2023 East Coast Greenway Designations

Across another record-setting year throughout the East Coast Greenway corridor, 13 safe, traffic-free segments were officially designated as part of the Greenway route. Five states, plus Washington, D.C., added at least one new segment in 2023. Massachusetts led the way with five designations, followed by Florida with three.

In addition, more than $200 million in public investment was committed to fund future Greenway expansion signifying continued momentum for our transformational project.

The new additions to the East Coast Greenway in 2023, from north to south, include: 

(Note: When applicable, click the trail name to view each segment on the East Coast Greenway mapping tool)

1. New Hampshire Seacoast Greenway, West End Yards Side Path (Portsmouth, New Hampshire), 0.3 miles: The West End Yards Side Path is the latest designation of the New Hampshire Seacoast Greenway, an in-development 17.2-mile trail that will connect Seabrook to Portsmouth and complete the East Coast Greenway in the state when finished. This 0.3-mile segment runs adjacent to the new West End Yards apartments and will eventually create a safe, traffic-free connection to the future New Hampshire Seacoast Greenway through downtown Portsmouth and onto Maine’s Eastern Trail to the north. Significant expansion of the New Hampshire Seacoast Greenway is expected to be complete in 2024. 

2. Upper Charles Rail Trail (Sherborn, Massachusetts), 0.3 miles: A segment of the proposed, 24-mile Upper Charles Rail Trail in Sherborn, Massachusetts, was designated part of the East Coast Greenway’s reconfigured spine route in Massachusetts, which is now at 53 percent complete. Running from Whitney Street to the Holliston town line, the 0.3-mile stretch is 10 feet wide and features an excellent stone dust surface. Three segments of the Upper Charles Rail Trail were designated in 2023, including additions in Holliston and Milford. 

3. Holliston Rail Trail (Holliston, Massachusetts), 6.7 miles: Part of the proposed, 24-mile Upper Charles Rail Trail, the Holliston Rail Trail was designated part of the East Coast Greenway’s reconfigured spine route in Central Massachusetts. Stretching from the Milford town line to Sherborn town line along a former railroad corridor, the Holliston Rail Trail runs 6.7 miles, is 11 feet wide and features an excellent stone dust surface. Additional completed trail sections in Milford and Sherborn also were designated part of the East Coast Greenway route in 2023. 

4. Upper Charles Trail, Milford Section (Milford, Massachusetts), 2.3 miles: A third segment of the proposed, 24-mile Upper Charles Rail Trail in Milford, Massachusetts, was designated part of the East Coast Greenway’s reconfigured spine route in Massachusetts. Running from Mount Pleasant Street in Milford to the Holliston town line, the 2.3-mile asphalt segment connects with the Holliston Rail Trail, which also was designated in 2023. 

5. Southern New England Trunkline Trail (Bellingham, Massachusetts), 1.3 miles: The South Bellingham section of the Southern New England Trunkline Trail (SNETT), part of the Massachusetts DCR trail system, was recently designated part of the East Coast Greenway’s reconfigured spine route in Massachusetts. The 1.3 mile, stone-dust surface section runs from South Main Street to Center Street. The 22-mile SNETT connects with the Air Line State Park Trail in Thompson, Connecticut, to the west and Franklin, Massachusetts, to the east.

6. Mattapoisett Rail Trail (Mattapoisett, Massachusetts), 0.5 miles: A new segment of the Mattapoisett Rail Trail completed the stunning “Shining Tides Mile” portion of the proposed 4.5-mile trail, which links to the Phoenix Rail Trail and Fairhaven, Massachusetts. The new segment features a scenic boardwalk and a short stretch on Goodspeed Island Road. The trail is part of the envisioned 50-mile South Coast Bikeway, which will link Rhode Island to Cape Cod.  

7. Tariffville Greenway Hughes Connector (Simsbury, Connecticut), 0.8 miles: The first of two phases of the Tariffville Greenway, the 0.8-mile Hughes Connector links Tariffville Green to the Bloomfield Greenway trailhead off State Road 189. Phase II will run 1.7 miles, connecting the Tariffville Green to the expansive, 80-mile Farmington Canal Heritage Trail. With this completion, the Tariffville Greenway will initiate re-signing of the East Coast Greenway route through Simsbury Center in the late spring 2024.

8. K&T Trail, Phase 2 (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), 0.6 miles: The K&T Trail is a 0.6-mile segment connecting Princeton Avenue and Magee Avenue along the rapidly expanding Delaware River Trail. The new segment expands the existing K&T Trail to nearly two miles and links three riverfront parks for multipurpose recreational and transportation use. When completed, the Riverfront North section of the Delaware River Trail will stretch 11 miles to the Philadelphia-Bucks County border.

9. Metropolitan Branch Trail, 8th Street NE Cycle Track & Sidewalk (Washington, D.C.), 0.5 miles: The newest addition to the Metropolitan Branch Trail is a separated cycle track and sidewalk combination stretching from Monroe Street NE to Franklin Street NE. This segment connects the Brookland Metro station and Monroe Street Market development to the southern traffic-separated section of the Metropolitan Branch Trail. Running from Union Station to the Maryland border, the 8-mile Metropolitan Branch Trail will connect to the Anacostia River Trail and is part of a nearly complete 23-mile loop on the East Coast Greenway between Washington, D.C., and Prince George's County, Maryland.

10. Maine Avenue SW Cycle Track and Sidewalk (Washington, D.C.), 0.5 miles: The half-mile Maine Avenue SW Cycle Track and Sidewalk is a key East Coast Greenway connection in Washington, D.C., as it links the 12.1-mile Anacostia River Trail - and the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge Path - to the 15th Street Cycle Track and the National Mall. The new cycle track parallels D.C.’s Southwest Waterfront, The Wharf, allowing access to restaurants, shopping, attractions and more. With this addition, a 20-plus mile loop of protected pathways around our nation's capital is nearly complete. 

11. Jarboe Park (Neptune Beach, Florida), 0.3 miles: A reconfiguration of the East Coast Greenway route through Neptune Beach traverses Jarboe Park and connects to a brand-new Florida Department of Transportation signalized crosswalk across State Road A1A. The new crosswalk connects Jarboe Park to the popular First Street bicycle corridor and multiple beach access points throughout the city. The East Coast Greenway in Neptune Beach features nearly two miles of traffic-separated trails.

12. Cape Canaveral Trail (Cape Canaveral, Florida), 1.8 miles: Featuring connections to amenities such as transit, water, bike repair stations, libraries and public beach access, the Cape Canaveral Trail runs 1.8 miles along Atlantic and Ridgewood Avenues to the Canaveral Port Authority, the busiest cruise port in the world. This new Greenway segment also offers a great vantage point for rocket launches from Kennedy Space Center. The Cape Canaveral Trail connects to an existing segment in Port Canaveral and will be added to the permanent route in the future when a safe connection along State Road 528 is in place. Right of way acquisition for the State Road 528 project is slated to begin in 2024.

13. Boca Raton A1A Sidepath (Boca Raton, Florida), 3.2 miles: An additional 3.2 miles of the A1A Sidepath in Boca Raton has been added to the East Coast Greenway spine route in Florida. Running from Northeast Spanish River Road in the north to the bridge at the southern tip of Lake Boca Raton, the 4.5-mile, 10-foot-wide sidepath is separated from State Road A1A. The City of Boca Raton may soon conduct a feasibility study with the aim of widening the existing trail and improving user access.