August 2008 In This Issue... National News Save the Date: ECGA Annual Meeting October 25th Silver Linings - the time to support trails is now! Trail Council Expansion Announced Regional News: New England ECG signs mark the route through Brunswick, Maine Traffic lanes converted to bike lanes in Providence More trail coming to New Haven and Hamden! ECG Ambassador in Connecticut receives Governor's Commendation Regional News: Mid Atlantic ECG Tour in NY Raises Awareness Connecting the Parks in Middlesex County, NJ ECG PA/DE Trail Map and Guide available soon! ECG Trail Markers coming to the National Mall Met Branch Trail updates Regional News: South Atlantic Town of Suffolk, Virginia Begins Links to the ECG Jacksonville rail-trail underway Myrtle Beach Trail Growing Trail extended in Charleston, SC Regional News: Southeast Coastal Georgia / East Coast Greenway Update Greenway tour will green Florida Double your Greenway Dollars in Georgia & Florida! Other News and Resources U.S. Mayors Adopt Bicycling Resolution Equestrian Design Guidebook for Trails, Trailheads, and Campgrounds A Resident's Guide for Creating Safe and Walkable Communities Calendar	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 3000-mile, traffic-free, firm-surfaced route linking cities and towns from Maine to Florida. Staff Karen Votava Executive Director Jack Keene Trail Program Coordinator Linda Arendt Volunteer Coordinator Steve Bevington South Atlantic Regional Trail Coordinator Kitty Carter Office Manager & Membership Coordinator Herb Hiller Southeast Region Program Consultant Kathleen Klinger Administrative Assistant Kelly McClintock Donor Program Coordinator Dolores Newman NJ Committee Staff Mike Oliva Mid Atlantic Regional Trail Coordinator Terri Schulken Financial Advisor Eric Weis Deputy Trail Program Coordinator & New England Regional Trail Coordinator Tanja Wiant Communications Coordinator Join the ECGA Donate to the ECGA Contact Us
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National ECGA News
Save the Date: ECGA Annual Members Meeting October 25th
Join us in Boston on October 25th for our Trail Council and Annual Members Meetings! We'll discuss current trail issues, designate new trails, vote on new board members - and of course, enjoy trips along local Boston trails! If you are interested in helping the ECG move forward, or just learning more about how the trail is being developed, please join us. Visit the Trail Council meeting page for more information. We will have the Board member ballots posted soon.	Explore Boston's Charles River Bikeway during our fall meetings.
Silver Linings - the time to support trails is now!
The recent dramatic increases in gasoline prices have resulted in major budgetary impacts for families, government agencies and not-for-profit organizations. As fuel conservation measures are implemented, the tax revenues which fund transportation improvements, including trails, are reduced. Decisions to curtail travel impact trail usage and local tourism revenues, particularly for trails in less populous areas. So where is this cloud's proverbial silver lining? The silver lining is the more widespread, and growing, realization that non-motorized transportation is viable and deserving of greater recognition as part of our national transportation program. Forty percent of our nation's automotive trips are for distances of two miles or less, distances easily covered on foot or by bicycle. So take advantage of the times and become a trails advocate in your community! Press your local and state elected officials for trail construction as well as bicycle and pedestrian accommodations to allow you to access local destinations without using an automobile. Urge public education campaigns to raise the awareness of drivers to pedestrians and cyclists in the right of way. Contact local businesses about providing safe pedestrian access and secure parking areas for bicycles. As an inter-urban multiuse trail, the East Coast Greenway is an excellent example of how trails can help address urban congestion and declining air quality by saving money and fuel, burning calories for improved health and allowing Americans to reconnect with their neighbors and their neighborhoods. The silver lining also means that public interest in the Greenway is growing. But interest isn't enough - as a non-profit we depend on our broad partnership of citizen advocates and public agencies, and the generous support of our members and donors to make this trail happen. Our small staff certainly could not achieve such an ambitious undertaking alone. Our Alliance partners and supporters deserve much credit for the enormous progress the Alliance has achieved in a very short time. We have: Identified a complete on-and off-road route from Canada to Key West, with field-checked cue sheets and maps, enabling experienced cyclists to use the Greenway now. Helped to complete over 100 off-road trail sections (20% of the route) that people of all abilities can now use. Increased our funding, the majority from our members and donors, enabling us to recruit a trail program staff of 5, with one located in each of our four regions, who are making a real difference in our effectiveness in getting trail on the ground. And we're not stopping there! We continue to get more trail on the ground, develop strategic partnerships, and produce tools to help you travel the Greenway - several of which will be available later this year. We need your support to continue this work that benefits individuals, communities, businesses, and the environment. We invite you to support this incredible legacy by becoming a member or donating to the ECGA. Your dues and donations keep our staff working to complete more trail and develop more maps, guides, and other travel tools. Please support the Alliance today to help move this amazing vision to reality!
