The East Coast Greenway Alliance is pleased to help host the Congressman. Executive Director Dennis Markatos-Soriano will speak at a roundtable at 11am in American Tobacco District’s Blackwell 318 (McKinney). For more details, check out the pdf here.

We appreciate it when federal leaders take a stand for safe cycling and walking to achieve a sustainable and healthy America and look forward to seeing many of you there.

Below is more information about the Tour. We hope you can join us! If you want to participate, register now as space is limited!

Dates: Sunday, August 19, 2012, Departing from Portland, ME to Saturday, August 25th, 2012, Arriving in Hartford, CT

Logistics: This will be a self-led tour, and participants can ride at their own pace. The ECGA will provide cue sheets each day and a sag wagon to transport luggage. We will average 52 miles per day.

Cost: To participate, each person is required to contribute or fundraise a minimum of $500 (total – including $100 deposit) for the East Coast Greenway Alliance. This will be a great way to get your friends and family involved, and everyone who donates to help you do the tour will get a membership to the ECGA! The $500 total must be received by August 1st. We will provide more information and support on fundraising logistics soon.

Route: We will follow the East Coast Greenway from Portland to Hartford. (Both Portland and Hartford are accessible by public transportation including Amtrak and Greyhound - you can bring your bike on most lines.) A general map of the tour route is shown above, and you can see more detailed Googlemaps on our website at www.greenway.org under Explore the Greenway.

Conditions: Conditions vary along the route, with approximately 30% off-road on separated trail. There will be both paved and stone dust trails, all appropriate for hybrid bikes and some road bikes with wider tires. The roadway portions of the route will be a mix of quiet back roads and urban streets. The route is largely flat with some rolling hills and some steep inclines.

Lodging and Food: Participants will make their own lodging and meal arrangements and provide their own transportation to and from the starting and ending cities. Organizers are compiling a list of hotel, camping (if available) and restaurant options which will be shared with people who are registered in early spring. Each evening there will be an opportunity for group dinners, or people can dine on their own.

Sag Wagon: A sag wagon will be available to transport luggage and support riders.

Registration: To secure your spot on the tour, please fill out the registration form and return to the ECGA with your non-refundable deposit, $100 per participant, by June 1st. Space is limited so register now to make sure you get a spot!

Questions? Please email info@greenway.org if you have further questions.

We look forward to seeing you on the tour!

New York and New Jersey from the East Coast Greenway

Join us in NYC to kick off the East Coast Greenway’s 20th
Anniversary!

The idea of an East Coast Greenway for safe biking and walking
along the eastern seaboard emerged in November 1991. Just after Thanksgiving
that year, a group of 10 visionaries involved in bicycle and pedestrian
advocacy, urban planning, and parks and recreation met at the Amsterdam Youth Hostel in Manhattan to brainstorm the idea of an off-road trail that would go through cities from Boston to DC.

Since then the vision has grown to a 2,900 mile route spanning from the Canadian border in Maine to the tip of the Florida Keys, which has been available end-to-end since 2004. A dream only 20 years ago, the East Coast Greenway is now available to over 40 million people in communities throughout the Eastern Seaboard.

We currently have over 750 miles of off-road trail, with more coming online every year. We have signage on over 500 miles of our route, with the goal of doubling that in the next year. We have a network of over 14,000 members, supporters, friends, and volunteers. And every day, tens of thousands of people enjoy walking, biking, exercising, commuting, or traveling on the East Coast Greenway.

It’s time to celebrate 20 years of outstanding progress toward our vision! We will kick off a year of 20th Anniversary events on December 10th, in New York, the city of our founding. Please join us! The day’s events include:

Kickoff 8.5-mile bike ride to the site of our founding, 1-2 PM, FREE, from Pier 84 Bike And Roll (near 42nd St & 12th Ave) crosstown to see the new East Side bike lanes then bicycle through Central Park to the American Youth Hostel – Hostelling International NYC (Upper West Side, Amsterdam Ave & 104th Street).

