The Five Focus Areas
The Strategic Plan organizes town priorities into five focus areas. Here's what each means for visitors:
Bike paths, shuttles, traffic management
Coastal resilience, water quality, conservation
Parks, recreation, beaches, public spaces
Workforce housing affects service availability
Public facilities, services, infrastructure
Beach Access & Preservation
Nantucket's beaches are its greatest asset—and its greatest challenge. Rising sea levels and coastal erosion threaten the very shorelines that draw visitors. The town's Coastal Resilience Plan addresses this head-on.
Current Initiatives
- Coastal Resilience Plan — A comprehensive roadmap covering all seven coastal regions: Downtown/Brant Point, Madaket, South Shore, Siasconset, Nantucket Harbor, and the North Shore
- Francis Street Beach Improvement Project — Enhancing waterfront access and public space
- Jetties Beach Facilities — Ongoing improvements to one of the island's most popular family beaches
- Dune Preservation — Protecting natural barriers that shield beaches from storm damage
Five Goals of the Coastal Resilience Plan
- Build coastal resilience and reduce risks from flooding and erosion
- Enhance safe access to, from, and across the island
- Promote the health of natural ecosystems
- Generate waterfront public space, connectivity, and safety
- Develop implementable strategies for flood and erosion risk reduction
What You Can Do
Respect dune fencing and stay on marked paths. Dunes are fragile ecosystems that protect beaches from erosion. Walking on dunes damages the vegetation that holds them together.
Getting Around the Island
Traffic is a real issue on Nantucket, especially in summer. The Strategic Plan prioritizes alternatives to driving and improvements to existing infrastructure.
Current Transportation Assets
- 35 miles of bike paths — Connecting downtown to beaches, villages, and attractions
- NRTA Wave Shuttle — Free (or low-cost) bus service to major destinations
- Year-round ferry service — Steamship Authority and Hy-Line from Hyannis
What's Improving
- Complete Streets Program — Making roads safer for pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers (Pleasant Street/Williams Lane project)
- Intersection Safety — Upgrades at Four Corners, Milestone/Polpis, Old South/Fairgrounds, and Surfside/Bartlett's
- Surfside '25 — Water transportation and area improvements
- Long-Range Transportation Plan (2024-2044) — A 20-year vision for island mobility
Why This Matters to You
Fewer cars means easier parking, less traffic, and a more enjoyable island experience. Consider biking to the beach or taking the shuttle—you'll often get there faster than driving.
Environmental Stewardship
Over 60% of Nantucket is permanently protected from development—one of the highest conservation rates of any community in the country. The Strategic Plan ensures this commitment continues.
Key Environmental Initiatives
- Water Quality Monitoring — Regular testing of beaches, harbors, and groundwater
- PFAS Remediation — Addressing contamination from firefighting foam at the airport
- Conservation Partnerships — Working with the Nantucket Land Bank, Nantucket Conservation Foundation, and other organizations
- Sewer Infrastructure — Expanding sewer service to protect groundwater and harbor water quality
Conservation by the Numbers
| 60%+ | of island land protected from development |
| 82 miles | of coastline |
| 35 miles | of bike paths |
Parks & Recreation
The 2020 Parks & Recreation Master Plan identified priorities for improving outdoor spaces. Several projects are underway or completed.
Priority Projects
- Nobadeer Athletic Complex — Sports facilities for residents and visitors
- Tom Nevers Park — Community recreation space
- Bike Park Project — A new Nantucket Land Bank initiative creating a bike skills park for all ages and abilities
- Delta Fields — Athletic field improvements
Beach Facilities
The Parks & Recreation Commission oversees facilities at Jetties Beach and Children's Beach, two of the most visitor-friendly beaches on the island. Both feature lifeguards, restrooms, and food service in season.
Why Housing Matters to Visitors
You might wonder why "Housing" is a strategic priority—and what it has to do with your vacation. The answer: everything.
Nantucket's restaurants, shops, and services depend on seasonal workers. But with median home prices exceeding $3.7 million and seasonal rentals commanding $2,000+/week, many workers can't afford to live here. When businesses can't find staff, they reduce hours or close entirely.
The Numbers Behind Your Dinner
We did the math: a seasonal worker working 50 hours/week for 5 months (May–September) would need to earn $40/hour just to cover typical shared housing costs—before food, transportation, or anything else. Current server wages run $13–19/hour base pay.
If restaurants had to pay wages that fully covered housing, menu prices would increase significantly:
| Item | Current | If wages covered housing |
| Lobster roll | $38 | $57–65 |
| Dinner for two | $150 | $225–255 |
Current prices are only possible because employers absorb housing costs, workers accept substandard conditions, or workers simply don't come—leading to reduced hours and service.
What the Town is Doing
- Waitt Drive Dormitory — Seasonal housing for ~50 workers
- Affordable Housing Trust — Creating and preserving affordable units
- Municipal Housing Projects — Town-developed workforce housing
- State Funding — Governor Healey's "Seasonal Communities" program provides $5.16 billion over 5 years
What This Means for Your Visit
When you encounter reduced hours, difficulty getting reservations, or understaffing, you're seeing the housing crisis in action. Tip generously—tips are a significant portion of worker income. Be patient with service. And understand that the person serving your lobster roll may be commuting an hour by ferry or sharing a room with three other workers.
How Visitors Can Contribute
The Strategic Plan's vision is to create "positive impacts on the lives of everyone who visits, works, and lives on our Island." Visitors are part of that equation. Here's how you can help:
Use bikes, the NRTA shuttle, or walk when possible. Leave your car parked.
The island has limited freshwater. Take shorter showers and follow any drought restrictions.
Stay off dunes, respect wildlife closures, and take your trash with you.
Shop at local businesses, tip well, and be patient with service workers.
Stay Informed & Get Involved
The Town of Nantucket actively seeks community input through its Engage platform. While many decisions are local, summer residents and frequent visitors can participate in public comment periods and stay informed about projects that affect them.
Public meetings, including the Coastal Resilience Advisory Committee, are open to anyone. If you're a property owner or long-term summer resident, your voice matters in shaping the island's future.