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Residents urge expansion and continued Community Preservation Act funding for Quikeshan River Rail Trail
Summary
Three residents told the council the Quikeshan River Rail Trail, opened in February 2017, needs continued Community Preservation Act funds to support expansion and maintenance of the 2.5-mile route and to help connect to a planned 50-mile South Coast route.
Commenter 1, a resident, told the council that “right here, a hundred and 50 years ago, a bustling rail line cut through the Spindle City,” and argued the former rail corridor now serves as the Quikeshan River Rail Trail.
Commenter 2, a resident, said the trail’s design was led by architectural firm Brown, Richardson and Roe and that the pathway opened in February 2017. “The old Colony line was among the most utilized railroads in The United States,” the commenter said; that history, they added, reinforces the corridor’s regional significance.
Commenter 3, a resident, described the trail as a 2.5-mile route hidden by tree cover that provides habitat for wildlife and a buffer from highway noise. They said voters approved a 1.5% property surcharge to fund the Community Preservation Act (CPA) 12 years ago and that “totaling nearly 425,000 CPA money was necessary for each phase of the rail trail.” The commenter urged continued revenue to support expansion and noted Fall River is working with other communities to develop a continuous 50-mile South Coast bike route.
The remarks at the public-comment portion of the meeting were appeals for conservation, trail maintenance and further CPA funding; no formal vote or motion on the trail was recorded in the transcript. Speakers framed the trail both as a habitat corridor and a regional connectivity project, and they linked future construction and expansion to continued CPA revenue.
