East Coast Greenway 2007 State of the Trail Report
An annual report on progress in completing a Maine to Florida trail system.
JANUARY 2008
OVERVIEW FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
The East Coast Greenway Alliance’s Close the Gaps Campaign marked major milestones in 2007.
Our website, www.greenway.org, now provides Google maps of our complete Maine to Florida Travel
Route, currently 20% off-road and 80% on-road. The accompanying cue sheets, detailed routing directions for
the entire Travel Route, were field checked by contractual staffers Jimmy Benton and Matt Wittmer for the entire
2,922-mile southbound route. Each cue sheet is being posted to the website as final editing is completed. They
will be available to Greenway users to plan short or long distance trips on the East Coast Greenway.
Our Trail Program for the first time has trail coordinators in place in each of the four Greenway regions,
allowing the Alliance to partner more effectively with ECG State Committees, government agencies and local
trail advocacy groups. Michael Oliva joined us in March as our Mid-Atlantic Coordinator, Jack Keene became our Trail Program
Coordinator in October, and Steve Bevington became our South Atlantic Coordinator in December. ECG Planning Summits were
held in Florida, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York and New Hampshire to advance route selection in those jurisdictions.
At ECGA Trail Council meetings in Jacksonville, FL (March), and Durham, NC (November), members voted to designate 29 additional trail segments in 11 states, totaling more than 87 miles. These trails included our first East Coast Greenway
designations in Georgia and Delaware.
2008 looks to be an equally challenging year as we launch our Travel the Greenway campaign and undertake the more
detailed mapping and partnering with trail service providers to make the East Coast Greenway the user-friendly trail corridor it
is envisioned to be!
Karen M. Votava, Executive Director
Top 10 Accomplishments in 2007
Completion of electronic mapping of the entire Maine to Florida travel route using Google Earth.
Two contractual staffers, Jimmy Benton and Matt Wittmer, each rode half of the travel route to field-verify the cue sheet
directions, which will be available early in 2008 to accompany the Google maps.
29 additional trail segments in 11 states totaling over 87 route miles received East Coast Greenway designation. Two
states, Georgia and Delaware, had their first trail segments designated.
ECGA staff, volunteers, planners, developers and advocates met in south Florida for meetings and 4 days of tours through
5 counties to review and plan the route through the region.
The ECGA Trail Program added Trail Coordinator positions to the Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic regions, providing
locally based staff to foster trail development for the full length of the Greenway.
ECG State Planning Summits were held in five states to focus energies on East Coast Greenway route selection and
development.
The New Jersey Department of Transportation published the first statewide trail guide to the East Coast Greenway, a
model for other jurisdictions.
The First Coast Trails Coalition, encompassing several northeastern Florida counties, was formed with ECGA participation to spur trail construction and promote the use of the Greenway.
The National Park Service approved signing the East Coast Greenway on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
Two major state border crossings were advanced with the adoption of ferry services as ECG route: NY/NJ (Hudson
River) and GA/FL (St. Marys River, to begin service this spring).
2007 State of the Trail Report
NEW ENGLAND REGION
Route Status:
Staffing and
support:
Regional
Accomplishments:
Kiosk Locations:
Current Travel Route: 818 Miles
Complete Off-Road: 117 Miles
Trail Markers Posted: 65 Miles
Members: 1721
State Committees: CT, RI, NH, ME are active.
MA to be revived in 2008.
Staffing: Eric Weis, Regional Trail Coordinator
- Sign plan underway for interim on-road route
in NH
- ECG included in MA Statewide Bike Plan,
which will lead to the route being signed
- Providence City Bike Plan adopted, including
signing and bike lane striping for the ECG
- 3 miles of Blackstone River Bikeway constructed in RI
- Sikorsky Bridge over Housatonic River in CT
completed with 1+ mile separated bike-ped
path
Gap Miles
(Route
Undefined):
28%
Completed
Off-Road
Trail: 15%
Miles Pending
Development:
29%
Miles in
Development:
28%
2007 was an exciting year
in New England, including
state committee revivals,
new river crossings, and local bond issues. Here, ECG
signage is posted on the
Salem Bike Path in Massachusetts. Photo: Frank
Taormina
ME - South Portland Greenbelt
ME - Androscoggin River Bicycle Path
RI - Coventry Greenway
Longest completed Charles River Bikepath (MA); Boston to
segment:
Waltham, 12 miles
On-road section
most in need of
improvement:
Everett, MA to the Charlestown Navy Yard, 3
miles
Model Section:
The Downeast Sunrise Trail in ME and the route
in CT from New Haven to Putnam
MID ATLANTIC REGION
Route Status:
Staffing and
support:
Regional
Accomplishments:
Kiosk Locations:
Current Travel Route: 391 Miles
Complete Off-Road: 168 Miles
Trail Markers Posted: 80 Miles
Members: 2002
State Committees: NJ - only state with paid
staff. NY, PA, DE, MD, DC all active
Staffing: Michael Oliva, Regional Trail Coordinator; Dolores Newman, NJ Committee staff
- NJDOT published New Jersey ECG Multi-use
Trail Guide, a model for other states
- State Summits were held in NY and NJ
- First ECG trail segments in DE designated
- First ECG kiosk erected in NJ on the D&R
Canal Towpath
NJ – D&R Canal Towpath
MD – B&A Trail
Longest completed D&R Canal Trail (NJ), New Brunswick to
segment:
Trenton, 34 miles
On-road section
most in need of
improvement:
NJ Meadowlands, Jersey City to Newark. PATH
train use recommended.
