2024 has been a landmark year for the East Coast Greenway Alliance, marked by more than $500 million in public investments awarded to projects along the route, Olympians training on the Greenway and the successful passage of four bonds supporting safer streets, trails and parks. Our team also celebrated its move to a new headquarters in downtown Durham, North Carolina.
Read on for hightlights at the state level, from north to south:
Maine
- On Aug. 7, National Greenway Director Allison Burson joined U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg at the celebration for the $25 million RAISE grant awarded to Portland, Maine, for active transportation and roadway infrastructure on Tukey’s Bridge and in the East Deering neighborhood.
- In November, voters passed the first-ever Maine Trails Bond, allocating $30 million to repair heavily used or damaged trails, expand and connect trails and create new trails and accessible outdoor spaces for everyone statewide.
New Hampshire
- A new 7.8-mile segment of the New Hampshire Seacoast Greenway opened Sept. 4, marking significant progress for the East Coast Greenway in New England. Executive Director Dennis Markatos-Soriano spoke alongside New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu and other local and regional officials and trail supporters, while National Greenway Director Allison Burson and Northern New England Manager Emily Paskewicz engaged key stakeholders onsite. New Hampshire has completed more than 50% of its Greenway route, advancing from last place to the top eight states in trail completion. The full New Hampshire section is expected to be completed within the next decade.
Massachusetts
- Sixteen MassTrails grants were awarded for segments along or connecting to the East Coast Greenway. This program supports shared-use pathways and recreational trails through matching grants, technical assistance and resources for municipalities, nonprofits and public entities.
- The latest designation in Massachusetts is the Northern Strand Community Trail in Everett, a segment of the developing Border to Boston portion of the Greenway. It stretches 1.7 miles from Malden to the Encore Boston Harbor Harborwalk and existing paths along Boston Harbor.
Rhode Island
- Rhode Island is now connected via trail to Connecticut’s expansive East Coast Greenway network. Designated in November, Connecticut’s 5.8-mile Moosup Valley State Park Trail now connects with the Rhode Island border, linking with Rhode Island’s Trestle Trail, part of the 19-mile Washington Secondary Bike Path.