Local committee hears residents, business owners say traffic, deliveries and safety strain island infrastructure

Matt, a local business owner, told the Non‑Voting Taxpayers Committee that the island’s traffic and infrastructure pressures have grown markedly and that peaks are “double or double and a half” what they used to be, concentrating visitors into a shorter summer season. He said recent seasons feel like “4 or 5 weeks of summer and a few key holiday weekends.”

The concern threaded through the meeting: residents and committee members described crowded sidewalks and roads, difficulty for emergency vehicles, delivery and construction trucks clogging narrow streets, frequent bike‑path incidents and limited town capacity to deliver projects. Committee member Patty Goester suggested time‑of‑day or seasonal truck restrictions and traffic marshals at ferry landings to reduce vehicle‑pedestrian gridlock.

Why it matters: speakers said congestion is already affecting safety, local businesses’ staffing and operations, and the town’s longer‑term infrastructure costs. Matt reported six serious staff accidents in about eight weeks — three requiring off‑island medical care — and characterized them as “a sign that something is out of balance.” Several residents warned that bottlenecks can delay ambulances and other emergency responses.

Discussion highlights - Heavy vehicles and construction: Several speakers, including committee members and business owners, urged limits on large trucks at peak times. One suggestion was a daily window banning large landscaping or construction trucks during busy daytime hours so deliveries and contractor work happen outside peak visitor periods. - Operational fixes: Participants proposed timed traffic signs ahead of roundabouts, temporary traffic marshals when ferries land, prioritized bus signal timing and designated taxi/ shuttle pick‑up points. Don Green described using digital signs and pre‑timed controls to regulate flow into congested nodes. - Bike and scooter safety: Michael and others said motorized scooters and e‑bikes are a frequent cause of accidents on paths; one participant recommended restricting or better classifying high‑speed electric devices so enforcement and public messaging can target the riskiest vehicles. - System planning and downstream impacts: Multiple speakers emphasized the need for comprehensive traffic modeling. One committee member warned that making one segment faster without system modeling “just moves the problem” to another neighborhood.

Town capacity and near‑term steps - Staffing and project capacity: Several participants said the town lacks project managers and the staff bandwidth to permit and deliver paths, sidewalks and intersection changes. Committee members described fundraising and private interest for bike paths that stalled because of regulatory complexity and multiple permitting bodies. - Enforcement and data: Speakers argued better data and an enforcement function are prerequisites for many policies. Committee members said the town is attempting to hire enforcement staff but has not yet staffed that function.

Ending: The committee did not take formal action on traffic policy at the meeting. Members suggested forming focused task groups and continuing coordination with town staff, the police department and property‑owner groups to pilot operational fixes this season while longer‑term modeling and capital planning proceed.