In This Issue...
Greetings from the Director
- A Year to Celebrate, Then Build On
- The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation Keeps NJ an ECG Leader
- Celebrating 2012
- Help Us Make Our End-of-Year Match
- Record Number of Signs Posted in 2012
- Great Newspaper Articles and More
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Greetings from ECGA Executive Director, Dennis Markatos-Soriano
A Year to Celebrate, Then Build On
Dear East Coast Greenway teammates,
As we've mentioned many times, 2012 has been one for the record books. The most greenways designated, miles of signage posted, public outreach through a nice range of media, and much more. Thank you to everyone who made it happen, from our hard-working staff to our passionate volunteers to our essential funders and partners. What we accomplished is helping people bike and walk safely to work, school and everyday needs throughout the Eastern Seaboard.
But it's the tip of the iceberg for what is possible. We can empower tens of millions of people to improve their health, the environment, and the economy by completing a safe and accessible route in the years ahead. Enjoy our recap below on a great year, and please consider donating today if you haven't yet to help us build on our momentum in the New Year!
Together, we are building a sustainable & healthy America,
National ECGA News
You've read about a great deal of progress in New Jersey throughout our e-newsletters these past several months and years. A key supporter of our work in the Garden State, the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, just increased their contribution by a third for the year ahead. This will allow us to further develop both our greenways and on-road route, with a special focus on safety on key segments like the approach to the Delaware River.
We cannot say thank you enough to our friends at Dodge who are working hard to make New Jersey the ECG leader it is -- fully signed and majority off-road greenway. The Dodge Foundation, along with the William Penn Foundation, Helen & William Mazer Foundation, and members and donors throughout the region have made the Mid-Atlantic the most developed region in our corridor today.
We at the ECGA have a lot to celebrate, and we owe our progress to you - our many members, supporters, and volunteers!
This year we designated 42 new trail sections - more than any previous year! And our progress is spread throughout our network, with new trails in each region. These 50+ miles of newly-designated trail truly reflect the diverse nature of the ECG - beautiful woodlands, urban trails, and suburban connectors. Our route is now over 800 miles (28%) on greenways!
Middlesex Greenway ribboncutting in New Jersey. Photo by Mike Dannemiller.
We also posted ECG signs on a record number of miles in 2012, and have several hundred more miles in the works for 2013. (Read more on signage in our Spotlight section below!)
Our largest tour in terms of participation happened this past summer, when Cabot Creamery led the Community Tour along our route from Florida to Maine. Three people (Myron and Cathy Skott of GA, and Bob Spiegelman of NH) rode the entire length of the tour, and several hundred people joined the ride for a day or several days.
The Cabot Community tour arrives in Durham, NC.
Photo by Jerry Markatos.
Our Week a Year tour in August raised over $20,000 for our organization, as participants did the tour as a fundraiser. Many other events in communities along our route helped get more people than ever out to enjoy the East Coast Greenway.
Thanks to our amazing volunteers who made all these accomplishments possible! To our Board of Trustees who give generously of their time to help guide our organization, to our State Committees which oversee our trail segments in each state, to the many volunteers helping out at events and trail cleanups, and the folks who help out in our office - THANK YOU for all you do to make the East Coast Greenway a success!
We are really excited about 2013, when we'll be working to sign another 300 miles of our route, designate 50 miles of new greenway, and develop the first East Coast Greenway app for mobile devices. Here's to another great year!
Beautiful new Trail in Raleigh, NC. Photo by Dave Connelly.
Important trail segment opens in Miami, FL.
First ECG Wedding! Manchester, CT. Photo courtesy Steven Mitchell.
Celebrating ECG signage on historic Calhoun Street Bridge, PA/NJ. Photo by Allison Hamilton.
North Bank Bridge opens in MA. Photo by David Read.
The US Surgeon General leads a walk on the ECG in Durham, NC. Photo by Jerry Markatos.
Trail cleanup volunteers in Philadelphia, PA. Photo by Andy Hamilton.
Huge thanks to everyone who's contributed to our Annual Appeal or renewed your membership in the past month! We made our first match goal of $25,000, and another generous donor has said they will match an additional $20,000 in contributions made by the end of the year!
Can you help us meet this additional goal by the end of December? Donate online today! Your contribution is tax-deductible, and goes to fund the trail program in your region.
Your donations are truly appreciated and will make a huge difference - thank you for your support!
ECG Spotlight - New ECG Signage
Have you seen more ECG signs on the route near you lately? We hope you have, or that you will soon! This year ECGA staff and volunteers have worked hard to increase the amount of signage on the ECG route.
Thanks to significant grants from our sponsors REI and Tom's of Maine, and generous donations earmarked for signage from the Helen & William Mazer Foundation, William Penn Foundation, Carolina Tarwheels, Cape Fear Cyclists, Central Bucks Bicycle Club, Delaware Valley Bicycle Club, and Narraganset Bay Wheelmen, we have almost a thousand miles of ECG signs either posted or in the pipeline in nearly every state along our route.
In order to get signs placed on our route, we work closely with a wide array of stakeholders including state transportation departments, state parks agencies, municipal planning and public works agencies, regional planners, and local trail advocates.
Each state, county, and city has different ordinances and approval processes for signs, especially where they are on roadways on our route. We usually are required to have a signage plan and an agreement with the local agencies specifying who will maintain the signs, before signage can be installed. The approval process can sometimes take a while, but it is an important part of working with our state and local allies to further our project.
Signage is a priority for several reasons. ECG signs and trail markers not only help local and long-distance walkers and cyclists navigate our route, but they serve an important function in getting the word out about the East Coast Greenway. Sometimes the signs are the first thing someone sees that lets them know about our project.
In addition to regular trail marker signs, we've also installed more than 20 mileage signs in different places that show the distance to Calais, Maine and Key West, Florida from that location. These signs help give perspective of the scope of our 2,900 mile route. The mileage signs measure 4" high and are 48" wide, and contain our eight user icons. They are often placed on kiosks with ECG information.
New ECG signs in Connecticut and Pennsylvania - photos by Eric Weis and Allison Hamilton.
Mileage sign in Maine, photo by David Read.
Look for more signs coming in 2013, as we continue the progress kick-started this year!
ECG In the News
Yonkers Daily Voice, NY: Yonkers Approves Funding for Future ECG Bike Path
Cary News, Cary NC: Another ECG segment nears completion in Cary, NC
ECG News Online is a publication of the East Coast Greenway Alliance, a national
not-for-profit membership organization dedicated to promoting the establishment, preservation, sound management, and safe use and enjoyment of the East Coast
Greenway, a 3000-mile, continuous route linking seaboard cities and towns from Maine to Florida. It aims to be 100% traffic-free.
Support the Greenway by becoming a member of the ECGA or donating today.
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 (919) 797-0619.
Copyright 2012 East Coast Greenway Alliance