Trail Council Expansion Announced
At it's April meeting, the East Coast Greenway Alliance Board of Directors unanimously passed a resolution increasing the membership of the Trail Council to 42 members. The increased membership will consist of three officers (Chair, Vice Chair and Secretary), two members from each of the sixteen states through which the Greenway passes and seven At-Large members who bring unique areas of expertise to the body. The members, who serve staggered three year terms, are appointed by the Chair of the ECGA Board of Directors. It is anticipated that the increased membership will spur greater participation in the semi-annual Trail Council meetings and will foster a greater exchange of information between the jurisdictions along the Greenway. Invitations to join the Trail Council are currently being sent so that new members may make plans to attend the Boston Trail Council meeting on Saturday, October 25.
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Regional News: New England
ECG signs mark the route through Brunswick, Maine
The City of Brunswick has installed ECG route markers along the entirety of the Greenway's current travel route within city limits, 6.5 miles long. The marking of the ECG is a top priority in Maine this year, and we expect to report on more towns installing signs as the year progresses.
Traffic lanes converted to bike lanes in Providence
The City of Providence, after much anticipation, is implementing Phase One of its bicycle plan this year. The first piece of the plan to be implemented is part of the East Coast Greenway! On July 14-15, the city re-striped 1.6-miles of Blackstone Boulevard, converting it from four traffic lanes (two in each direction) to two, and repurposing the "removed" lanes as bicycle lanes. This road runs on either side of a wide median park, which also has a very popular walking path, created after the trolley that once served the neighborhood went out of service in 1948. The Olmsted brothers, whose firm designed the park, would be proud to see that the roadway has gone on a diet - making it a parkway in the true sense of the word. Over thirty trees survive from the original landscaping plan, implemented in the late 1800s. Learn more about historic Blackstone Park at www.blackstoneparkconservancy.org.	Local Advocate Bill Mott (left) and his children Sophia and Nicholas, help Mayor David Cicilline and Councilman Cliff Wood cut the ribbon opening the Blackstone Boulevard bike lanes.
More trail coming to New Haven and Hamden!
Connecticut's Farmington Canal Heritage Trail continues to make progress as a crucial link in the East Coast Greenway. A contract has been signed to build the remaining 2.5 miles in Hamden, from Hamden High School on Connolly Parkway to the New Haven line, with completion expected in May 2009. At the same time, funding is in place to build the northernmost portion of the trail in New Haven, from the Hamden border to the trail's current end at Shelton Avenue. That portion of the trail is expected to open in fall 2009. When these two sections are complete, there will be nearly 12-mile continuous off-road path from downtown New Haven to Cheshire. When entirely complete, the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail will stretch 84 miles to Northampton, Massachusetts.
ECG Ambassador in Connecticut receives Governor's Commendation
ECG Ambassador Steve Mitchell was among 16 individuals and organizations commended by Governor Jodi Rell for making "significant contributions to the promotion, development and enhancement of linear open space in Connecticut." "Greenways are perfect places for families to get outside, enjoy nature, and exercise together, whether walking, biking or just being together in the fresh air," Governor Rell said. "Through our new grant award program, even more greenways can be built and enhanced. The efforts of greenways advocates help us move forward on the path toward responsible growth. Together, we will preserve - forever preserve - the character and beauty of our state." Steve was acknowledged for his strong advocacy efforts on behalf of the ECG and other trails in Connecticut. Congratulations Steve! Read the whole article here.	ECG Ambassador Steve Mitchell.
