To the Editor: The Northern Scenic Greenway Is the Wrong Project for Old Fall River Road

To the Editor,

Recreation and cycling infrastructure can and should be supported without sacrificing the character, safety, and history of one of the last remaining rural agricultural roads in the northern part of town or potentially impacting private property.

This argument is not against bicycle paths, trails, or safety infrastructure. It is an argument against placing an off-road, multi-use path into a corridor that is fundamentally unsuited for it. What may sound like an idyllic idea on its face has become a source of serious concern for many residents who live along this road.

This proposed route is not an abandoned railroad or a service corridor, like other successful multi-use paths in the region. Old Fall River Road is not an empty stretch of land waiting to be repurposed. It is a designated scenic road lined with mature trees, historic stone walls, protected and active farmland, and older homes that sit close to the roadway. These physical constraints cannot be ignored.

For much of the corridor, the road is narrow, shoulders are limited, and numerous blind driveways create immediate safety concerns. It is difficult to see how an off-road path could be constructed within this constrained corridor without affecting private property, historic features, and agricultural land.

All Dartmouth residents should be concerned, not just those who live along this corridor, because what happens here may set a precedent for future projects along other rural, constrained roads throughout town.

Critical questions remain. Who will own and maintain this infrastructure? Who will pay for future maintenance and repair costs? Who will be responsible for snow and ice removal during the winter months? How much will these obligations cost taxpayers over the coming decades? How will safety be addressed in areas with blind driveways and limited visibility?

Residents deserve answers before any irreversible decisions are made. They should not have to wait until design, and engineering work is complete.

With Dartmouth already facing tight budgets and significant capital projects in the coming years, taxpayers should not be further burdened with a project that residents along this corridor widely oppose. Anyone who doubts the depth of that concern is welcome to drive down Old Fall River Road and see the number of signs expressing opposition to this proposal.

Perhaps most troubling, among the residents we have spoken with along the corridor, none recalled being aware this specific route was under consideration before it was selected. Not every resident has the time to follow every meeting, and public meeting agendas can sometimes be difficult to interpret or can be vague. The anxiety and opposition that now exist along this road are understandable. Residents are confronting uncertainty about the future of a neighborhood that has preserved its character for generations, and the possibility of significant changes to its landscape.

We are not simply saying no. We are saying there is a better way.

We urge the Select Board to use its executive influence to advocate for an alternative route that avoids this challenging corridor altogether or for a simpler on-road solution that remains within the existing paved roadway itself, not the broader right-of-way, which may contain many of the historic features of this area, and certainly not beyond that.

To residents along the corridor, stay engaged, attend meetings, and continue making your voices heard through every legitimate channel available. Your property, your neighborhood, and the rural character of this road are worth protecting. Good planning requires the willingness to change course when a proposal is clearly incompatible with its surroundings, and it is not too late for that to happen.

Old Fall River Road Neighbors