New Shoreham Council Puts New Restrictions On Block Island Mopeds

NEW SHOREHAM, RI – Amid concern over the number of moped accidents that have occurred this summer on Block Island, the New Shoreham Town Council has put new restrictions on rental outlets for the remainder of the summer - and possibly longer.

Town officials announced earlier this week that Rhode Island State Police will be brought in beginning this weekend to help with enforcement after a 22-year-old Cranston man was killed when the moped he was riding collided head-on with an SUV last weekend.

After 55 moped accidents have taken place on the island so far this summer, the town council , which earlier this week discuss options for curbing incidents - including a ban on mopeds that some councilors favor – instead turned their attention to the retail outlets that rent mopeds to customers.

According to new restrictions, mopeds must be returned at 5 p.m. rather than 8 p.m., which First Ward Councilor Kenneth Lacoste said on Wednesday should help curtail some moped activity because they will be on island roadways fewer hours of the day.

Councilors also voted to limit the number of mopeds that rental outlets can carry out each day, lowering limits from 34 per day to 25. Two fatal vehicle accidents, including the moped crash that occurred last weekend, have promoted Rhode Island State Police to add join enforcement efforts.

Troopers, along with State Police Superintendent Col. James Manni and state traffic safety officials, will meet with New Shoreham officials on Friday to discuss traffic safety on the island.

“Having two traffic fatalities in less than a week is a devastating reminder that tragedies can occur anywhere and at any time if unsafe driving behaviors are involved,” Manni said in a news release issued by the state police. "We need to act quickly in an environment where pedestrians, bicycles, mopeds, and cars are often sharing the same streets, and where many operators are unfamiliar with their surroundings.”

Lacoste said at a town council meeting earlier this week that officials have been in contact with moped rental store owners who have committed to participate in local efforts to help cut down on accidents. According to reports, renters are not adequately trained on moped operation before they are allowed to take vehicles out.

John Leone, who represents the five moped rental companies on the island, has twice sent letters to the town council this week, pledging support and offering suggestions of how moped safety can be promoted. In a letter to the council Wednesday, Leone wrote that rental shops closing at 7 p.m. may help and said that shop owners have offered to fund ambulance service on busier weekends and to require renters to wear wristbands as a way to keep island restaurants and bars from serving them alcohol.

Other recommendations from local officials includes possibly raising the minimum age for moped rentals to 25.

"I feel what we need are comprehensive safety measures put into place," explained Second Warden Andre Boudreau, who said earlier this week that he favors banning mopeds on the island, but said that until such a vote could take place, the council needs to work within the confines of the laws currently in place.