In our 2023 update to the Greenway Design Guide, East Coast Greenway Alliance staff and volunteer partners have compiled information and resources for the planning, design, construction, promotion, and maintenance of local East Coast Greenway segments.
The Guide defines our vision of a protected, connected series of safe facilities for a continuous non-motorized route from Maine to Florida. Here you can find requirements for Greenway segment design and construction, illustrated with photographs, along with links to best-practice planning and design guidelines.
Download Design Guide
Federal, state and local elected officials, city and regional planners and local advocates will find requirements for East Coast Greenway segment design and construction. New and updated sections include a list of technical resources, a glossary of common terms and acronyms, and a new section on allowable on-road facilities.
Enter your information below to access and download an interactive PDF of the Design Guide.
Sampling of Greenway segments
The Greenway runs through the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on a natural surface.
East Coast Greenway/American Tobacco Trail sign for bike and pedestrian bridge over Interstate 40 in Durham, North Carolina.
The Spanish Moss Trail in Beaufort, South Carolina, was built with a combination of private foundation and county funding.
Walnut Creek Trail in Raleigh, NC, built over sewer easement.
Near Long Wharf in New Haven, Connecticut, this cycle track -- a two-way bicycle lane, separated from motor vehicle traffic by delineators and paint -- is one of the newest segments of the East Coast Greenway.
Maine: Eastern Trail, 20 miles. Just south of Portland, this trail runs south from Scarborough to West Kennebunk, mostly on crushed stone and asphalt. The highlight is the stretch through the stunning Scarborough Marsh, the largest saltwater marsh in Maine, where you’ll join kayakers and avid birders viewing peregrine falcons, ibis, and many other impressive birds.
Field Staff
Questions about a particular Greenway segment or future segment? Contact our regional Greenway coordinators, listed here by region from north to south.
National Greenway Director | Allison Burson
Northern New England Manager | Emily Paskewicz
Southern New England Manager | Bruce Donald
New Jersey & New York Manager | Sofia Barandiaran
Mid-Atlantic Manager | Daniel Paschall
Virginia & Washington, D.C. Manager | Elliott Caldwell
North Carolina Manager | Andrew Meeker
South Carolina & Georgia Manager | Jim Hemphill
Florida Manager | Robert Barto
Greenway Council
Our national body sets route standards and reviews new Greenway segments to ensure they meet those standards.
Chair: Andy Clarke, Virginia
Bret Baronak, North Carolina
Jeff Behm, New York
Scott Bogle, New Hampshire
Eric Brenner, Washington, DC
Champe Burnley, Virginia
David Connelly, North Carolina
Jean Crowther, Oregon
Heather Dunigan, Delaware
Lisa Fernandez, Connecticut
Robert Gaston, Maryland
Bob Hamblen, Maine
Matthew Johnson, New Jersey
Tom Kaiden, Virginia
Jack Keene, Maryland
Shawn Megill Legendre, Pennsylvania
Chris Linn, Pennsylvania
Anne Maleady, Colorado
Megan Massey, New Jersey
Melissa Miklus, Maryland
Sarah Mitchell, Rhode Island
Matthew Moldenhauer, South Carolina
Colin Moore, Florida
Janine Peccini, Massachusetts
Stuart Popper, Connecticut
Dave Read, Massachusetts
Mary Roth, Delaware
Phil Riggan, Virginia
Tommy Sailors, Georgia
Boaz Shattan, New York
Karl Soderholm, Florida
Larry Stuber, Georgia
Iona Thomas, North Carolina
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Together, let's grow the Greenway
Recent record-setting funding for design and construction goes directly to building the East Coast Greenway - as it should. The East Coast Greenway Alliance needs your support to continue our advocacy work that is fueling completion of the Greenway. The Alliance has a sustained track record of turning every dollar donated to our nonprofit into $100 in public infrastructure investment. Invest today and support the growth of the East Coast Greenway from Maine to Florida.