East Coast Greenway welcomes seven wide-ranging segments

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The Providence River Pedestrian Bridge is a short but key Greenway connection in Rhode Island’s capital providing a safe, traffic-free crossing and scenic views of downtown Providence.

Seven new trail segments across seven states are slated for official East Coast Greenway designation following the Alliance’s national Greenway Council meeting in December. Ranging from The Bronx and downtown Providence, Rhode Island, to rural Georgia and coastal North Carolina, these new greenway segments provide safe and equitable connections to active transportation and outdoor recreation alike.

Twenty-three new segments, totaling 31.1 miles, earned East Coast Greenway designation in 2020. Stay tuned for a full breakdown of this year’s newest Greenway additions soon.

This month’s additions to the Greenway include:

Providence, Rhode Island: Providence River Pedestrian Bridge, 0.1 miles: The Providence River Pedestrian Bridge is a short but key Greenway connection in Rhode Island’s capital providing a safe, traffic-free crossing. The bridge connects both sides of the Providence Innovation District Park and offers scenic views of downtown Providence. In addition to connecting 2 miles of the East Coast Greenway spine route, it links to 11.1 miles of the complementary route, primarily via the popular East Bay Bike Path.

The Bronx, New York: Bronx River Greenway – West Farms Rapids Park, 0.2 miles: The latest addition to the Bronx River Greenway runs from East 180th Street to East Tremont Avenue and passes under elevated train tracks. This wooded, scenic stretch along the Bronx River closes a key gap in a soon-to-be 3.6-mile portion of the East Coast Greenway complementary route north of Manhattan.

Camden, New Jersey: Cooper’s Poynt Park Waterfront Park Trail, 0.4 miles: The Cooper’s Poynt Waterfront Park Trail runs along the Delaware River in Camden, just north of the Ben Franklin Bridge and overlooks the Philadelphia skyline. Connecting Camden residents to open space and an ADA-accessible playground, the trail is a short walk from downtown and the Ben Franklin Bridge’s south walkway entrance, all on the Circuit Trails network and the Delaware River Heritage Trail in development north to Trenton.

Prince William County, Virginia: Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge Trail, 0.9 miles: The natural-surface Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge Trail is part of the expanding trail network in Prince William County, Virginia. The path connects with the existing, 1.4-mile Belmont Bay Shared Use Path and in the future will reach the Veterans Memorial Park Trail, currently accessible with a short on-road connection.

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The Surf City Bridge Multi-Use Path stretches nearly a mile in coastal North Carolina.

Surf City, North Carolina: Surf City Bridge Multi-Use Path, 0.8 miles: The Surf City Bridge Multi-Use Path traverses the Intracoastal Waterway and connects the mainland and beachfront of Surf City with easy access to Soundside Park. A North Carolina Department of Transportation project, the public, all-season path stretches almost a mile from Roland Avenue and South New River Drive.

Kingsland, Georgia: Three Rivers Trail – Laurel Island Parkway, 4.6 miles: The longest new addition to the Greenway is a segment of the Three Rivers Trail in Camden County, Georgia. The nearly 5-mile, concrete trail runs along Laurel Island Parkway to Winding Road, crossing over Interstate 95 in the City of Kingsland. The Laurel Island Parkway trail is the longest completed segment of the Three Rivers Trail, which co-aligns with the Greenway and will connect the existing Woodbine Trail to the scenic St. Marys waterfront and a forthcoming ferry service to Florida.

Titusville, Florida: Titusville Downtown Connector Trail, 0.3 miles: The Titusville Downtown Connector Trail, an asphalt cycle track, extends from Wilson Avenue and Main Street to Indian River Avenue in the heart of downtown Titusville. The western terminus of this segment connects to nearly 40 continuous miles of the East Central Florida Regional Rail Trail, which will expand to 52 miles. Titusville is the point of convergence of the East Coast Greenway, St. Johns River-to-Sea Loop and the Coast-to-Coast Trail and is the second town in Florida designated a Trail Town by FDEP's Office of Greenways and Trails.

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Recent record-setting funding for design and construction goes directly to building the East Coast Greenway - as it should. The East Coast Greenway Alliance needs your support to continue our advocacy work that is fueling completion of the Greenway. The Alliance has a sustained track record of turning every dollar donated to our nonprofit into $100 in public infrastructure investment. Invest today and support the growth of the East Coast Greenway from Maine to Florida.