Four segments approved for Greenway designation

The East Coast Greenway Alliance’s national Greenway Council recently approved four new trail segments stretching from north to south for official East Coast Greenway designation. Ten new segments have earned Greenway designation thus far in 2020. 

The newest additions include:

South Portland, Maine: Greenbelt Trail/Eastern Trail, 0.2 miles (Greenbelt Trail, 5.8 miles total; Eastern Trail, 20.2 miles total): This newly-designated exemption will close the gap between two sections of trail in South Portland. While this segment is actually residential roads, vehicle volumes are low and slow-moving, and drivers are used to seeing walkers and cyclists using the roadway. This addition is part of a phased designation process to complete the Greenbelt and Eastern Trail in southern Maine.

Swampscott, Massachusetts: Swampscott Rail Trail, 0.1 miles (connects to 3.9 miles total): This scenic new segment from Seaview Avenue to Beach Bluff Avenue is one of many new and enhanced trails between Boston and New Hampshire. It is lined with a wooden fence and trees and connects to the Marblehead Rail Trail. Its crushed stone surface and smooth transitions at crossings make it an exciting first step of a multi-phase project.

Cary, North Carolina: White Oak Greenway Phase IV, 0.4 miles (7.3 miles total): Wake County Commissioner Sig Hutchinson calls this new phase the “golden spike project” because it connects the Greenway from Raleigh to Durham, which is now almost entirely complete. The segment addresses the final gap between MacArthur Drive and Davis Drive, crossing below a CSX rail line. It features a long boardwalk-style bridge with wooden railings that fit in perfectly with the neighborhood. Connecting to a longer section of the White Oak Greenway and to Davis Drive Park, the trail creates space for people to exercise and enjoy nature in this quickly-growing region.

Neptune Beach, Florida: Neptune Beach Trail, 0.4 miles (1.6 miles total): This new segment connects the two existing sections of the Neptune Beach Trail from Jarboe Park to Atlantic Beach and leads from the City of Neptune Beach through a tree canopy path, connecting residences to community amenities and local businesses. The trail’s proximity to many homes in the area makes it a convenient way to take a short ride or make a day trip out of traveling in northeast Florida. Neptune Beach is the first city in Florida where the Greenway is almost completely finished.