September 2009
In This Issue...
National News
- Greetings from the new Executive Director, Dennis Markatos-Soriano
- Close the Gaps Tour 2009: Hitting the Trail in Florida!
- Board of Trustees Election
Regional News: New England
- Border-to-Boston Trail: Newburyport
- Tour des Farms
- Ride the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail!
- Fairfield County (CT) ECG Summit
- Interbike Outdoor Demo East, Providence
- Boston Bikes!
Regional News: Mid Atlantic
- 2nd Annual Hudson River Loop Tour: ECG in NY & NJ
- Westchester-Putnam Bike Walk Alliance event
- Stimulus Funds Build ECG in NJ
- New ECG Kiosks in NJ & MD
- Manhattan to Pelham Bay Ride a Success!
Regional News: South Atlantic
- Virginia Capital Trail: new section!
Regional News: Southeast
- ECG Advances in Florida with new funding and new partnerships
ECG News Online
is a publication of the
East Coast Greenway Alliance,
a national non-profit membership organization spearheading the development of the East Coast Greenway. The ECG is a developing 3,000-mile, traffic-free, firm-surfaced route linking cities and towns between Maine and Florida.
Staff
Dennis Markatos-Soriano: Executive Director
Steve Bevington: South Atlantic Regional Trail Coordinator
Kitty Carter: Office Manager / Membership Coordinator / Bookkeeper
Jane Fawcett: Financial Advisor
Danielle Fisher: Intern Webmaster
Herb Hiller: Southeast Region Consultant
Kathleen Klinger: Administrative Assistant
Kelly McClintock: Donor Program Coordinator
Dolores Newman: NJ Program Consultant
Mike Oliva: Mid-Atlantic Regional Trail Coordinator
Eric Weis: Trail Program Coordinator & New England Regional Trail Coordinator
Join the ECGA
Donate to the ECGA
Contact Us
National ECGA News
Greetings from ECGA Executive Director, Dennis Markatos-Soriano
Dear ECGA members,
As a cyclist and an East Coaster all my life (NC, NJ and NY), I am so excited to join the ECGA team as its next Executive Director. I can't think of a more perfect and tangible project that simultaneously addresses so many of our national and global challenges: an accessible ECG lowers carbon dioxide and other polluting emissions, lowers our dependence on foreign oil, decreases the cost of transportation, creates green jobs for economic recovery, and improves the health and livability of our communities. Karen Votava's brilliant leadership and your dedication as volunteers and supporters have driven the completion of over 20% of our 3,000-mile corridor these last 18 years. Now, it's time for us to roll up our sleeves and accelerate progress! This Fall, we will be developing our Strategic Plan for the path forward and would love your input. By the end of September, we will launch our daily blog to help you can stay in touch with exciting news related to our East Coast Greenway (ECG). The blog will connect to twitter and our facebook page to keep ECG buzz and membership climbing. I've had the pleasure of experiencing sections of the ECG in Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, and DC so far. And I have trips planned to North Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. I look forward to meeting you at your local section of the trail as we celebrate past successes and plan for many more. Feel free to contact me anytime at dennis@greenway.org Onwards to a great collaboration ahead! DennisECG Close the Gaps Tour : Florida 2009
Each year, we conduct our Close the Gaps Tour for major donors. Those who donate $1000 or more per year are invited to take part in these supported tours along parts of the ECG.
This year the Close the Gaps (CTG) Tour will follow an ECG loop in Florida, the St. Johns River-to-the-Sea Loop. This fully supported ride will be November 8 to 14.For a description of the tour, click here. To learn more about the CTG Club, including directions on how to join (and to see a video about this year's route), click here.
ECGA Board of Trustees Election
It's autumn, so it must be time for ECGA Board of Trustees elections again! The slate is currently being prepared, and all information will be posted at greenway.org. If you'd like to learn more about the candidates and to file a proxy ballot, visit the "news" pages of the website later in the month. If you prefer to vote in person, the election will take place during the annual Members Meeting, in Savannah, GA on the afternoon of November 7, and all members are invited to vote then as well. More information about the Members Meeting will be posted to greenway.org later this month as well.
Regional News: New England
Border to Boston Trail: Newburyport progress
The City of Newburyport continues to be a leader in development of this 30+ mile trail leading from the NH border to Boston's northern suburbs. August saw a new bike-ped bridge get installed over Low St. Stay tuned for more B2B Trail updates, as other towns move forward as well!
