The South Coast Bikeway Alliance is pleased to announce that they have been awarded a 2017 Massachusetts Department of Recreation (DCR) Recreational Trail Building Grant. This “Trail Documentation, Stewardship and Skills Training” grant will engage people from all of the communities along the South Coast to take part in a series of workshops including GPS Trail mapping, Sustainable Trail Development and specialty skills training in Stonework, Carpentry and Chainsaw work. Workshops will be held starting this fall and could run through next spring. The workshops will be general in nature and applicable to any trail project. This is the South Coast Bikeway Alliance’s first step in a long-term plan to work with stakeholders throughout the South Coast to build a network of on- and off-road trails connecting our communities for recreational and alternative transportation.
An informational meeting is scheduled for Monday, July 17 at 6:30 pm at the Dartmouth Town Hall room 315. All individuals interested in learning more about the trail building workshops are encouraged to attend. The workshops are designed for small groups, so space is limited. People should attend this informational meeting or reach out to us on Facebook or through our website (southcoastbikeway.com)(Facebook) to reserve a spot.
Erin Amadon from Peter S. Jensen, Associates will be present to give a brief presentation to explain what the workshops would involve, who can benefit from them, provide examples of workshops that they have done in the past, and to provide some photos and to explain the types of things that people who have been through these types of workshops do with their acquired skills.
The South Coast Bikeway Alliance is a nonprofit organization made up of community representatives and groups that work with local leaders and organizations to advocate for and build the networks of bikeways throughout the South Coast region. Our overall goal is to promote active transportation and recreation.
The South Coast Bikeway, once realized, will be a 50-mile continuous system of bike paths (or multi-use paths) and bike lanes that will connect Rhode Island to Cape Cod. Cities and towns included in this plan are Swansea, Somerset, Fall River, Westport, Dartmouth, New Bedford, Fairhaven, Mattapoisett, Marion and Wareham. Several segments of the bikeway already exist in Swansea, Fall River, New Bedford, Fairhaven, Mattapoisett and Wareham.
The South Coast Bikeway is a regional priority as outlined in the Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District’s 2016 Regional Transportation Plan.