Photos & Words at the site of our Founding Meeting 2:30-3, FREE, American Youth Hostel (Upper West Side, Amsterdam Ave & 104th Street)

We’ll hear a few words from current ECG leaders and our founders who were at
the original meeting before completing the loop on our bike ride enjoying different ECG segments in New York City.

Bike Ride on Hudson River Greenway, 3-4 PM, FREE, starts from HI/American Youth Hostel, Amsterdam Ave & 104th Street

Join us for a fun, relaxed-paced, five mile bike ride from the site of our
founding along the Hudson River Greenway segment of the ECG to the High Line in
Chelsea (with bike renters dropping off their bikes back at Pier 84). Rain or shine, dress for the weather, ride will last approx. an hour and meet up with the High Line Walking Tour for anyone who wants to do both events.

Sunset Walking Tour of the High Line, 4-5 PM, FREE, meet at 30th St. and 10th Ave. in Chelsea

We’ll enjoy an evening walk along the High Line, down to Gansevoort St. and
back up to 24th, and watch the sunset. Bring your cameras! Walk will last
approx. an hour.

After dinner at your favorite downtown restaurant, join us at 8 PM
for our kickoff celebration!

20th Anniversary Kickoff Celebration, 8:00 PM to 11:00 PM, SoHo REI in the Puck Building, 303 Lafayette Street, $20 minimum donation, registration
required (SOLD OUT for 8-9:30 program, but tickets available for 9:30-11 music)

Join us as we celebrate in style with ECG founders and current leaders, climate
scientist Michael Oppenheimer (who was a co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize
in 2007), and Academy Award Nominated Actor, Michael Shannon. Mingle and enjoy
complimentary hors d’oeuvres, and hear from ECG founders and Michael
Oppenheimer. At 9:30, we’ll hear a set from two bands: Bandana Splits and Michael Shannon’s band, Corporal. (Read more about our special guests below.)

Space is limited for this event, click here to register now!

We hope you can join us for some of our 20th Anniversary kickoff events in NYC! Look for other events in other cities in 2012.

Thank you to our current sponsors! They include REI, the Anderson-Rogers
Foundation, Jeffrey L & Ileen Doppelt, Masha Mimran, Koenig Russo Associates, Bike and Roll, Andy & Alice Hamilton, and Hostelling International-NYC. More sponsorship opportunities are available; contact us at info@greenway.org if you’d like to sponsor our kickoff event or join our 20th Anniversary Giving Circle and be recognized at all 20^th anniversary events.

More about our special guests: Renown climate scientist Michael Oppenheimer was a lead author of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which received the Nobel Peace Prize in Science in 2007 – see him on Colbert Report.  He is the Director of Princeton University’s program in Science, Technology and Environmental Policy (STEP).

The band, Corporal, will be providing our music that evening. The band is made up of Michael Shannon on vocals and guitar, Ray Rizzo on the drums and guitar, and Rob Beitzel on the guitar. Acclaimed actor Michael Shannon was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role Revolutionary Road. His acting takes him on stage, to TV (Boardwalk Empire), and film (Take Shelter in theaters, Premium Rush and Superman coming out in 2012 and 2013).

Many of the record attendance stayed for the Summit's finale - a ride around DC on Friday morning.

by Dennis Markatos-Soriano

The East Coast Greenway team was in full force in Washington, DC, last week at the 2011 National Bike Summit! Our staff and volunteers represented the project from throughout our corridor to meet with allies in the bike advocacy world as well as federal leaders from Congress to the President’s Cabinet. We worked hard to show the ECG is a key antidote to rising gas prices and challenging public health issues.

