The South Coast Bikeway Alliance is one step closer to its Wareham-to-Rhode Island dream route.

At the March 21 Pathways Committee meeting, Dartmouth representatives for SCBA presented a conceptual plan for how the trail would cut through town. The proposed 3.8-mile section would connect the Southeastern Massachusetts Bioreserve in Fall River to the Acushnet Cedar Swamp State Reservation on the Dartmouth-New Bedford line.

More specifically, the greenway would run west from the cedar swamp, around Turner Pond, through a split 96 acres of land deeded to the town, across the regional park and Ridge Hill Reserves, around the Copicut Reservoir, and into the bioreserve.

The plan has a few heavy pros and cons to it, however. While some areas of the overall route have been developed — especially in Fairhaven, Mattapoisett, and Marion — much of the Dartmouth section is not, said representative Greg Barnes.

"[Those communities] have a huge advantage in that they have rails to trail," said Barnes. "Dartmouth, in particular, doesn't have any abandoned rail line."

Additionally, he said, areas around Dartmouth's train track not only are mostly wetlands, but pathways are narrow and the proximity to an active rail line is a liability.

Barnes also expressed concern over the town's development rate, saying that at least 10 homes are permitted for construction this year, and homes are already being built around Faunce Corner Road.

"The opportunities to provide a buffer [for the off-road trail] are rapidly diminishing. It's important that we frame this now if we're going to talk about it in 10-15 years," Barnes said.

On the other hand, North Dartmouth provides contiguous open space, something not found in southerly counterpart, despite the fact that 24 percent of South Dartmouth is protected open space, said Barnes.

"One of the benefits [of going through North Dartmouth] would be connecting two of the largest protected areas in the South Coast," he said.

According to Barnes, the biggest perk is that the proposed route goes solely through public land, owned by the Dartmouth Natural Resources Trust, Dartmouth Parks Department, Dartmouth Conservation Commission, and the cities of New Bedford and Fall River.

"You're not worrying about easements. If you were in South Dartmouth, you'd be dealing with 200 different property owners," he said.

The proposed route also provides opportunities for trailhead parking. Barnes listed the tomato patch on Faunce Corner Road (just before the New Bedford Reservoir if you're going north), the Dartmouth Regional Park, and the Ridge Hill Reserves as a few.

The SCBA is currently working to secure grant funding from the state Department of Conservation and Recreation. The monies would fund an educational element to the greenway, including trail building how-to's, Barnes said.

The SCBA will host its seventh annual summit on Thursday, March 23 at the Fort Taber Community Center. Exhibitors and a keynote speaker will begin at 5:30 p.m.