Community Services Program

Faculty luncheon features South Coast Bike Path Project director
October 13, 2005, By Katie Bresnahan

On Tuesday, October 11, a presentation about the construction of a bike path in Southeastern Massachusetts took place. It was explained by South Coast Bike Path Project director, Ken Pottel. Pottel, along with Deirdre Healy of the UMass Dartmouth Community Service Center, told those in attendance that this path would extend from the Rhode Island border to already existing path in Fairhaven. Fairhaven is the first town in Massachusetts to be linked by a bike path. According to the South Coast Bike Path Project vision statement,  this path would later “be joined to a path to be constructed in Mattapoisett, along to Marion, to Wareham, and finally through Buzzards Bay to Bourne and the Cape Cod Canal.”

The meeting started with Healy speaking about a conference that she attended in the summer of 2004. The subject of the conference was “2005-2014: U.N. Decade for Education for Sustainable Development.” While this at first seemed like it had absolutely nothing to do with bike paths, Healy was quick to mention one speaker at the conference in particular – Enrique Renalosa. Renalosa was mayor of Bogota, Columbia, from 1998-2001. He was one of the first peope to develop bike paths in his city. Renalosa will also be speaking this Friday at a conference at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Pottel stated that the South Coast Bike Path Project is a great way to teach students "service learning" adding,

Pottel added, “There’s nothing more relevant that service learning.” He thinks that getting students to work on this project is a great idea.

According to the director, this bike path, which has been in planning for the last several years, would be very beneficial to residents of Southeastern Massachusetts. He says, “Bike path in Massachusetts are popular right now. They are connecting communities.”

Pottel went on to say, “People want to live near bike paths. Bike paths are like parks; it’s a place in town where anyone can go.”

He claims that it would also be useful for transportation purposes sine transportation is a major issue. He also said that about two thirds of bike paths in the United States are not made of asphalt.

The government pays for 90% of the financial need of these bike paths. However, the towns in which the bike paths pass through must pay for the other 10% themselves. Some of the ways in which the towns can raise these funds include state highway funds, contributions from residents and local tax revenues.

According to the South Coast Bike Path Project’s vision statement, “The actual path is to be ten feet wide and run along old railways and rail beds wherever possible. The path is for non-motorized vehicles only, to include walkers, bikers, joggers, dog walkers, mothers pushing their little ones in strollers and recreational bike riders.” The path will link scenic routes around the area as well. Also the statement says,

“Bike path studies have shown that these bike paths are an economic boom to the communities they serve. Tourism thrives on bike paths, and the studies have proven that real estate near bike paths rises in value. There are social and health benefits of citizens being able to use such a path for transportation, exercise and socializing,” the statement explains.

For more information on the South Coast Bike Path Project, go to www.southcoastbikepathproject.org.