2025 East Coast Greenway state-by-state highlights

From joyful groundbreakings and ribbon cuttings to awe-inspiring long-distance travelers, this was truly a year to remember on the East Coast Greenway. With the backing of our members, donors and supporters, we connected communities by building both literal and figurative bridges from Maine to Florida — together!

Read on for hightlights at the state level, from north to south: 

MAINE: In July, National Greenway Director Allison Burson and Northern New England Manager Emily Paskewicz were on hand to celebrate the recent groundbreaking of a key stretch of the East Coast Greenway and Maine's The Eastern Trail — Close the Gap, a 1.6-mile segment from South Portland to Scarborough. When complete, this project will close a critical gap between Scarborough and South Portland. Construction is underway, and full completion is expected by the end of 2027.

NEW HAMPSHIRE: Phase 1A of the New Hampshire Seacoast Greenway, connecting Portsmouth to Hampton, was officially designated as part of the Greenway route, establishing a critical connection to Maine and marking significant progress for the Greenway in New England. With this addition, New Hampshire has completed more than 50% of its East Coast Greenway route. The full New Hampshire section is expected to be completed within the next decade.

MASSACHUSETTS: In October, Massachusetts’ Healey-Driscoll Administration announced more than $2 million in support of the East Coast Greenway and adjacent projects through the MassTrails grant program. Nearly $900,000 was awarded to three future and current segments of the East Coast Greenway in Massachusetts, including funding for feasibility studies for the largest remaining gaps in the Greenway’s spine and coastal routes in Massachusetts.

CONNECTICUT: Celebrated in May, the completion of New Haven’s newest 1.6-mile leg of the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail (Phase IV) realizes a decades-long dream of reconnecting the southernmost section of the trail from its current end at Temple Street back to the canal’s historic origin at the Canal Dock Boathouse. A portion of the new segment traverses underneath Whitney Avenue through a tunnel and then rises again back to street level at the intersection of Grove and Orange Streets. Stretching 82 miles from New Haven to Northampton, Massachusetts, the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail is more than 80% complete, with full completion expected by 2030. A new study shows that the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail could spark major economic benefits for the region. “Existing trail users spend an estimated $15.1 million each year, while users of a completed trail are estimated to spend $32.0 to $53.8 million annually,” according to the study. 

NEW YORK: New Jersey & New York Manager Sofia Barandiaran joined New York City agencies to celebrate the release of the Greater Greenways Plan — a bold citywide vision for expanding and improving the greenway network across the Big Apple. Developed with strong input from the East Coast Greenway Alliance and the NYC Greenways Coalition, this ambitious plan offers a comprehensive look at NYC’s current greenways and a clear roadmap for the future. This is the city’s first full greenways plan since 1994 — when East Coast Greenway co-founder Karen Votava helped create the original blueprint for New York’s greenway network.

NEW JERSEY: After decades of local advocacy by the Embankment Preservation Coalition and other local partners — with support from the East Coast Greenway Alliance — Jersey City’s Sixth Street Embankment has taken a key step toward becoming a vibrant multi-use trail. In November, Jersey City’s council unanimously voted to support a settlement agreement that will “transform the overgrown Sixth Street Embankment into a scenic haven for walking and sightseeing.” This move, which follows decades of community engagement and years of legal negotiation, will positively impact generations to come. Supporters say the vacant, mile-long elevated train line could one day rival New York City’s famed High Line.

PENNSYLVANIA: Officially opened with a highly anticipated ceremony in May, Philadelphia's Christian to Crescent Trail Connector is an impressive half-mile of new boardwalk, paved trail and a 650-foot cable-stayed pedestrian bridge that links the Schuylkill Banks portion of the Schuylkill River Trail with the Grays Ferry Crescent Trail, creating 3.7 miles of continuous East Coast Greenway through Center City Philadelphia. Its completion marks a major step forward for both the regional Circuit Trails network and the East Coast Greenway through Philadelphia, linking neighborhoods with safe, accessible routes for walking and biking. In July, Borski Park officially opened along Northeast Philly’s Delaware River Trail. The vibrant new 10-acre city park transformed the site of a former concrete plant into a welcoming green space for all. This exciting project was a collaboration between Philadelphia Parks & Recreation and Riverfront North Partnership and adds another gem to the growing network of trails and parks along the Delaware.