Day 1: Rousing Keynote from DOT Secretary LaHood

Secretary LaHood gets a standing ovation for his stewardship of safe cycling across America

The Summit kicked off on Tuesday evening at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, just blocks from the Capitol and White House. Over 800 people filled the dinner hall as Secretary Ray LaHood renewed his support of bicycling as an important part of our nation’s transportation system. As I’ve blogged before, the Secretary supports the East Coast Greenway as a cost-effective investment for safe and livable communities. Here is an audio clip from the end of his talk and the ovation he received: LaHood March ’11

Reconnecting with Friends and Colleagues

The National Bike Summit wasn’t just a chance for our team to reach federal leaders, but also to reconnect with our partners throughout the bicycle advocacy world. We had great discussions with the CEO of Trek John Burke, NYCDOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan, League of American Bicyclists Director Andy Clarke, the Alliance for Biking

ECG team staff and volunteer reps from NY, RI, MD, and NC enjoying the reception

and Walking President Jeff Miller, and many more. In a repeat of the 2010 Summit, Rails to Trails Conservancy leader Keith Laughlin and I had lunch and discussed ways we can continue to support each other’s work in the year ahead.

And it was also an opportunity for the East Coast Greenway team to get together, something that doesn’t happen enough due to the 3,000-mile distance we cover. That’s why we held a gathering of our own on Wednesday evening – at the usual Pete’s Apizza in Columbia Heights. We filled much of the restaurant with East Coast Greenway supporters (including ECG co-founder Karen Votava of RI and major donor MJ Veverka of Bethesda) sharing tales from throughout the eastern seaboard with each other.

ECG's FL organizer Herb Hiller and I had an excellent meeting with Transportation & Infrastructure Chairman of the House, John Mica (R-7th) and his staff

Meetings with Electeds

A key part of the Summit takes place on Thursday, when everyone goes to Capitol Hill to share the importance of investing in safe and accessible bike infrastructure with members of the Senate and House of Representatives. ECG staff and volunteers gave elected leaders an update on the outstanding greenway growth of the past year (over 20% or 100 new miles) and discussed ways we can build on recent progress. It was a crucial chance for us to reconnect with old allies and reach out to newly elected officials to ensure they don’t cut cost-effective investments that can help our country free itself from the economic burdens of oil dependence and sedentary lifestyles.

Triangle of NC bike advocates after a great meeting with Congressman David Price (D-4th)

North Carolina Team Growing

The record number of advocates in DC this year included a strong team from the new ECG headquarters state of North Carolina. We filled a meeting room for our conversation with longtime greenway supporter David Price of the 4th District (pictured to the left). The momentum is definitely on our side as the number of people bicycling throughout the region and nationwide grows by leaps and bounds.

Ending with a Ride Showing Off Bike-Friendly Progress

The Summit finished off with a nice ride in honor of fellow cyclist Representative Gabrielle Giffords of AZ. Her recovery has certainly benefited from the good shape bicycling helped her maintain before the horrible shooting. After a moment of silence

Biking on the excellent new facilities on Pennsylvania Avenue

and some encouraging words from a member of Giffords’ staff, we explored ~12 miles of beautiful bike lanes, cycle tracks, and greenways throughout our nation’s capital. Here’s to her continued recovery and to further progress to make America’s communities healthy and sustainable through bicycling.

A big thank-you goes out to ECGA Boardmember Elizabeth Brody of New York City for her contributions that made the ECG team’s trip to Washington possible! And thanks to every volunteer and staff-person for taking the time last week to be effective representatives of our project in the nation’s capital. Look for continued progress coming out of this gathering and many more in the months and years ahead!

To a Sustainable & Healthy America-

Dennis

I hope you enjoyed these pictures – more video and audio to come to help keep you updated on East Coast Greenway progress!

Bonus Shots:

The Capital Bikeshare program helps people get around town without a car or even owning your own bike

East Coasters having a great time at the ECG pizza gathering

Mike Dannemiller of New Jersey and his nephew helped represent the ECG on the Friday ride

It’s not surprising when bicyclists pass me going up hills (I’m a slow bicyclist) but this guy was loaded down with gear and he just breezed by me with a quick ‘hello’. I pulled out my camera and got a quick snapshot of him receding over the crest of the bridge.

