East Coast Greenway -

Committee

Massachusetts Committee for the East Coast Greenway

The Massachusetts Committee for the ECG coordinates route selection and undertake our advocacy efforts to move the Greenway ahead in the state. By building support and partnerships with citizens, public agencies, and organizations at the local and state levels, the Massachusetts Committee is helping to get the ECG on the ground, mile by mile.

News & Events
Current Committee Goals
Committee Resources
Support the Effort in Massachusetts
Contact Information

Volunteers in Lynn, MA help cleanup a future section of the Bike to the Sea Path, a segment of the East Coast Greenway. Photo: Chris and Sharon Santillo

News & Events

May 2008 - Routing workshop realigns route through Lynn & Danvers
A new route alignment has been selected for the corridor between Lynn and Danvers, north of Boston. At a routing workshop in Danvers, area stakeholders representing government agencies and advocacy groups determined that the ECG should slightly alter both its current and future routing to incorporate the Lynn Beach promenade and future paths in Lynn and Danvers. New ECG maps are being drafted and will be viewable on greenway.org later this spring.

May 2008 - Critical Progress on the Mass Central Rail Trail
In exciting trail development news, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), owner of the Massachusetts Central Railroad corridor from Waltham to Berlin, has signed a 99-year lease agreement with the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR). This is a critical step toward development of 26 miles of the Mass Central Rail-Trail, which constitutes over half of the ECG route between Boston and Worcester.

May 2008 - First section of the Northern Strand Community Trail moving forward
In other important lease news, the MBTA on May 1 also gave authorization to arrange leases with the cities of Everett and Malden, critical steps in the creation of the Northern Strand Community Trail (NSCT). The NSCT is a key part of the East Coast Greenway route north of Boston, and will extend about 10 miles in Everett, Malden, Saugus, Revere, and Lynn. The mayors of Everett and Malden, with Bike to the Sea (the principal advocacy group behind the NSCT), have already applied for the design and construction funds needed to complete the trail.

Current Committee Goals

Some of the goals of the MA committee over the next year include:

Begin development of the Mass Central Rail-Trail
Continue planning the Border-to-Boston Trail
Recruit new volunteers to help reform the ECG State Committee

Volunteers working on the Northern Strand Community Trail, MA.

Committee Resources

Massachusetts Blueprint for Action
Massachusetts Benchmark Assessment
Trail Builder’s Toolbox – ECG trail building, routing, signing, and designation materials
Advocacy Toolkit
- Posting ECG signs on the Charles River Bikepath
- MBTA leased the Mass Central Rail-Trail corridor to MA Dept of Conservation and Recreation
- Design has begun for 16 miles of the Blackstone River Bikeway
- Join the state committee, to be re-formed this fall
- Join the advocacy group supporting their local section of the ECG

Support the Effort in Massachusetts

The Massachusetts Committee consists entirely of volunteers who dedicated their time and resources to advocate for the creation of local trails in the state. Please help the Committee create the ECG by volunteering your time, becoming a member, or sponsoring a mile of trail.

Recent accomplishments in Massachusetts include:

The Masschusetts Committee currently needs volunteers to: