NEW SHOREHAM – The Town Council Wednesday night approved an ordinance limiting moped rentals on Block Island for the remainder of the year after a fatal crash last week.
The council also reinstated outdoor entertainment licenses due to complaints after pulling them for a short period.
The Town Council’s emergency ordinance reduces moped rentals from 34 per day to 25 per day for the island’s five moped businesses. Mopeds will also have to be returned by 5 p.m.
The action was prompted by a high number of accidents this summer and a collision involving a rented moped and an SUV on Aug. 15. The driver of the moped, a 22-year-old man, was killed and a moped passenger was injured.
That same week, a 16-year-old Connecticut boy died after a one-car crash on the island.
“There has been a groundswell of discontent regarding people on mopeds that is unlike other years,” said First Warden Ken Lacoste. “This year the bad behavior has been taken to another level. So, this is in response to the situation we find ourselves in because of COVID. And our rescue squad has been reduced by two thirds, and has been overwhelmed, as has the medical center. We were looking for a way to make the roads safer.”
Dr. Tom Warcup reported that the Block Island Medical Center has handled victims from 55 accidents this summer, with 11 patients having to be flown off to mainland trauma centers.
In order to upgrade enforcement, Police Chief Vin Carlone said there will be an increased state police presence. State police Col. James Manni will join seven troopers on the island this weekend.
“Block Island is getting a terrible black eye,” said Carlone. “This isn’t exclusive to Block Island. This is happening all over the country. The misbehavior needs to be curtailed. I would suggest that Block Island is safer than anywhere else. It’s just a traffic problem.”
It has been a challenging summer for Block Island. The town tried to prevent the coronavirus from reaching its shores, only to see an influx of visitors, including what Carlone called “rowdy kids.”
“It is the worst I have seen in 18 years,” he said. “It seems like a different demographic this summer.”
There have been reports of young adults not adhering to the proper social distancing safety protocols and not wearing face masks on the ferry to and from the island.
With a delayed start to the tourist season due to the pandemic, island business owners felt the crunch of a shortened season and scrambled to open while implementing safety measures amidst a crush of visitors.
On Aug. 13, the Town Council pulled the outdoor entertainment licenses it had already issued to businesses, causing an uproar and lawsuits by some business owners. On Wednesday night, the council reinstated those licenses, with restrictions. Businesses will now be allowed to have outdoor entertainment between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. with a maximum of two performers at a time.
Frank DiBiase, who has owned the Spring House Hotel since 1989, said, “Outdoor entertainment licenses are more important than ever, because our goal has been to accommodate guests outdoors during the pandemic. The governor’s goal has been to do more outdoors, and that is what we have been trying to accomplish.”
Jessica Willi, who along with her husband, Councilor Chris Willi, took over the operation of Captain Nick’s bar on Ocean Avenue on Aug. 8, said the withdrawal of the licenses had not affected business. “We just opened,” she said, noting that people stop by for food, and they have table service only and limited hours. “We had a person singing outdoors.”
Lacoste said the council reinstated the licenses with restriction because the town “does not want large, early afternoon crowds” congregating on the island. He said that he hopes this will solve the issue.
Cassius Shuman is a staff writer and researcher at the PBN. You may reach him at Shuman@PBN.com.