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Regional News: Mid Atlantic
ECG Tour in NY Raises Awareness
On June 1st over 50 cyclists took part in a 30-mile ride from Bronxville in Westchester County, New York to Battery Park in Manhattan. The goal of the ride was to highlight existing and planned portions of the East Coast Greenway. Almost 90% of the ride was on completed pathways and took the cyclists through unique settings along the Bronx River and spectacular views along 15 miles of the Hudson River. The ride was hosted and coordinated by NY Committee member Carl Hamann to raise awareness and money for the East Coast Greenway. If you are interested in hosting an awareness-raising or fundraising ride along the ECG, let us know!	John Mattera of NYC Parks (3rd from right) and Holly Haff of NYC DOT (4th from right) participated in the June New York tour.
Connecting the Parks in Middlesex County, NJ
On National Trails Day (June 7), the NJ ECG Committee, together with the Middlesex Greenway Coalition, hosted a bike/walk along a gap in the ECG between Merrill Park and Roosevelt Park in Edison, NJ. The event signaled the beginning of the two groups' efforts to develop awareness of a proposed 3.5-mile path that would link the two parks together. The project has been in the planning stages for several years and the groups are now building the public support necessary to make the path a reality. Many stakeholders and citizens attended the event and vowed to work together to "connect the parks" which would give users and local residents a safe off-road alternative to sharing local and county roadways, while also providing better access to transportation and recreational areas. To learn more about the project and other activities of the NJ Committee, visit their website at: www.greenwaynj.org.
ECG PA/DE Trail Map and Guide available soon!
The Pennsylvania/Delaware ECG user guide is on schedule to be released this September, and will be available free of charge. This spiral-bound guide fits easily into a handbar map pouch and includes maps, turn-by-turn cue sheets, and information on services and public transportation for the ECG route through Pennsylvania and Delaware. Once this guide is complete, an ECG traveler can use it in conjunction with our NJ Guide (produced earlier this year) to travel from the NY-NJ border to the MD-DE border. If you live in New York or Maryland, please contact your officials asking them to fund similar guides in their states!	The Pennsylvania/Delaware ECG Guide will be available in September.
ECG Trail Markers coming to the National Mall
The ECG will be placing its signs on the National Mall in Washington, DC in late August, giving millions of tourists the opportunity to recognize the ECG route through our nation's capital. This sign plan stems from years of work and partnership building from DC Committee Chair Bob Patten and ECGA staffer Eric Weis. A special thanks goes to the District Department of Transportation and the National Parks Service for all their work in coordinating this effort.
Met Branch Trail updates
Washington, DC's (and the East Coast Greenway's) Metropolitan Branch Trail is making progress, We recently received a list of exciting updates on the trail from the District Department of Transportation, and wanted to share them with you: On July 22nd the contract was signed to begin the Design/Build for the trail segment from New York Ave. to Franklin Street.  The contractor will have 12 months to design and build this segment which will include 5 neighborhood connections and will create direct access to the New York Ave. Metro Station.    On July 21st a local DC artist was selected to create an artistic identity for the trail including signage and amenities.  This project was sponsored by DC Arts and Humanities.   Work has begun to design the pedestrian and bicycle bridge connecting the Met Branch Trail to the Rhode Island Ave. Metro station.  Preliminary engineering drawings have been completed and bridge plans will be available for the public soon.
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Regional News: South Atlantic
Town of Suffolk, Virginia Begins Links to the ECG
The Town of Suffolk has begun efforts to become part of the East Coast Greenway, including an interim on-road travel route through town and a newly opened segment of the Seaboard Coastline Trail. The Suffolk Seaboard Coastline Trail will be a premier multi-modal trail for the City of Suffolk. Using the former Seaboard Coastline rail corridor, the proposed trail would extend approximately 11 miles in a general southwest-northeast direction between downtown Suffolk and the Chesapeake City line. From a regional perspective, the proposed trail would form the westernmost section of the 28-mile Multi-City Trail, a programmed facility that would link the cities of Norfolk, Portsmouth, Chesapeake, and Suffolk.	Trailhead of the Seaboard Coastline Trail in Suffolk, VA.