Two upcoming bike events use the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail, a segment of the ECG!
On Saturday, Sept. 12, the 2009 Tour des Farms will offer 25 and 35-mile rides as part of the CT Folk Festival and Green Expo. These rides will visit a number of farms in the New Haven area. ECGA is proud to be a sponsor. Learn more here.
On Sunday, Sept. 20, a ride to celebrate the ECG and the opening of the Salmon Brook Bridge will tour the ECG from New Haven to Simsbury, then beyond to East Granby. The ride will depart from Yale at 8 am and reach East Granby about 1:30. For a $15 fee, a rider and their bike can be transported back to New Haven. To register, or for more information, contact Steve Mitchell, the organizer, by email.
Fairfield County (CT) East Coast Greenway Summit
Mark your calendars! A summit, critical to the future of bicycle and pedestrian transportation in southwestern Connecticut, will be held on Thursday, October 22. Important topics of discussion will include the development of the Merritt Parkway Trail, and the development of a bike & ped coalition for the county.
All the information you need, including how to register, can be found here.
Interbike Outdoor Demo East (& Providence Cyclocross Festival) comes back to Providence, October 8-11!
This will likely be the largest bicycle trade show in North America, aside from Interbike's Las Vegas show. This year, for the first time ever, Interbike is introducing consumer days! Oct 8 & 9 (Thursday & Friday) will be a trade show for people in the business. October 10 & 11, the weekend, will be a consumer expo and will also feature a series of cyclocross races. Come see what Cannondale, Specialized, and many other manufacturers are bringing to hte marketplace in 2010. Part of the event is a fundraiser for the East Coast Greenway Alliance, so you'll be helping one of your favorite charities! Check out these links for more on Outdoor Demo East and the Providence Cyclocross Festival. And don't forget to come by the East Coast Greenway booth!
Boston Bikes!
The City of Boston, an important partner for the ECGA, has a great weekend planned for biking in Beantown! September 26-27 will feature the largest weekend cycling event on the east coast. The "Boston Cycling Celebration" will have pro and amateur racing (including top teams like Colavita and Team Type 1, and legendary racer Tina Pic's last pro race) and a post-race concert on Saturday, followed by the "Hub on Wheels" citywide ride and festival on Sunday. Click here for more information.
Regional News: Mid Atlantic
See East Coast Greenway progress along the Hudson River waterfront! Cycle the 2nd Annual Hudson River Loop Tour, in NY & NJ, Sunday Oct. 11, beginning at 8 am. We will start and end at Fort Lee Historic Park, NJ. For details, map to start site, and to pre-register, go here. The event is free but donations to ECGA will be appreciated. Bring $ for the ferry ride and lunch (optional) in Fort Lee.
Fundraiser for new ECG-sponsored advocacy group
Please join us as the Westchester Putnam Bike Walk Alliance, now under the umbrella of the East Coast Greenway, will hold its kick-off cocktail fundraiser on Sept. 24 at the home of Paul Lightfoot. Author Ben Cheever will moderate a brief discussion with Randall Wolf, who writes at "Cycling Central", the Journal News cycling blog at LoHud.com, and David Goodman, who writes about cycling matters for the City Room blog at the New York Times. For details send an email to Mike Oliva, ECGA Mid-Atlantic Coordinator. |
Stimulus Funds Build the ECG
The Middlesex Greenway received a $1 million grant for construction costs!
Mike Dannemiller of the NJ ECG Committee says, "This is a major segment of
the NJ ECG. This portion of trail will get us off the tricky on road pieces
of Woodbridge Ave and Amboy Ave"!
See this link for more details.
New ECG Kiosks in NJ & MD
The East Coast Greenway is constructed a kiosk in Nomahegan Park in Union
County on Sunday August 16th. Thanks to our chief kiosk constructor, NJ ECG
Committee Chair Mike Kruimer taking the lead on this project. Mike has
constructed 2 ECG kiosks in NJ already. Also a big thanks to ECG Committee
volunteers Mike Dannemiller, Anne Kruimer and Tommy Roe.
The second East Coast Greenway kiosk in Maryland was installed just south of Monkton on the Torrey C. Brown Rail Trail on July 25th. Once again the effort was led my NJ ECG Committee Chair Mike Kruimer. We owe special thanks to Jennifer Cashell and her volunteer crew at Gunpowder Falls State Park for their efforts and coordination.
