Representative Carole Fiola invited Fall River residents to join her on August 23, 2016 for one of her Walk and Talk events, this time at the new Alfred J. Lima Quequechan River Trail. The Trail was named for local historian and planner Alfred J. Lima. and follows a plan for a Quequechan River Greenway, drawn up by Lima, that includes improvements to Britland Park. Plans were first presented in April, 2011 and reviewed in 2012 along with other efforts to make Fall River more bicycle-friendly. The project created a ten foot wide paved surface with three foot grass shoulders that runs over a former railroad bed and five timber bridges to connect with Britland Park and Rodman Street and eventually the existing path that begins at the Westport Town line along South Watuppa Pond. The project was funded by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and by the Gateway City Park Program of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. Rep. Fiola led the group from the Rodman Street entrance and walked to Quequechan Street and back. Click here for a 12-minute video of the first part of the walk. Click here for a Walk and Talk event with Rep. Fiola held on the Taunton River boardwalk and here for one at the Oak Grove Cemetery. For more information, contact Representative Fiola at 508-641-0297 or on her Facebook page.  

(Top row) Representative Fiola greets City residents, including Augie Gastall and Pat Abdallah, right, before the walk begins at the Rodman Street entrance. (Rows two and three) Beverly Andrade and Augie Gastall look over the map of the Trail with Carole before walking on the path to the other side of Route 195 on the first of six foot bridges. (Row four) Carole stops to point out the people who have been volunteering to keep the Trail clean. (Row five) The group continues to the sign next to a section of rail from the original railroad that ran along the path to supply many of the City's textile mills in the 19th Century, many of which still stand along the River. (Bottom row) Rep. Fiola points out the abundance of plants and wildlife that makes their home on the River, including many birds, turtles and muskrats. .