20th Anniversary Celebration at the National Bike Summit in DC!

Dear East Coast Greenway members and allies,

You are invited to join us on the Wednesday evening of the National Bike Summit (March 21st) as the East Coast Greenway Alliance celebrates 20 years of strong greenway progress at the M&S Grill from 5:30-7pm.

The M&S Grill at 600 13th Street NW near Metro Center is only 3 blocks (.3 of a mile) from the Grand Hyatt (2 blocks west and 1 block south)

http://www.mccormickandschmicks.com/locations/washington-dc/washington-dc/13streetnw.aspx

Please join us for appetizers (drinks available for purchase). We’ll have our newly-printed State of the Trail Report for everyone to see. We all look forward to catching up with members and allies from throughout the eastern seaboard.

RSVP to info@greenway.org.

To a Healthy & Sustainable America,

Dennis, Eric, Andy, Elizabeth, Tony & the whole East Coast Greenway team

Fundraising for the 2012 Week-a-Year Tour

We are so excited about our upcoming 2012 Week a Year tour from Portland to Hartford!  We have had a great response to the tour so far, and we appreciate everyone’s enthusiasm and support!  For this year’s tour, each tour participant has committed to raising or donating a minimum of $500 for the East Coast Greenway Alliance ($400 in addition to the $100 registration fee).  Your fundraising will help spread the word about the ECG, as any of your friends and family who donate will receive a year membership to the ECGA.  The funds will go directly toward strengthening our trail program — allowing us to designate more miles of greenway, sign more of the route, and advocate for new trail segments.  THANK YOU!

How It Will Work

You will contact your network to ask for donations, and will collect checks and mail them in batches to Debbie West in our office. (Please do not mail us cash.) Online donations can be made at https://www.greenway.org/donation_form.aspx. The donor will need to enter your name in the box that reads “My Donation is in Honor of” so we know to credit you properly. When an online donation comes in with your name, Debbie will email you to let you know who donated and the amount so you can keep track of who has donated to you. Please have all donations in to the ECGA by July 31st, 2012.

Here is a sample fundraising letter you can use as a template for an email or letter to send to your network. Other people prefer to telephone or do a presentation to support their fundraising. Do whatever works for you, and let us know if you have any tips or ideas you’d like to pass along to others!

Please let us know if you have any questions about the fundraising.  Thank you again for your support – you are making this tour a huge success for our organization!

Fundraising Tips from Bob Spiegelman, ECGA Vounteer : Bob is a tour participant and experienced fundraiser who is available to coach you on fundraising for the tour, if you want any support.  (Email debbie@greenway.org to get his contact information.)

1. Don’t worry.  It is easier than you think.  REALLY!
2. Start early.  It is not always easy to find people when you need to so give yourself plenty of time.
3. Make a list of individuals you would like to ask.  Go through your address book and decide who is a prospect, who you would like to ask, and how much you are comfortable asking them for. (Don’t forget your lawyer, accountant, doctor, or other professionals with whom you do business.) There is no single way to make this list.  Don’t limit your thinking to people who live near you. Maybe you know people on the Greenway in other states and contacting them is a great way to spread the word about the East Coast Greenway Alliance.
4. After making your list, it is very helpful to determine how much you are comfortable asking of each individual.
5. To be sure that your list is long enough add up these numbers.  To reach a goal of $500 your list should total $1000 (twice your goal) as you will not get donations from everyone.
6. Don’t forget, 100s add up much faster than 10s.
7. Prepare your ask and write out your message. Think about what you are passionate about and why you want to support the East Coast Greenway (for example: environment, health, affordable transportation, etc.) Also think about what your audience cares about and the reasons they may want to support the ECG.
8. Share your enthusiasm for the ECG when you ask – this is a great opportunity to raise awareness about the ECG.
9. Now it is time to ask.  RULE ONE of fundraising: you have to ask.  Whether you ask in person, via mail, telephone, e-mail, group presentation, is up to you.  Think about your relationships and experiences and make your choices.
10. RULE TWO of fundraising: never feel bad about asking.  You are supporting a great project which benefits many people.  Be enthusiastic.
11. RULE THREE of fundraising: you have to ask.
12. Sometimes, you have to ask twice.  If I send an e-mail solicitation and after a couple weeks I have not received a response, I resend the e-mail with an addition on the top that says “I didn’t hear back from you on this.  I am guessing that you missed this among your e-mails.  I am sending it again.  Please let me know.”  I know this is a little pushy but it is VERY effective.
13. Don’t be too pushy.  Allow people to say “no” when you feel it is appropriate.

East Coast Greenway Director to Help Host Congressman Blumenauer

A top national advocate for cyclists, Congressman Earl Blumenauer (of Portland, OR), is coming to the Triangle of North Carolina on Thursday, January 19th. He will be touring with Congressman David Price (D-4th District).

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.

ECG Week-a-Year Tour 2012, Portland to Hartford, Aug. 19 – 25

We are very excited about the second annual Week-a-Year Tour which will go from Portland, Maine to Hartford, Connecticut! This diverse route will go along the coast in Southern Maine, through the cities of Boston, MA and Providence, RI. We’ll be exploring some newly completed trails that are part of the East Coast Greenway including the Eastern Trail in ME, Border to Boston Trail in MA, and the Blackstone River Trail in RI.

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. Information and support on fundraising logistics are available here.

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 http://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 have compiled a list of hotel and camping (if available) options which will be shared with people who are registered for the tour. (Hotel prices range from $60 to $120, averaging about $100 per room per night.) 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!

Join Us Dec. 10th for the ECG’s 20th Anniversary Kickoff Celebrations!

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).

East Coast Greenway Goes to Washington

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

Ohio Farmer Finds Maine Bicycle Navigation Frustrating Until the Eastern Trail

by Tony Barrett, ECGA Boardmember

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