ECG Spring State of the Greenway Summit & Trail Council Meeting, April 27th

We are really looking forward to our upcoming Spring meeting in Baltimore on April 27th!  The Friday before the meeting, we’ll have several activities including a walk and a happy hour reception. Here is a list of the activities, and we’ll provide updates here as more information is available.

EVENTS – Friday, April 26th

2 - 3:45 PM – Guided Bike Ride: 15 miles, no pre-registration required. Leaves from/ends at the Quality Inn. Jones Falls Trail ride, including the Inner Harbor, Penn Station, Druid Hill Park, and more.

If you wish to rent a bike, we recommend Light Street Cycles (1124 Light St, 410-685-2234, lightstcycles.com) which is located about 2 blocks from the evening’s reception site and 1 mi from Quality Inn.

4-5 PM – Guided Walk: 2 mile guided walk, no pre-registration required. Leave from the Quality Inn. Tourist speed. War Memorial (City Hall) Plaza, Inner Harbor & Promenade, Federal Hill Park, Cross Street Market. End at reception site.

5-6 PM - East Coast Greenway Reception: Mad River Bar & Grille (madriverbaltimore.com). Enjoy light appetizers, brief presentations from local partners, and the unveiling of our new Maryland/DC ECG guidebook! Return to Inner Harbor on foot or via the free circulator bus (charmcitycirculator.com) purple route.

7 – 8:30 PM – Bikemore Group Bike Ride - Baltimore Bike Prom. This fun costumed “bike party” will begin/end at Baltimore’s Washington Monument (699 N Charles St.), with an afterparty at the Pratt St Alehouse (206 W Pratt St.). “Fancy” attire required. See baltimorebikeparty.com for more info.

STATE of the GREENWAY SUMMIT and TRAIL COUNCIL MEETING Saturday April 27th – 9 AM to 5 PM

Baltimore World Trade Center, 401 E. Pratt St., Constellation Room (21st Floor). Please note: you will need to show a valid ID to enter the facility, and RSVP to debbie@greenway.org so we can put you on attendee list.

Draft Agenda – exact times subject to change prior to the meeting.

8:30 AM Coffee
9:00 Welcome
9:10 All-Star Speakers:
- Nate Evans, Bike & Pedestrian Planner, City of Baltimore
- Carol Silldorff, Executive Director, Bike Maryland
- Jennifer Jones, Tourism Development Manager, MD Dept of Tourism & Economic Development
- Michael Jackson, Director of Pedestrian & Bicycle Access, MD Dept. of Transportation
- Eric Brenner, Director, Maryland Governor’s Grants Office

10:10 Trail Program Progress Report
10:25 Keynote Address: Andy Clarke (President, League of American Bicyclists)
11:10 Break
11:20 New England Region report
11:40 Mid-Atlantic Region report
12:00 South Atlantic Region report
12:30 Lunch Break: on site (you may purchase a boxed lunch for $10 – email debbie@greenway.org)

1:30 Special Guest: U.S. Senator Benjamin Cardin
2:15 Southeast Region report
2:50 Afternoon break

ECGA TRAIL COUNCIL MEETING
3:00 Call to Order and Review of Minutes
3:10 Trail Designations 3:40 ECG wayfinding report
3:45 ECG on-road facilities report
4:15 Addressing the ECG’s least safe roadway sections
4:50 New Business / Q&A
5:00 Adjourn

Dinner and Reception
5:30 Post-meeting social: Location TBD
6:30 Dinner: Location TBD

HOTELS

We have discounted rates available on rooms at two local hotels, located near the Baltimore WTC.

Quality Inn Downtown Baltimore, 110 Saint Paul Street, Baltimore, MD, 21202, 6 blocks from WTC.

$85/night (before tax) for a room w/ two double beds (20 rooms available at discounted rate).  410-637-3600 – give the group name East Coast Greenway for the discount.

Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel, 202 E. Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD, 21202, just down the street from WTC.

$149/night (before tax) for a room with 1 king or 2 queen beds (20 rooms available, must reserve by April 4th to receive discount.) 410-547-1200 – give group name East Coast Greenway, or use web reservation, group name ECGECGA.

Please RSVP to debbie@greenway.org if you wish to attend the meeting – all guests must be on an attendee list and bring valid ID to enter the facility. We look forward to seeing you in Baltimore!

