New York's First Summit: East Coast Greenway Alliance Becomes Unifying Presence

By Beth Brody and Jackson Wandres


ECGA Trail Program Coordinator Jack Keene. Photo: Jackson Wandres
The New York East Coast Greenway Committee is now a major player in the City's bike/ped advocacy world.

Its mission to complete the Greenway's routes through New York has attracted the attention of major governmental agencies and nonprofit organizations that until now had focused only on pieces.

Over 50 individuals brainstormed in The Bronx, at Lehman College, on October 18 on "closing the gaps" in the East Coast Greenway routes through New York. Present were transportation, parks, and planning staff and officials from Westchester County, The Bronx, and Manhattan -- the areas through which the Greenway runs -- as well as representatives of community groups and interested individuals.

The keynote speaker, John Orcutt, Senior Policy Advisor to NYCDOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Kahn, described the great strides his and other New York City agencies are taking to make the City a greener, more bike-friendly place to live and work.


Keynote speaker John Orcutt of NYCDOT. Photo: Jackson Wandres
Using a large projection of Google Earth adapted to show the Greenway routes, Mike Oliva, ECGA Mid-Atlantic Trail Liaison, presented the "current travel route" and the long-term vision of two permanent off-road routes connecting the Greenway in Connecticut with the Greenway in New Jersey. The New York Committee is offering Greenway users two routes - "eastern" and "western" - because a single spine route proved to be inadequate to serve the vastness and diversity of New York.

After this overview, two simultaneous break-out sessions focused on specific obstacles, both political and financial. The routes in Westchester County go through many small municipalities so local elected officials and residents dominate. By contrast, influential in the City of New York, which includes The Bronx and Manhattan, are numerous agencies with professional staffs and strong advocacy groups.

The Google maps projected in front of each group permitted close-up examinations of specific problem areas. Roger Weld of the state transportation department could show us why a "SPUI" (Single-point Urban Interchange) was being recommended for a particular intersection.


Breakout sessions gave attendees the opportunity to examine specific problem areas. Photo: Jackson Wandres
During the wrap-up that followed, we recognized how dramatic the Summit had been. For the first time, people from a great variety of perspectives and experiences had gathered to focus together on long (43-mile plus) Greenway stretches in New York. Key stakeholders resolved to work together on its gaps and trouble spots.