Jacksonville rail-trail underway
Jacksonville, North Carolina marked the start of an ambitious trail program June 28th when it officially opened a bike and pedestrian trail that connects the town with the Camp Lejeune Marine Base. It is part of a 172-mile trails plan and a link in the ECG Historic Coastal Route. The city of Jacksonville held a formal ribbon cutting ceremony and dedication of its path from Marine Boulevard to Camp Lejeune's main gate. Built on old railroad routes, the project's first phase consists of a 5.2-mile trail along Marine Boulevard, continuing down Bell Fork Road and over Lejeune Boulevard, stopping at Camp Lejeune's main gate.	Contruction of the Lejeune Boulevard Bridge
Myrtle Beach Trail Growing
The City of Myrtle Beach has largely completed a 3.5-mile extension of the East Coast Greenway. It is a 10-12 ft wide section extending from 27th Ave South in a southerly direction along the wide right of way of US 17 (Kings Highway) and temporarily terminating in new neighborhoods of Withers Preserve, lands that used to be the Myrtle Beach Air Force Base. One small segment is yet to be completed but the new trail is open and getting plenty of use according to City Planning Director Jack Walker. Also in Myrtle Beach, fundraising efforts are presently underway to improve trail conditions on a trail segment proposed to be named in honor of the late J. Perrin Lawson, a local architect and activist. Details about this effort to enhance the East Coast Greenway can be found here.
Trail extended in Charleston, SC
On June 5th the City of Charleston officially opened the East Bay trail as a direct connection to "Wonder's Way", the bike/ped pathway over the Ravenel Bridge. The 12 foot wide path, surfaced with pavers, extends from the bridge to Chapel Street, providing a safe path for bicyclists, pedestrians, and other non-motorized travelers to get from the bridge to bike/ped friendly downtown streets. The path will eventually join Battery Street, which has a walkway and is ideal for scenic biking, creating a loop around the Charleston peninsula. The new path will be up for designation as ECG in the fall. ECGA's South Atlantic Trail Coordinator spoke at the ribbon-cutting, complimenting Charleston on setting a great bike/ped-friendly example for other communities.	ECGA's Steve Bevington, right, speaks at the ribbon cutting alongside Charleston Mayor Joe Riley.
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Regional News: Southeast
Coastal Georgia / East Coast Greenway Update
The Coastal Georgia Greenway, which will serve as the East Coast Greenway through Georgia, is making rapid progress in its organizational development and strategic planning. Expect to see new partnerships, new plans, and of course, new trails coming out of Georgia in the coming months and years. Click here to read the latest update.