Worker Appreciation Reception on Friday, Feb 8 at 9am

Rendering of the greenway bridge over I-40 coming this spring

Friends of safe cycling and walking,
If you are as excited as we are about the imminent greenway bridge over I-40, please join us as we celebrate the workers making it a reality! So far, the Blythe Construction team is ahead of schedule, meaning we may be able to bike and walk over the interstate by National Trails Day on June 1st

What: Greenway Construction Worker Appreciation Event (coffee, bagels, a statement of thanks, & a quick walk if conditions permit)

Where: 5315 Highgate Drive, Durham 27713 (the north of I-40 construction site near the East Coast Greenway office – rain location is the office, Suite 105)

When: 9am-10am Friday, February 8th.

Why: To let Blythe, City of Durham, and NC DOT workers know that we appreciate their hard work making the Durham and Triangle community a more healthy & sustainable place.

Who: The East Coast Greenway Alliance is hosting the reception along with key partners including Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, NC Rail Trails, and Triangle Rails-To-Trails.

Thank you to Harris Teeter in Homestead Market for donating some of the refreshments.

We hope you can join us!

- Dennis, Debbie, and the whole East Coast Greenway team

Please RSVP to debbie@greenway.org so we can be sure to have enough refreshments! This is a construction site, so the ground may be wet and/or muddy on Friday AM.

Details on the American Tobacco Trail segment project are available at: http://durhamnc.gov/ich/op/pwd/consproj/Pages/SW-24-ATT.aspx

2012 ECGA Board of Trustees Elections and Proposed Bylaws Changes

We have three excellent candidates for our Board of Trustees this year, three current Board members who are running for an additional term, and several changes proposed to our Bylaws.  Current ECGA members can vote in the following ways:

• In person at our Annual Meeting, which will be held in Richmond, Virginia on November 17th, following the Trail Council meeting. The meetings will be held at the Virginia War Memorial, at 621 S. Belvidere Street, Richmond, Virginia, 9 AM to 5 PM.
• By Proxy – you can mail or email your votes to us by November 15th. See the proxy form attached here. Mail to: ECGA, 5315 Highgate Dr. Suite 105, Durham, NC 27713, or email to: debbie@greenway.org.

Please call 919-797-0619 if you have any questions about how to vote. Read more about the candidates and proposed bylaw amendments below.

Nominees for the ECGA Board of Trustees, 2012 (you can vote for all of the candidates if you wish)

Jacob Dolan, North Carolina: Jacob enjoys a lifelong passion for the outdoors which he now shares with his wife and daughter in Durham, NC. His adventuring has led him backpacking across the US, Northwest Canada and traveling to Costa Rica, Mexico and Italy. An avid cyclist, he has toured across North Carolina, the Blue Ridge Parkway and 2,600 miles from the East Coast to the high country of Colorado.  For the last eight years, Jacob has worked as a manager in the outdoor retail industry. His love of the outdoors and passion for sharing it with his daughter have led him to nurture outdoor stewardship and share this ethos — trail building, trail cleaning and volunteering with non-profits.  He holds a BA from UVA, a MA in Teaching from UNC-Chapel Hill and is earning his certification in Non-Profit Management from Duke University.

Gail Kirkland, Georgia: Gail is a 22 year veteran of REI and is responsible for the Co-op’s fleet of stores in the Southeastern United States. She has been instrumental in REI’s growth in the South including expansion in VA,NC, SC, GA, and FL. She is passionate about staff development, mentoring, and stewardship. Gail has served on cross divisional teams to enhance diversity and inclusion at REI and to increase brand awareness. Gail has an active family who enjoy cycling, camping, hiking and paddling. As a Georgia native, Gail is excited to be part of an organization committed to linking and promoting local routes that provide more access throughout the Southeast corridor.

Stephen Rees, Maine: Living in both Maine and Florida, Stephen Rees cares about the whole ECG route. He has more than 40 years of experience as a land use attorney in Florida with ICARDMERRILL, and he is President of the Sunrise Trail Coalition in Maine as well as a Community Spokesman for the Maine Bike Coalition. As Sunrise Trail Coalition president, Stephen leads the longest continuous greenway on our route, the 85-mile Down East Sunrise Trail. With his extensive career and volunteer experience in land conservation, he especially cares about bringing economic development to East Coast Greenway communities through eco-tourism.

Current Board Members Running for an Additional Term (You can Vote for All) 

David Read, Chair, Massachusetts: David Read has served two terms on the ECGA’s Board of Trustees, and has been Chair since 2011. He had a rewarding career managing complex health care organizations. He has served as the Administrative Director for Cardiology at Massachusetts General Hospital, Chief Operating Officer for the Department of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania Health System and is currently Chief Administrator of Medical Oncology at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. He views trails, and the exercise they can provide, as a wonderful way to help prevent and combat heart disease, diabetes, child obesity and certain types of cancer. He has an MBA from Boston College and a Masters in Public Health from Harvard University where he studied epidemiology and health policy. He is also Chairman of the Border to Boston Trail Coalition in Essex County, MA. He lives in Topsfield with his wife Susie and two children. 

