FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 8 May 2001

Contact:
Eric Weis, (401) 789-4625

New Bicycle Route Created for Southwest Connecticut

The East Coast Greenway Alliance (ECGA) has released a map showing a newly-created bicycle route which will guide bicyclists between Greenwich and New Haven in southwest Connecticut. The route, determined by Franklin Bloomer of Greenwich Safe Cycling, gives cyclists an interesting and relatively safe way to get from one town to the next in this historic and scenic region.

Based in Wakefield, RI, the ECGA was formed in 1991 to develop a 2600-mile car-free pathway from Maine to Florida, to serve walkers, bicyclists, and other non-motorized users. While there are many trails being constructed throughout much of the state of Connecticut, there is currently very little trail activity along the coast west of New Haven. This new route was developed to serve as an interim solution so that East Coast Greenway users could travel from the New York State border to link with the 60 miles of off-road East Coast Greenway north of New Haven. Nine percent of the 2600-mile ECG is in place, including trail in Maine, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, North Carolina, and Florida. One hundred additional miles of trail will be added before the end of the year, including new sections in Massachusetts, Delaware, Virginia, and South Carolina.

The new bicycle map provides written directions and mileage, locations of local points of interest including museums and parks, and general information about the East Coast Greenway from Maine to Florida. The map also shows links to Metro-North and Amtrak rail service, allowing users to return to their starting point by rail if desired.

This route has been sanctioned by the Connecticut Department of Transportation and the East Coast Greenway Alliance. Maps can be viewed on-line at the ECGA website, www.greenway.org, and can be ordered either through the website or by phone, (401) 789-4625. The ECGA has additional trail maps available for East Coast Greenway segments in Maryland, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and elsewhere in Connecticut.

Production of this map was made possible in part by a discretionary grant from the Fairfield County Foundation, the CountyÕs community foundation. The Fairfield County Foundation is a growing community foundation will assets of over $42 million in over 160 different donor funds established by individuals, organizations, families and corporations to serve Fairfield County now and in the future. Through the Foundation, donors support programs in the arts, children and youth, women and girls, community and economic development, the environment, and health and human services. The Foundation was established in 1991 as a result of the merger of five smaller community foundations Ð Danbury, Greenwich, Stamford, Five Town, and the Fairfield County Cooperative Foundation, part of the New York Community Trust.

In the past year, according to Fairfield County Foundation Chair Ann S. Mandel, the Fairfield County Foundation awarded grants to nonprofit organizations totaling $4.1 million, including grants of $1.7 million made from the NewmanÕs Own Fund of FCF. In addition, the Fairfield County Nonprofit Loan Fund has provided approximately $9 million in loans to nonprofit organizations since 1992. For more information about the Fairfield County Foundation, please call 203-834-9393 or email info@fcfoundation.org.

Production of this map was also made possible in part by support from Carol and Bill OÕNeill of Manchester, longtime bicycle advocates and ECGA supporters. For more information on the ECG, please visit www.greenway.org.

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