their plan for a two way side path along the road from the Ferry to the bridge. The members of the Sharing Chappy Roads Committee explain their concerns and the Planning Board recommends the proponents go to the Martha's Vineyard Commission where a professional planner could evaluate the facts and report to the Planning Board. The Path Committee does not go to the MVC and the MVC tells the Planning board it does not have time or money to spend on a controversial issue that is neither supported by the Selectmen nor the Planning Board.

September - October 2009 - The Sharing Roads Committee again offers to meet with the Path Committee anytime to discuss their concerns. The Path Committee ignores the invitation. Clearly unhappy that the website shows a clear majority against a path, the path committee contacts the CIA board looking for help with another poll. The CIA board suggests they could fund a mediator to meet with the two sides in order to address safety and traffic issues. The Path Committee ignores the suggestion.

December 14, 2009 - Dick Knight announces to the Selectmen that the Path Committee and students of Northeastern University will plan a bike path on Chappy in order to establish a factual basis for discussion. The Selectmen make clear that the community needs to come to some agreements before taking up their time, but allows the use of Town Hall for any meetings that the students may hold.

January 2010 - The Sharing Chappy Roads Committee write to Dan Dulaski, the Northeastern instructor, and request that he meet with them to talk about their concerns and to find out what parameters the study would encompass. They suggest Mr. Dulaski consult the website Chappybikepath.com to gauge the sentiment on the island before committing the students to the study. Mr. Dulaski never responds. Students visit the island, never consult with residents nor offer to meet with opponents. Many residents never knew they were here.

February 2010 - The Chappaquiddick Path Committee issues a press release advising that the students would make a presentation on the 26th at the town hall and that it was a "public presentation under the auspices of the Edgartown Planning Board and Stuart Fuller of the highway department." After the Selectmen and Planning Board received numerous letters expressing outrage about the misrepresentation of sponsorship, the notice was pulled from the MV Times, but was printed in the Vineyard Gazette. Even though Mr. Fuller hosted the presentation it is obvious that the study was done to the Path Committee's specifications without any input from the Chappy community.

February 26, 2010 - The NEU students make their presentation to a group of 30 gathered in the town hall. 9 attendees were listed as in favor of the path, 15 against and 4 or 5 people in attendance are unlisted. No member of the Board of Selectmen nor the Planning Board were in attendance. The students presented no new information about Chappy traffic patterns or safety alternatives. They did not study the need for a bike path, nor did they do any quantitative analysis of the alternatives they rejected out of hand. They did not even consider traffic calming techniques, educational programs or alternate routes. The students settled on a plan for a 8 foot wide path running on the north (Beach Club and Mytoi) side of the road from the ferry to the Dike Bridge. In addition they presented a plan for traffic and parking at the ferry point and a rotary at the Dike road intersection.

March 1, 2010 - The Path Committee continues to say they and the students will be mailing an opinion poll to some Chappy people. We don't know who will be surveyed, who will write the questions, or who will evaluate the results.

April - CPC and NEU mail survey to every Chappy Household.

April 19, 2010 - NEU Students make another presentation, this time at CCC. Survey results were not offered.

July 10, 2010 - Dan Dulaski, NEU instructor gives final report at CCC presentation and offers survey results.