Robert Russo, Treasurer, New Jersey: Robert has served on the ECGA Board as Treasurer since 2010. He is a Certified Public Accountant and managing member of the accounting firm Koenig, Russo & Associates, LLC, where he has worked since 1982. He received his Bachelor of Science in accounting from Seton Hall University in 1981 and his MBA in Finance in 1986. He has extensive experience in non-profit accounting, tax, estate, business, financial and income tax planning. He is an avid day-hiker and has hiked throughout the State of New Jersey. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants and the National Association of Tax Preparers.

Steve Mitchell, Connecticut: Steve is a cyclist and skier who has brought his enthusiasm for trails to our Board since 2009. He started with the ECGA as an Ambassador in 2007.  Steve is a third-generation auto dealer in Farmington Valley, Connecticut.  Every Father’s Day one of his favorite things to do is to bike with his three children (Justin, Heather, and Ashley) – now in their 20’s.  Marketing and public awareness of the East Coast Greenway Alliance is his focus.  He truly recognizes that the East Coast Greenway is a network of hundreds of local organizations, involving thousands of volunteers and professionals that will have an impact on millions of people, for generations to come.

 

Proposed Amendments to ECGA Bylaws
Boldface indicates proposed language to replace strikeouts. Read the complete Bylaws.

Article I. Members
Section 1.5   Quorum.
One hundred (100)  Twenty-five (25) members or ten two and a half percent (10%) (2.5%) of those entitled to vote, whichever is less, shall constitute a quorum [at the Annual Meeting]. Actions of the members shall be decided by a simple majority of the votes cast.   Proxies as authorized below may be used in determining a quorum. 

Article II. Board of Trustees
Section 2.2   Election of the Board of Trustees.
B. Independent Nominations. In addition to candidates proposed by the governance committee for election to the board of trustees, independent nominations may be made by the written petition of not fewer than twenty-five (25)  five (5) members of the Alliance. Petitions shall be filed with the chairperson of the governance committee not more than thirty (30) days after the distribution of the report of the governance committee. A petition must be accompanied by the written permission of the candidate, a statement that the candidate meets the qualifications established at section 2.1.B. of these bylaws, and a short biography of the candidate.

Section 2.3 Tenure
A. Term of Office. The terms of office of the elected trustees shall be as follows:
1. Each trustee shall be elected for a term of three (3) years with the term of office commencing on January 1^st directly after the trustee’s election. Each trustee shall hold office until his or her successor shall have been elected and qualified.

B. Limitations. Trustees who have served for three four consecutive terms (not including any partial term) shall not be eligible for re-election until one year after the end of their third fourth term.

Ride With the Week a Year Tour Riders!

On August 19th, 40 riders in our 2012 Week a Year tour will head from Portland, Maine to Hartford, Connecticut. Want to join the ride for a day? There are four day rides planned for folks who want to ride with the Week a Year tour riders:

• Tuesday, 8/21 from Salisbury or Newburyport to Boston (50 – 55 miles)
• Wednesday, 8/22 from Boston to Waltham (12 miles) or Worcester (47 miles)
• Thursday, 8/23 from Worcester, MA to Providence, RI (53 miles, 20 from Woonsocket to Providence)
• Saturday, 8/25 from Putnam to Hartford (60 miles, one way)

The rides are free for ECG members, no pre-registration. You must sign a waiver form at the start of the ride, and helmets are required. (Not a member yet? You can easily join on our website!)  Some of the trails have a rough surface (stone dust or gravel), so appropriate for hybrid or wider tire road bikes. These rides are self-supported, so be prepared for all conditions.

Here’s more about the rides:

Salisbury/Newburyport to Boston, 8/21
Meet at Knotty Pine Motel, Salisbury, 79 Beach Rd. / Route 1A at 8:30 AM, or meet five miles south at Newburyport Train station at 9 AM. The ride will finish at the Boston North station, and riders can take the train back to Newburyport.

