Oak Bluffs is putting its support behind a state bill that would restrict the use of mopeds to only drivers with a motorcycle license, a move that could spell the end of moped rentals on Martha’s Vineyard.
The town’s select board sent a letter to the state legislature’s Joint Committee on Transportation on June 19 outlining its support of the bill, highlighting mopeds’ lack of safety features and the fact that visitors are often inexperienced riders.
“The facts are clear: Mopeds and scooters pose a significantly higher risk of injury and fatality than other forms of transportation,” the letter reads. “In a community like Oak Bluffs — where tourism surges in summer and inexperienced visitors rent mopeds in large numbers — this risk is amplified by challenging road conditions, high congestion, and limited emergency response infrastructure.”
The bill was introduced earlier this year by State Rep. Thomas Moakley, a Falmouth Democrat representing the Vineyard on Beacon Hill. On the Vineyard, mopeds have long been a public safety issue and a focus of public scrutiny, which was reignited last summer when a woman visiting from Florida died in an accident while riding a rented moped. There were also considerations in Oak Bluffs on whether to restrict mopeds to single riders only, without passengers.
While the board had reached a consensus to send the letter, it hadn’t actually discussed the document or taken a vote until Tuesday’s board meeting. Board member Thomas Hallahan expressed concern at the meeting that the “wide-sweeping” proposal would hinder Islanders who use mopeds to commute to work.
“The greatest problems are the rentals,” Hallahan said.
Other board members acknowledged that if the legislation passes, some people may feel burdened by additional requirements, like licensure and insurance, but they said safety issues and a possible avenue to eliminating rentals trumped those concerns.
“I think anybody using the road on a motorized vehicle, if it’s going faster than … [25 mph], is expected to be licensed in some capacity,” board member Sean DeBettencourt said.
Ultimately, the board unanimously voted to support Moakley’s bill.
I’ve been saying this for a couple decades.
All two wheeled powered vehicles should require to be registered, be driven by a licensed operators and insured.
Just like boats (they should be insured too).
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