Manhattan to Pelham Bay ECG Ride a Success!
On August 30th, the East Coast Greenway teamed up with Times Up, Wild Metro
and Safe Streets in Coop, organizing a 20 mile bike ride from the Hudson
River Greenway at 43rd St. to Pelham Bay Park. Thirty riders took part on a
perfect fall like day on the East Coast Greenway route through New York
which is 90% on off-road pathways. The ride concluded with a volunteer clean
up with Wild Metro of NYC's largest park, Pelham Bay.
Regional News: South Atlantic
A new segment of ECG Historical Coastal Route has been constructed by the Virginia Department of Transportation. This paved multi-use off-road trail parallels State Route 5 and is part of an ongoing effort to link over 50 miles of trail between Richmond VA and Jamestown Settlement. The newly completed segment runs seven miles east of Charles City and passes historic plantations and other historic and natural attractions. The segment is expected to be formally designated as ECG at this fall's ECGA Board Meeting in Savannah. You can learn more (and see photos) right here!
Regional News: Southeast
Greenway Florida advance marked on the ground and in partnerships
Top and bottom, Florida is advancing the Greenway on the ground and, through new partnerships, promises increased use of the route.
Far northern Nassau County in August was awarded $2.5 million by the Northeast Florida Transportation Planning Organization. Amelia Island Trails Chairman Phil Scanlan said that the sum would build approximately five miles of trail through the affluent retirement and resort area. Construction is expected in 2014 and 2015. South in Miami-Dade County, leaders of Green Mobility Network are processing the documents that in time for November's Trail Council and board meetings in Savannah could add some 30 designated miles to the Greenway. These would be the first miles in the state's most populous county. Meanwhile, new partnerships promise new use of the Greenway route and new sources of support. An August meeting brought the Greenway Alliance, the Office of Greenways and Trails, and bicycling and wildflower advocates together with the state's official tourism marketing agency. Discussion centered on establishing a trails website comparable to Visit Florida's official golf website, which is sponsored by the Florida Sports Foundation and PGA. In October, Bike Florida will launch its program of year-round tours of the St. Johns River-to-Sea Loop, which includes both spine and alternate route of the Greenway. The second of these tours, in November, will mark the third annual tour by major Greenway donors. Also in November, the East Central Florida Regional Planning Council, together with the Greenway Alliance, will host a workshop for economic development directors of nine east-central counties. "Florida continues to exhibit the trails leadership that last year earned top ranking for the state by American Trails," said the Greenway's Southeast Region Program Consultant Herb Hiller. "The Alliance ranks high in that leadership. "The Greenway Alliance will increasingly contribute to the greening of Florida. The Greenway itself will become a measure and a celebration of the state's green emergence."
Amelia Island trail team members, L-R: Mike Pikula, Danny Leeper, Jeff Sheffield, Herb Hiller, Phil Scanlan
Calendar
September 12 , 2009
Tour des Farms
starting/ending in New Haven, CT
September 20, 2009
ECG/Farmington Canal bike tour
New Haven to East Granby, CT
September 24, 2009
Westchester-Putnam Bike Walk Alliance fundraiser
September 26-27, 2009
Boston Cycling Celebration
Boston, MA
Walkable and Liveable Communities 2009
International Conference on Walking and Liveable Communities
Interbike Outdoor Demo East
Providence, RI
ECG Hudson River Loop Tour
starting at Ft. Lee, NJ
October 22, 2009
Fairfield County/ECG Bicycle & Pedestrian Summit
Stamford, CT
November 7, 2009
ECGA Trail Council meeting and Annual Members Meeting
Savannah, GA
November 8, 2009
ECGA Board of Trustees Meeting
Savannah, GA
November 8-14, 2009
ECGA Close the Gaps Tour
St.John's River-to-the-Sea Loop, Florida
For more information on all of these events, please click here or see the articles above.
~ Support the Greenway by becoming a member of the ECGA or sponsoring a mile of trail today.
~ Get Involved! Volunteer, write a letter, help spread the word...learn about all the ways you can help create the ECG.
~ Comments? Suggestions? News? Contact the ECGA at info@greenway.org.
~ Learn more about the East Coast Greenway by visiting our website, or call us at (401) 789-4625.
We look forward to hearing from you!
Copyright 2009 East Coast Greenway Alliance