Ride Description: We will ride on the newly constructed Old Eastern Marsh Trail in Salisbury then south to the Clipper City Rail Trail in Newburyport. At the Newburyport train station we’ll meet up with more riders. We’ll go on temporary on-road sections to the Topsfield Linear Common and then on the Wenham and Danvers Rail Trails. Next we’ll go on the Peabody Bike Path and over to the Salem Bike Path to the Marblehead Rail Trail. In Swampscott and Lynn we’ll go along the ocean on the Lynn Shore Promenade. Then we’ll ride on newly constructed sections of the Northern Stand Community Trail in Malden and Everett. Last we’ll make our way to Charlestown at Paul Revere Park and onto the newly constructed North Bank Bridge (bike/peds only – opened June 30^th!) that will take us over the Charles River and the MBTA railroad tracks at North Station to a beautiful new park in Cambridge across to the Museum of Science.

Questions? Contact Dave Read at 617-257-7323 for more information.
See information flier here!

Boston to Waltham or Worcester, 8/22
Meet at International House of Pancakes (IHOP) at 1850 Soldiers Field Road, Brighton at 8:30 AM or meet five miles west on the Blue Heron Bridge between Newton and Watertown at 9 AM. Day riders can go roundtrip on the Charles River Bikepath (to Waltham and back, 24 miles) or all the way into Worcester and back (120 miles). Don’t want to ride round trip? There is train service from both Waltham and Worcester back to Boston.

Ride Description: We will ride west on the Charles River Greenway from Boston to Waltham and then on road all the way to Worcester, MA.

Questions: Contact Al Nierenberg at 617-921-2536 for more information.
See the ride information flier here!

Worcester, MA to Providence, RI, 8/23
Meet at the Hampton Inn at 110 Summer Street in Worcester at 8:30 AM, 53 miles one way to Providence. Or ride from the parking lot on Davidson Ave in Woonsocket (northern entry of the Blackstone River Bikepath). No specified ride time from Woonsocket – ride on your own, 20 miles, or with return trip to Providence train station, 40 miles. Riders will finish at Providence/Amtrak train station, Railroad St, Providence and can take the train back.

Ride Description: We will depart downtown Worcester riding mostly on on-road portions of the Blackstone River Greenway and  paralleling much of the Blackstone River and/or Canal.  We will enjoy the historic mill villages of Northbridge, Uxbridge and Millville then cross the state line into Rhode Island. Leaving Woonsocket we soon enter the Blackstone River Conservation Area and ride on the beautiful Blackstone River Bikepath for 11.5 miles. Then it’s back on-road, before paralleling the Seekonk River into India Point Park. We’ll cross over I-195 using the newly constructed India Point Park Pedestrian Bridge to a new sidepath, to meet up with the Providence Riverwalk along the Providence River and into downtown to finish at the Providence/Amtrak train station.

Questions: Contact Lynn Bell at 401-954-7544 for more information.
See the ride information flier here!

Putnam to Hartford, 8/25
Meet at DOT lot on US Route 44 in Putnam between Kennedy Drive and Canal Street, 9 AM. 60 miles, one way. Riders will need to have their own transportation to and/or from the ride. The tour will end with a reception in downtown Hartford.

We will gather at approx. 4:00 PM to ride as a large group into Hartford, expected arrival 4:15. Meet at the DOT commuter parking lot in East Hartford off Main Street (exit 90 Rte 15). Can’t make the ride? You are welcome to greet us at our final destination in Hartford’s Bushnell Park – our estimated arrival will be 4:15. 

Questions: Contact Rob Dexter 860-836-9304 for more information.

Newark to Jersey City ECG Ribbon Cutting on Friday, June 22 at 11am

The East Coast Greenway Alliance Invites You
To Attend the Ribbon Cutting for our New Route Connecting
Newark, Kearny, & Jersey City for Safe Walking and Bicycling
Friday, June 22^nd, 2012
11 AM
in the southwest region of Lincoln Park in Jersey City

  

Please join us as we:

• Celebrate NJDOT’s investment in a safe route over the Hackensack and Passaic Rivers
• Celebrate the closing of a key gap in the East Coast Greenway and its sister trails (Liberty Water Gap and September 11^th Memorial)
• Hear from key leaders who saw this project through including NJDOT Commissioner Simpson
• Enjoy an inaugural ride with Miami to Maine ECG Cabot Tour cyclists
• Thank generous supporters such as the GR Dodge Foundation, the Helen & William Mazer Foundation, our members, and the people of New Jersey

Light refreshments will be served.

For more info, contact ECG Mid-Atlantic Coordinator Andy Hamilton at andy@greenway.org or 267-236-3407

National Meetings in Portland May 18-19!

Photo by Tony  Barrett, ECG Trail Council

May 18 – 19, join us at our national Trail Council meeting in Portland, Maine! The events start with a 31-mile bike ride from Kennebunk on Friday May 18- ride info and registration here. On Saturday May 19th, join us at the Portland Company Complex, 58 Fore St., 9 AM to 5 PM for a day full of speakers & updates on ECG progress, including a keynote from our international ally Deborah Apps, President of the Trans Canada Trail.