DELAWARE: In a major step toward expanding access to Delaware’s treasured network of trails, Delaware Greenways unveiled a new informational kiosk along the Jack A. Markell Trail. Located on the south side of the pedestrian bridge, the kiosk serves as both a navigational tool and a gateway to Delaware’s rich cultural, historical and natural resources. The new kiosk displays maps that showcase existing and planned trail connections throughout the region, including the East Coast Greenway.

MARYLAND: In September, the East Coast Greenway Alliance team joined state and county officials, as well as local partners and advocates, at Horsepen Park to celebrate the grand opening of Maryland’s transformational WB&A Trail Patuxent River Bridge. The 530-foot bicycle and pedestrian bridge links two previously isolated segments of the WB&A Trail from Odenton to Bowie, creating 12.7 miles of a continuous WB&A Trail — and East Coast Greenway — across Central Maryland. Earlier this year, the Maryland Department of Transportation released a Statewide Trails Plan, featuring the East Coast Greenway and highlighting a number of priority projects along the Greenway route.

WASHINGTON, D.C.: The newest segment of the popular Metropolitan Branch Trail to be designated as part of the East Coast Greenway, from Brookland to Fort Totten, features a 0.5-mile stretch connecting Fort Totten to Bates Road. The 1.6-mile designation, which will be added to the Greenway’s complementary route, also includes a 0.8-mile existing segment connecting to the Brookland Arts Walk and a 0.3-mile section of the MBT that was repaved and restriped. When completed, the Metropolitan Branch Trail will be an 8-mile trail that runs from Union Station in D.C. to Silver Spring, Maryland. Following the Metropolitan Branch Line of the B&O Railroad, the trail passes through numerous vibrant and historic neighborhoods, as well as connecting to the National Mall.

VIRGINIA: In September, the East Coast Greenway Alliance joined Virginia partners, state and local officials and area advocates at a ribbon cutting celebration for a 4.8-mile segment of the Fall Line trail, which establishes a vital East Coast Greenway connection from the Town of Ashland and Hanover County to Henrico County. When complete, the Fall Line will be a 43-mile north-south regional trail spine in Central Virginia connecting seven greater Richmond localities between Ashland and Petersburg. It will serve as the future East Coast Greenway route in the region.

NORTH CAROLINA: Governor Josh Stein announced more than $1.4 million in state support of East Coast Greenway trail development and restoration in North Carolina — with the East Coast Greenway Alliance playing a key role in securing these vital investments. Led by North Carolina Manager Andrew Meeker, the Alliance supported four partner communities — including collaboration on shared projects — in developing successful grant applications, resulting in significant investment in East Coast Greenway initiatives.

SOUTH CAROLINA: The Alliance officially designated two separate segments — totaling 2 miles — of Georgetown County’s Waccamaw Neck Bikeway, which was established in 1994 by longtime advocate Linda Ketron and others as a 27-mile bicycle and pedestrian route in Horry and Georgetown counties. To date, 18.6 miles of trail have been constructed with these designations closing one of the last remaining gaps in the current route. Also in the Palmetto State, the transformational Ashley River Crossing connecting downtown Charleston to West Ashley is under construction, as is the long-awaited Spanish Moss Trail extension to Port Royal. 

GEORGIA: In St. Marys, construction is underway on the Winding Road Multi-Use Path, which will serve as a key connection between the East Coast Greenway and the Tabby Trail and to downtown St. Marys.

FLORIDA: In October, East Coast Greenway Alliance Executive Director Dennis Markatos-Soriano and National Greenway Director Allison Burson joined the Town of Jupiter and its partners for a designation ceremony recognizing the Jupiter Riverwalk as part of the East Coast Greenway. In Palm Beach County, the East Coast Greenway connects Jupiter’s redevelopment area to Tequesta, Jonathan Dickinson State Park and beyond into Martin County, linking more than four miles of connected trails and sidepath. The trail crosses the Loxahatchee River, one of only two National Wild and Scenic Rivers in the state.