Westport
Westport, with its farms, river and seaside charm has miles of excellent riding. The Bike/Walking Path Committee has been active in advocating for bicycle and pedestrian accommodations throughout the town.
Local Groups
Westport Bike/Walking Path Committee
Off the South Coast Bikeway near Westport Harbor and Horseneck beach the state has installed traffic buffered bike lanes all the way to Gooseberry Island.
The Westport Bike/Walking Path Committee has been actively lobbying the Planning Board, Select Board and Police Department to begin its portion of the South Coast Bikeway and advance to tier 2 – establishing a Prioritization plan for the Mass Complete Streets program. To learn more visit the Westport Complete Streets home page.
Westport, along with Dartmouth and New Bedford, engaged SRPEDD to conduct the Closing the Gap Feasibility Study. This study identified existing conditions and routing options to connect Fall River to New Bedford through Westport and Dartmouth. Based on analysis, which included input from the public and municipalities, the preferred routing option is the Northern route beginning at the the South Watuppa along the retired rail to Sandford and Old Bedford Roads. The final Phase 2 Feasibility Study Report is now available.
In June 2024, the Westport Planning Board and Bike/Walking Path Committee were awarded a $65,906 MassTrails grant award! The town will complete preliminary engineered plans for an approximately 1,254 foot long multi-use trail, connecting Westport to the Quequechan River Rail Trail in Fall River via a former rail line right-of-way. This project is a component of the South Coast Bikeway. The trail will terminate at Route 6 near Old Bedford Road and adjacent to a SRTA bus stop. The project will plan for upgrades for a bus shelter, bike rack, and adjacent parking to facilitate multi-modal transportation. The map to the right shows the location of the planned shared use trail.
The Bike and Walking Path Committee will seek additional Community Preservation Act funding for further study of the Northern Scenic Greenway through Westport. These funds will serve as matching funds for a 2025 MassTrails Grant to contract a professional survey of existing conditions and create a preliminary design for a 2.7 mile multi-use path along Old Bedford RD that connects Westport to Dartmouth as part of the 13 mile Northern Scenic Greenway connecting Fall River to New Bedford with a shared-use path through Westport, Dartmouth and New Bedford.
Below is a conceptual drawing of a shared-use path along Old Bedford RD prepared by Goode Landscape Design with funds received from BayCoast Bank.