Greenway tour will green Florida
Bike Florida and the East Coast Greenway Alliance are organizing the ride. The Trust for Public Land is doing the logo. The Florida Wildflower Foundation and River of Lakes Heritage Corridor are bearing major financial load, while Florida's Office of Greenways and Trails together with Rails-to-Trails Conservancy as usual have either directly themselves captured the corridors to make everything happen or have inspired others to do so. Did I say the inaugural tour of the longest loop bicycle trail in the American Southeast? The start of wildflower tourism in Florida? A half-million users by 2014? Is something eventfully green happening that might change how people live in Florida or think about vacationing here? A milestone ride this November will debut Florida's new St. Johns River to the Sea Loop, a 260-mile trail that includes four counties of East Coast Greenway spine route and another of alternate. The ride does more. It has already built political and tourism constituencies for this one-of-a-kind trail. For Bike Florida, the week-long ride that November 15th departs the rural county seat of Palatka will launch a new annual tour that year after year will traverse the loop and mark its progress toward full off-road, paved standard. This year's tour is invitational, limited to 25. Future rides will be open to many more, and before the ride begins, maps and cue sheets on the Bike Florida website will let anyone start touring the loop on their own. Today, the loop satisfies Greenway standards for some 40 miles through western Volusia County, through eastern St. Johns County, and top-to-bottom through coastal Flagler County. The rest of the loop is either off-road unpaved or paved along mostly back roads. For Florida more broadly, the trail marks growing emphasis on locally resourceful recreation and tourism. The trail passes through one of the state's most wildflower profuse regions. By putting the trail on the map, the inaugural tour will not only more fully establish trail tourism in Florida but also market seasonal wildflowers to attract visitors in the way that "fall colors" does up north. Ironically, although not widely known for either trails or for wildflowers - Disney and opulent beach resorts tend to overshadow the state's more authentic character - Florida is a leading state for both. Major factor in the wildflower connection and for likely quickening the trail's off-road improvement is the 2013 Spain-in-Florida Quincentennial. That event marks the 500th anniversary of Florida's discovery by the Spaniard Juan Ponce de Leon, who exploring the coast and inspired by its teeming wildflowers, named the land La Florida. Trail advocates are at work on special funding for the trail that will make it a focus for the Quincentennial, the first that marks Europe's continuous presence on mainland America. - Herb Hiller, Southeast Program Consultant
Double your Greenway Dollars in Georgia & Florida!
The East Coast Greenway Alliance invites you to take part in an exciting opportunity! A donor from our Southeast Region has offered us $25,000 for our work in Georgia and Florida, but only if we can match it with an additional $25,000. These funds are exclusively for development of the East Coast Greenway in Florida and Georgia. Please help us reach this goal! By donating today, you are doubling your contribution. There are three easy ways to donate: Call 401-789-4625 with your credit card Mail a check to: ECGA, 27 North Road Wakefield, RI 02879 Donate online at: www.firstgiving.com/ecg Visit www.firstgiving.com/ecg to see how close we are to reaching our goal. Thank you for your support!
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Other News
U.S. Mayors Adopt Bicycling Resolution
At its annual meeting in June, the U.S. Conference of Mayors adopted a resolution to ensure that bicycling is integrated into national transportation, climate, energy, and health policy initiatives. This resolution is the first of its kind among mayors and signifies increased support for bicycling throughout the country. Read the resolution here
Equestrian Design Guidebook for Trails, Trailheads, and Campgrounds
The ECG aims to serve a wide variety of non-motorized trail users, including equestrians. Trail managers and developers working to create ECG trails now have a new guidebook that addresses the needs of equestrians. The guidebook is written for planners, architects, engineers, landscape architects, land managers, equestrian advocates, and private developers who want to create successful recreation opportunities for riders. This book is authored by Jan Hancock and produced in cooperation with the Recreational Trails Program of the Federal Highway Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation. Read more here.
A Resident's Guide for Creating Safe and Walkable Communities
The Federal Highway Administration Office of Safety has released a new publication: "A Resident's Guide for Creating Safe and Walkable Communities" The Guide offers a user-friendly resource with ideas and references on issues that affect walking conditions, finds ways to address or prevent these problems, and promotes pedestrian safety. It provides several community success stories along with fact sheets, worksheets, and sample materials. Read the guide here.
Calendar
September 2-5, 2008 Pro Walk / Pro Bike Conference Seattle, WA.
September 20-24, 2008 Climate Ride 2008 NYC - Washington, DC.
September 27 - October 5, 2008 ECGA Close the Gaps Club Bicycle Tour Wilmington, DE - New York City
October 4-7, 2008 Virginia Governor's Conference on Greenways & Trails Richmond, WA.
October 15, 2008 PA ECG Summit, 3:00-7:30 PM. Details TBA. Contact dennis.winters@verizon.net for more details.
October 25-26, 2008 ECGA Fall Meetings Trail Council, Board and Annual Members Meetings. Boston, MA.
November 1-3, 2008 Urban Waterfronts 25 The Waterfont Center's 25th Annual International Conference, Boston, MA.
November 15-18, 2008 19th National Trails Symposium Presented by American Trails, Little Rock, AR.
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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 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 editor at tanja@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 2008 East Coast Greenway Alliance