When I got to the top, I noticed that he was proceeding on the Leamon Viaduct and
soon to be on a limited-access highway. I geared up and sprinted
after him. After convincing him to stop, I asked if he was familiar
with the routes for bicyclists in this part of Maine. Clearly, he
was not.

I later learned that Phil Boye, an organic farmer from southern Ohio,
had a road map of the Eastern US — which only displayed the US and
Interstate Highway systems. Phil had always wanted to visit the East
Coast and especially Acadia NP. He had set out on his bicycle
directly from Ohio to northern Maine. After a two week visit to
Acadia, Phil was headed south to Alabama to visit some friends. His
plan was to ride to Portland, head West to US Route 202, which
according to his map, went straight to Alabama. I mentioned that his
proposed route crossed a very hilly section of New England. Phil was
interested to learn about some alternative routes.

I led Phil away from the highway to the back-roads of Bath (albeit at
faster than my normal pace) to connect up to the Androscoggin River
bike path in Brunswick. Phil exclaimed, “This is great! I had no
idea bike paths were so close”. I asked if he had heard of the East
Coast Greenway (ECG), a non-traffic alternative route to US 1 that
follows low-traffic roads where not completed. Not surprisingly, Phil
had never heard of the East Coast Greenway or US Bike Route 1. With a
detailed guide or route markers showing him the way, his journey would
have been so much more pleasant and easy.

As it was late, I offered Phil a place to stay. That night a front
moved in and it was raining hard the next morning. After waiting for
the rain to abate, he finally decided to ‘hit the road’ even though it
was still raining steadily. Since I had agreed to drive him back to
the bike path in Brunswick, I offered to take him further to make up
for the late morning start to the beginning of another path, the
Eastern Trail.

As we drove in my truck, I told him the story of the Eastern Trail,
one of the many such sections of trail that are being built connecting
the major cities along the East Coast to form the ECG.
I said that the Eastern Trail offers a much nicer route than heading
away from the coast to ride on a highway. I pointed out the “ET”
marker and said to simply follow the signs.

Phil seemed a little discouraged to have to ride off into a cold rain
but at least he didn’t have to contend with unfamiliar traffic. I
received an e-mail from New Jersey a couple of days later.

Phil said that the rain stopped and sun came out as he crossed the Scarborough
Marsh. He had a beautiful ride following the ‘ET’ markers and then
following the NH Seacoast Greenway markers to spend that night in
Massachusetts. “Thanks to the Eastern Trail, I had one of the best
day’s bicycling of my trip” Phil reported.

######

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dennis-markatos/nations-premier-intercity_b_801625.html

One of the many trail opening ceremonies along our corridor in 2010 (this one in NC)

ECG progress includes new kiosks and signage!

See today’s blog at the Dodge Foundation’s webpage here!

Enjoying the East Coast Greenway section on the waterfront from the GW Bridge to Jersey City

Cross-posting from the Dodge Foundation blog here.

The East Coast Greenway, a 3,000-mile network of multi-use paths from the Maine border with Canada to Key West, Florida, was just a dream 15 short years ago. Now, thanks to leading states like New Jersey, a corridor for walkers, joggers, bicyclists and the like connects cities and communities throughout the East Coast.

An “urban Appalachian Trail,” the East Coast Greenway provides both a green recreational network and a low-cost daily commuter path between neighborhoods, workplaces, landmarks, and schools. The project’s leading advocate is the East Coast Greenway Alliance, a long-time partner of the Dodge Foundation. The Alliance plans to move its headquarters to New Jersey in the coming year while maintaining regional staff situated within New England, the Mid-Atlantic, and the South. On top of its four and a half staff, the Alliance has a base of over 8,000 members and volunteers — many of whom live throughout the Garden State.

