In an effort to spur interest in developing cycling routes between Providence and Provincetown, nearly 100 advocates attended a SouthCoast Regional Bicycle Summit on February 15, 2011 at the Advanced Technology and Manufacturing Center on Martine Street in Fall River. Encouraging people to walk or bicycle is one of the goals of the statewide Mass In Motion effort to improve the health of the state population by making policy and environmental changes that support active living. Fall River Mayor William Flanagan and officials from  Westport, Dartmouth, and New Bedford participated in the afternoon meeting to bring everyone up-to-date on current plans for various parts of an envisioned SouthCoast bikeway. "There truly is a vision of a network of bicycle paths that can extend across the South Coast Region," stated Fall River Mass In Motion coordinator Julianne Kelly. "Once these pathways are in place, people will gravitate to them as we have seen in similar projects like the Taunton River Boardwalk or the East Bay Bike Path," she added. Click here for the Herald News article. Click here for the Herald News editorial. Click here for the video of the conference. For more information, contact Fall River Mass In Motion coordinator Julianne Kelly, at 508-324-2405 or New Bedford Mass In Motion coordinator Pauline Hamel.

(Top row, left) Dartmouth town nurse Cathy Bowan and Jen Ducey of Fay Spofford and Thorndike sign in with Angela of the UMass-Dartmouth Office of Sustainability who co-sponsored the event. (Top row, center) Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District (SRPEDD) Transportation Planner Adam Recchia refers to a Goggle map that he created of the entire SouthCoast Bikeway route from Swansea to Wareham. (Top row, right) Fall River Mass In Motion coordinator Julianne Kelly welcomes participants to the Summit. (Middle row, left) New Bedford Economic Development Council Executive Director Matthew Morrisey describes the economic benefits that can accrue from bicycle paths. (Middle row, right) Fall River Office of Economic Development Project Director Michelle Paul listens as Michael Sullivan of the Westport Economic Task Force describes potential benefits of a bikeway to Westport businesses. (Bottom row, left) Advocate Al Lima of Fall River asks about the potential for converting an abandoned railway in Dighton to a pathway into Taunton. (Bottom row, center) Former Fall River Mayor and newly-named Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation praises the group for their efforts and pledges the support of Governor Patrick. (Bottom row, right) Ed Gross of the Cape Cod Chapter of MassBike and New Bedford Mass In Motion coordinator Pauline Hamel close the meeting.