Model Section:
Jones Falls Trail, Baltimore, MD to Arlington
Memorial Bridge over the Potomac River (DC/
VA)
2007 State of the Trail Report
Gap Miles
(Route
Undefined):
26%
Completed
Off-Road
Trail: 40%
Miles Pending
Development:
16%
Miles in
Development:
18%
Immediate progress was
seen with the addition of
a staffer in the Mid Atlantic. New kiosks,state
ECG summits, state
guides, and many designations, including the
first trail designations
in Delaware. Among
them is the Christina
Riverwalk, a gem in
downtown Wilmington.
SOUTH ATLANTIC REGION
Route Status:
Current Travel Route: 910 Miles
Complete Off-Road: 103 Miles
Trail Markers Posted: 21 Miles
Staffing and
Support:
Members: 712
State Committees: VA, NC and SC all active
Staffing: Steve Bevington, Regional Trail
Coordinator
Regional
Accomplishments:
- 140-mile segment from Petersburg, VA to Raleigh, NC (SE High Speed Rail Corridor) under
study for rail-with-trail development
- Virginia selects ECG as priority project for
long distance “Turn-Pike” style trail
- North-South greenway route determined in
heavily developed Fairfax County, VA
- State Summit held in NC
Kiosk Locations:
NC – American Tobacco Trail
Longest completed
segment:
Mount Vernon Trail (VA), Arlington Memorial
Bridge to Mount Vernon, 17 miles
On-road section
most in need of
improvement:
South Carolina US Route 17 between
Georgetown and Mt. Pleasant
Model Section:
Completed
Off-Road
Trail: 11%
Miles in
Development:
Gap Miles
13%
(Route
Undefined):
47%
Miles Pending
Development:
29%
Operating most of the year
without an ECGA staffer, our
South Atlantic region forged
ahead through the strength
of its state committees.
Growing relationships with
state and local agencies set
the stage for continued trail
development. Here, ECGA
Trustee David Brickley and
Occoquan Mayor Earnie
Porter place ECG trail
markers in Occoquan, VA..
North Myrtle Beach, SC, to southern end of
West Ashley Greenway in the Charleston, NC
area
SOUTHEAST REGION
Route Status:
Current Travel Route: 710 Miles
Complete Off-Road: 210 Miles
Trail Markers Posted: 8 Miles
Staffing and
Support:
Members: 519
State Committees: FL is active and GA is
building its committee
Staffing: Herb Hiller, Regional Trail
Consultant
Regional
Accomplishments:
Kiosk Locations:
Gap Miles
(Route
Undefined):
Completed
12%
Off-Road Trail:
22%
Miles Pending
Development:
42%
Miles in
Development:
24%
- Formation of First Coast Trails Coalition to
advocate for trails in northeastern Florida
- Brought together Greenway advocates in
Georgia to provide impetus for development
of ECG
- First ECG trail segment in GA designated
- Established St. Johns–to-the-Sea Loop in 5
counties as an ECG Alternate Route
- Summit held in South Florida.
West Palm Beach kiosk location secured.
Longest completed 58 miles of Overseas Heritage Trail.
segment:
On-road section
most in need of
improvement:
GA US Route 17 in northern Georgia.
Model Section:
Overseas Heritage Trail, Key Largo, FL, to
Key West, FL
In 2007 our Southeast region was on the forefront of Greenway activity: connections were made, coalitions were formed, and plans forged
ahead. Here, ECGA staff, volunteers, planners, and trail developers
met to plan ECG routing in south Florida. Photo: Dan Burden.
2007 State of the Trail Report
3000
Bronx Park Pathway
New York City, NY - 0.7 mi
Mosholu Greenway
New York City, NY - 1.2 mi
2007 State of the Trail Report