The past year has brought record growth for the East Coast Greenway’s (ECG) trails, adding over 100 miles or 20%. Thanks to such growth, the ECG is already 26% off-road, separated from car traffic. We aim to, over the next decade, upgrade the safety and accessibility of the remaining 74% (on-road portion) of the 3,000 miles by fully signing it and either converting it to off-road trail or integrating bike lanes, wide shoulders and other amenities.

City of Newark staff post East Coast Greenway signs near Newark Penn Station

New Jersey is setting the bar high for other states. Our state is the most developed in terms of signage – over 90 miles of signs mark the East Coast Greenway between the Delaware River and the Hudson River.  And New Jersey is one of the three states among our fifteen whose route is at least 50% off-road greenway. We also host the second longest stretch of continuous greenway on the ECG, 35 miles of the beautiful D&R canal towpath from Trenton to New Brunswick.

We host many group walks and bike rides on our New Jersey sections, like the lovely Princeton-Trenton loop ride this past summer. Regional elected leaders joined the 75-person ride as we celebrated 1.5 new miles of greenway through Trenton. This was one of several events we host every year along the ECG corridor to laud route progress and raise public awareness of this resource enhancing the livability of our communities. New Jersey activity is led by a strong volunteer committee that works alongside ECGA Mid-Atlantic Coordinator Michael Oliva (farthest to the right in the picture).

And East Coast Greenway progress throughout New Jersey would not be possible without our solid partnerships with regional foundations, municipal and state government, and area nonprofits. Next week, Michael Oliva will share a blog with more details on these collaborations and the outstanding progress they are making throughout the Garden State.

Onward to a Sustainable & Healthy New Jersey,

Dennis Markatos-Soriano of Princeton, Executive Director of the East Coast Greenway Alliance

The ride begins, photo by Jerry Markatos

When we began organizing the Cross Triangle Greenway bike ride a couple months ago, I hoped for at least 30 participants and no hurricane. What ended up happening last Friday was perfect weather and a crowd of almost 200 participants (on a workday!). I couldn’t imagine a better homecoming to my native state and region.

From the start at noon by the NC Museum of Art to the finale at 5:30 on the lawn between the Durham Bulls stadium, American Tobacco Campus, and the Durham Performing Arts Center — October 22nd exceeded our expectations. Our participant count of 190 was the biggest group ride the East Coast Greenway Alliance has ever organized. And we couldn’t

Pam Cole and other SAS employees provided delicious cookies and drink at the Cary rest stop, photo by Jerry Markatos

have done it without our ride sponsors and partners, from REI to GoTriangle.org to SAS to Mig Murphy Sistrom CPA to Greenway Transit to NC Rail-Trails and many more. Carrboro’s Music Loft provided speakers, the NC Museum of Art and American Tobacco Campus provided their space, and SAS, REI, and the NC Division of Health Eat Smart Move More program provided volunteers and nourishment to make our ride a snack-filled, well-hydrated experience! And of course the ride depended on East Coast Greenway all-star volunteers such as Cathy Markatos and Kristine Markatos-Soriano (yes, they are family too ).

REI Durham rejuvenated riders at our third rest stop, (c) J Markatos

A huge thanks goes out to volunteer ride leader Dave Connelly of Durham who put together the cue sheets, ride map, and led the group on ride-day! Thanks to his leadership, the ride went very smoothly for a 39-mile, unsigned route taken on by 150+ riders of varying speeds. There were a couple of flat tires and the like that REI helped to address at their Durham store’s rest stop. And a small group got off-track for a few blocks before re-joining us after a traffic light separated them from the rest of the pack. All the while, the sunny, 70-degree weather helped keep spirits high.

The Bicycle Chain sponsored the ride by giving us a handful of their rental bikes for the day which were enjoyed by a few riders from New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut. They were in town because this ride was the finale of a week-long ride from the Outer Banks down to Wilmington and then up to the Triangle — our annual Close the Gaps Club tour for East Coast Greenway donors. And on Saturday and Sunday, the East Coast Greenway Alliance Trail Council and Board met to designate a record number of new greenway miles into our 3,000-mile network, bringing our off-road percentage of completed greenway up to 26%!

