A public hearing on the next phase of the Mattapoisett Bike Path showed that the town’s residents aren’t the only ones eager to see the rail trail completed.

“I’m a strong advocate of the bike path. The merits of it speak for itself,” said John Pond of Fairhaven. “I don’t know why it hasn’t been built right now. Let’s get on with it. Let’s move this project forward.”

Pond’s support of the project was met with applause by many who gathered at Old Hammondtown School on Thursday evening for a hearing with officials from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation on the second phase of the path.

Currently, the path connects with the Fairhaven rail trail and extends to Mattapoisett Neck Road. If approved by the state, the $4.7 million phase will take the path 1.2 miles to Depot Street. Eighty percent will be federally funded with state funds making up the remaining 20 percent.

The proposed route crosses land owned by the YMCA and Reservation Golf Course, traversing a salt marsh, wetlands and a barrier beach before coming out at Goodspeed Island Road.

Susan Nilson of Marion’s CLE Engineering was hired by Mattapoisett to design the path and said the route is the best option and the only one that avoids riding along Route 6 or through challenging, narrow back roads that would inhibit access for people with disabilities.

“We think this is a really unique opportunity to provide the public with access that highlights the natural, scenic and historic places,” she said.

The town is currently working to finalize all right of ways through along the route. Another outstanding piece of the puzzle is the path from Goodspeed Island Road to Depot Street. On Thursday, Nilson presented several options that included leaving the gravel road as is and creating a paved road with a lane separated for bikers.

After presenting the plan, the floor was opened up to comments from government officials.

Rep. Bill Straus, a Mattapoisett resident and chair of the Joint Committee on Transportation, offered his support for the project.

Straus said when the bike path was first proposed there was a lot of opposition.

Now, he said, “If anything, the only complaint I get these days is ‘why isn’t this done yet?’”

Bonne DeSousa, president of the Friends of the Bike Path, highlighted benefits of the path, saying it would be a boon to the economy as it connects Mattapoisett to Fairhaven, New Bedford and eventually other towns along the South Coast.

“It’s shown across the nation that when there’s good biking, tourists come more frequently. They stay longer,” said DeSousa.

She added that younger generations are looking to live more environmentally friendly lives and opting to bike more and drive less.

“The next generations are not as auto centric as we are,” she said.

Resident Julie Boren agreed, but asked how the new phase would affect the wildlife.

“It is part of the process to look at this. That’s part of what we’ve been meeting with regulators on,” said Nilson.

Gail Kaloplastos asked what would happen if the increased traffic also increases the trash in these protected areas.

“There’s garbage out there already, and you’re going to have a lot of people going back and forth,” said Kaloplastos.

Nilson responded, “It has been addressed and it will need to continue to be addressed.”

She said a combination of disposal facilities and education would be needed to curb trash.

All in all, no residents spoke against the path. An attorney for Daniel DeRosa, who is proposing a pier on Goodspeed Island, did question the project. He asked the DOT officials to consider what would happen to property values along the path as well as the effect of bridges on the salt marsh, barrier beach and sewer line.

As DeRosa’s pier, which would be near the bike path, has been met with significant opposition from townspeople, the lawyer asked for fairness “about all the projects that are proposed for this area of town.”

The DOT will take into consideration all comments made during the hearing as well as those submitted by letter. If all goes well, construction will begin next fall and be completed within two years, according to officials. No timeline was given on when the plan will finalized.