The second of the two new terminal stations to open as part of the South Coast extension, Fall River is located off Davol Street by the city’s riverfront area that is undergoing redevelopment. There’s also a D I N E R near here! With that in mind, let’s get into this!
Just like New Bedford, Fall River has 1 platform track and a freight siding intended for Mass Coastal and CSX. The platform is a standard 800ft high level platform, with benches, shelter, departure boards, a ramp for accessibility, and stairs. The station has a bit of parking, though it doesn’t feel like a lot despite there being about 220ish spots. As for the location, it’s actually pretty good despite the fact the tracks don’t run into downtown. I can’t help but feel that the proposed Battleship Cove station site might have a slight edge on getting into downtown Fall River, but this still isn’t a bad spot. As for buses, SRTA runs the route 102 bus down North Main, while the 114 doesn’t have a stop on Davol Street itself. Another questionable choice made is microtransit. Yeah, I don’t see why this place needs it yet some other stations I’ll be covering don’t. Overall though, it’s not a bad station! And credit to MassDOT for making Rt.79 a little more friendly to pedestrians, and the city for redeveloping the area.
The good: It’s located pretty well and largely avoids the classic Old Colony “park and ride” pitfall! The area’s being redeveloped, and Route 79 got demolished! Furthermore, it’s got a couple of bus connections! It’s also in a rather walkable area, as well, which is nice!
The bad: SRTA kinda half-assed bus connections to here though. Why does the 114 not serve here despite blowing right past?! Why is the 102’s southbound stop so far away, relatively!? AND WHY IS THERE MICROTRANSIT?!
Nearby points of interest: Al Mac’s Diner! Also, the Lizzie Borden House and the riverfront! Battleship Cove is a way’s south, and if you want good pierogis, I can’t recommend Patti’s Pierogis enough.
Transit connections:
Commuter Rail (Fall River)
SRTA (102, 114, MicroConnector)
Overall, it’s not a bad station, and the area’s almost certainly bound to be upzoned in the near to medium-distance future. But, WHY IS THERE MICROTRANSIT RATHER THAN, YA KNOW, SRTA RUNNING EARLIER AND LATER?!
Rating: 8/10