On top of great exercise, each leg of the ride included an educational talk by local green transportation leaders. Sig Hutchinson of Raleigh’s Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Commission helped to kick-off the ride at the Museum,

Town of Cary's Joe Godfrey shares their local greenway progress and vision, (c) J Markatos

Joe Godfrey of the Town of Cary gave an update on trail progress in his region, and Durham leaders Dale McKeel (Bike/Ped Coordinator) and Councilmember Mike Woodard shared an update and vision for further improvements to achieve a safe and accessible biking network. East Coast Greenway Board Chair Chuck Flink of Durham and Greenways, Inc. emphasized how the current Cross Triangle Greenway was the fruit of decades of hard work and that more effort will be needed to ensure this route becomes one that is enjoyable by everyone from 8 years old to 80.

NC Transportation Secretary Conti shared an inspiring keynote with the finale crowd, (c) J Markatos

North Carolina Secretary of Transportation Gene Conti gave our finale keynote – encouraging us all to stay involved so that Triangle and Carolina trails become a model network of green and healthy living for the rest of the country. It’s great to have a strong ally for greenways leading North Carolina and we appreciate his involvement in our ride.

Helping to get the good news out beyond the hundreds who participated and the thousands who visited our website, we were fortunate to get substantial media attention. The News & Observer ran a picture and caption in their Saturday paper, UNC TV’s Rick Sullivan got footage of the ride for a future show, the NC News Network ran a radio piece on the ride, and the Durham Herald-Sun and Cary Citizen ran ride previews.

Thank you to everyone who made this ride a huge success! The number of people that came out last Friday shows that the public wants a continuous East Coast Greenway segment through their communities. A key improvement needed to make our route safe for inexperienced bicyclists and pedestrians is a bridge over I-40 in South Durham. The October ride gives us energy to help complete this bridge and do other finishing touches for a completed Cross Triangle Greenway by the spring of 2012. I look forward to working with you on this fun and important task!

Onwards to a Healthy & Sustainable North Carolina and beyond-

Dennis Markatos-Soriano

Dave Connelly (in white cap) leading preparation on ride day, photo by J Markatos

See another nice recap and pictures at:

http://www.getgoingnc.com/2010/10/a-greenway-ride-into-the-future/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/getgoingnc/sets/72157625240652204/show/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/9986245@N05/

It was standing room only in Providence as the ECGA presented the first-ever New England Bike-Walk Summit on October 7!  About 170 people came from all corners of New England, plus a good contingent from New York, and presenters from as far as DC, Boulder, and Portland, Oregon.  Eight sessions addressed issues including: bringing bike-walk advocacy to underserved neighborhoods, the economic development potential of biking and walking, relationships between advocates and agencies, and more!  An inspiring field trip, illuminating downtown walking tour, and fun reception rounded out a successful day.

Representatives of 32 state, regional, local, and federal agencies participated, and dozens of companies and nonprofit groups had presence as well.  Highlights included a rousing keynote from Tim Blumenthal (President, Bikes Belong Coalition), and thought-provoking addresses from Jeff Miller (President/CEO, Alliance for Biking & Walking), Richard Fries, and ECGA‘s own Dennis Markatos-Soriano.

Among vital takeaways: the decision of participants in the “legislation roundtable” to share their email addresses and stay in touch, so that as state-level legislative efforts move forward, people can share their experiences to improve the success of efforts elsewhere in New England.

We are grateful to all of our sponsors (see below), and of course to all of the individuals whose participation made the Summit a useful event.

A high percentage of attendees (20%) returned evaluation forms, and there is near-unanimous interest in making this an annual conference.  We hope to see you at the New England Summit in 2011!