Thank you to the generous sponsors who are providing support for our weekend activities!

Apogee Adventures 
Bicycle Coalition of Maine
Cabot Cheese
Coffee By Design
Eastern Trail Alliance
Flatbread Restaurant
Hannaford
Portland Trails 
Summerfeet Bicycle Tours
Zoom Buses

 

 

Agenda for the Weekend Events:

Friday May 18:
Spring on the Eastern Trail Bike Ride:  30 mile trail ride  - more info and registration here. (Registration closes at 3 PM, May 16th.)

10:30 AM – Meet at Bug Light park in South Portland, ME, bus to Kennebunk leaves at 11.
12:00 noon  -  Ride starts in Kennebunk
3:30 – 4:30 PM - Riders return to Bug Light Park
4:30 PM – National Bike to Work Day Event in Bug Light Park
5:00 PM – Bike or take water taxi to Flatbreads

If you aren’t doing the bike ride, there are other fun activities at Bug Light Park, including the South Portland Historical Society (open until 5), the Liberty Ship Memorial, and Bug Light.

A free water taxit shuttle will go from Bug Light Park to the Portland Public Landing, 3:45 – 5:15 PM. Space is limited, first come, first served.

5:00 PM – Flatbread Restaurant:  Pizza / social hour (food & drinks available for purchase). Show your bike pin and receive $2 off a salad, and Flatbread will donate $2 to the ECGA! (If you don’t have a bike pin, see Eric or Dennis at the door to get one.)

Saturday, May 19:
Trail Council Meeting, 9 AM to 5 PM, Portland Company Complex, 58 Fore St.

Meeting Agenda:

8:45 AM – Coffee / Gathering
9:00 AM – Call to Order and Welcome: Sue Ellen Bordwell, Tony Barrett, Steve Mitchell
9:30 AM – Review of Oct. 2011 Trail Council meeting minutes: Tony Barrett, Secretary
9:40 AM – Trail Program Progress Report: Eric Weis (ECGA Trail Program Coordinator)
10:00 AM - Keynote Address by Deborah Apps (President/CEO, Trans Canada Trail.)11:00 AM - Break
11:10 AM – New England Region: Eric Weis & State Representatives
12:00 PM – Lunch Break -  Enjoy a guided walk of Portland’s East Prom, Maine pedicab rides, or walk to Ocean Gateway

1:30 PM - Mid-Atlantic Region: Andy Hamilton (Mid-Atlantic Coordinator) & State Representatives
2:00 PM - South Atlantic Region:  Eric Weis & State Representatives
2:30 PM - Southeast Region:  Herb Hiller (Southeast Region Consultant) & State Reps
3:00 PM - Break
3:10 PM - Trail Designations:  Eric Weis
3:45 PM - ECG designation policy review: Sue Ellen Bordwell & staff
4:15  PM - Awards: Dave Read & Dennis Markatos-Soriano
4:30 PM - New Business / Open Forum
4:45 PM - Adjourn

5:30 – 6:30 PM,  Post-Meeting Social, Novare Res Bier Cafe & restaurant, 4 Canal Plaza (drinks & food available for purchase).

6:30 PM, Dinner (various Portland restaurants)

Cabot Tour – the details for our ride

People are welcome to join the three thru-riders for our Miami to Portland, Maine Cabot Community Tour from May 12th to July 7th! You can ride with the group through your town, your state or even region. Do let us know ASAP if you plan to join!

To participate, you must be a current ECGA member. Please download and fill out this registration form and waiver and email it to info@greenway.org.  Children under 18 must be accompanied by a parent to participate.  If you aren’t yet a member of the ECGA, you can easily join through our website.  Please contact Debbie at debbie@greenway.org or 919-797-0619 if you have questions your membership or how to register for the tour.

Limited support is provided for riders on this tour, included some luggage towing on a first-come, first-serve basis. There will be a bicycle mechanic riding with the tour.

Riders will leave at 8 or 8:30 AM each day depending on heat. Ride details (hotels and meetup locations) will be provided to registered riders.

Daily ride maps sheets are available here (click on the ridewithgps.com links in the maps to view cue sheets). Additional dates will be posted soon.

We welcome you to join other riders in making your participation a fundraiser for the East Coast Greenway Alliance (you can downoad our fundraising tips and sample letter here.)

Please click here for more information about the overall Cabot tour.

Information and how to register for the Raleigh to Durham ride on Saturday, June 2nd is available here.