East Coast Greenway expands with 13 miles of new trails in Connecticut, New Jersey and Florida

Thirteen miles of traffic-free trails, including 7.6 miles in Connecticut and 4.6 miles in Florida, were recently approved by the East Coast Greenway Alliance’s Greenway Council as additions to the developing 3,000-mile East Coast Greenway bicycle and pedestrian route.

Currently, the East Coast Greenway features 1,100 traffic-free miles connected by the interim route on roadways. Whenever possible, the interim route is located on low-traffic roadways; however, high-stress segments do exist. 

Eleven new segments, totaling more than 15 miles in five states, have earned East Coast Greenway designation thus far in 2024 - with further segments expected in December. 

The newest East Coast Greenway segments (from north to south) include: 

Moosup Valley State Park Trail Phase II (Moosup & Sterling, Connecticut), 5.8 miles: The 5.8-mile Moosup Valley State Park Trail (pictured above) spans 62 acres of wetlands, rivers, ponds and natural beauty through the picturesque rural towns of eastern Connecticut. From Moosup, the trail travels east through Plainfield for 2.2 miles, hugging the banks of the Moosup River, then continues 3.6 miles across Sterling to its terminus at the Rhode Island border, where it connects to the Trestle Trail, part of the 19-mile Washington Secondary Bike Path. 

Quinebaug River Trail Phase V (Killingly & Danielson, Connecticut), 0.5 miles: The newest addition to the Quinebaug River Trail is a scenic half-mile segment running from Gloria Avenue to its current southern terminus at a pond-adjacent cul-de-sac. From Gloria Avenue, the trail travels 5-plus miles north to Water Street and Commerce Avenue in downtown Killingly. Continuing south, phases VI and VII of the trail are fully funded and in the re-design and permitting stages, respectively. With just one planned segment of the Quinebaug River Trail to the north and a small remaining section of the Air Line State Park Trail left to complete, the Greenway in eastern Connecticut is on track for completion by 2028.

Farmington Canal Heritage Trail Phase IIIA (Southington, Connecticut), 1.3 miles: The latest portion of the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail covers 1.3 miles from Lazy Lane to Aircraft Road in Southington, Connecticut. Once complete, the Southington portion of the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail will feature 6.6 miles of paved multi-use trails. Currently more than 80% complete, the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail will eventually span 81 miles from New Haven to Northampton, Massachusetts.

Cramer Hill Waterfront Park (Camden, New Jersey), 0.8 miles: An urban oasis on the Delaware River, Cramer Hill Waterfront Park features a 0.8-mile segment of the East Coast Greenway’s complementary route in New Jersey. The trail is also part of the Delaware River Heritage Trail loop from Philadelphia to Trenton, as well as the Circuit Trails network. Built on a former landfill site, the park is restoring ecosystems and reconnecting communities to the waterfront after nearly seven decades. With adjacent sections of the planned Greenway route in design, planning and public control, Cramer Hill Waterfront Park will soon be linked to Center City Philadelphia via the Ben Franklin Bridge Walkway. 

Timucuan Trail Connector (Jacksonville, Florida), 1.6 miles: The latest expansion of the Timucuan Trail closes a crucial gap over Simpson Creek to create 8 miles of continuous trail in the City of Jacksonville. The Timucuan Trail in this area is a paved, mostly off-road pathway that runs north to Peters Point Beach Park on Amelia Island or south to Big Talbot Island State Park. The southern section features a wooden boardwalk overlooking Spoonbill Pond, one of the premier birding spots in northeast Florida. The Timucuan Trail is part of a scenic, 20-mile corridor of the East Coast Greenway from Fernandina Beach through Amelia Island to the Mayport Ferry. 

Fuller Warren Bridge Shared-Use Path (Jacksonville, Florida), 0.9 miles: The Fuller Warren Bridge Shared-Use Path (The SUP) serves residents of and visitors to Jacksonville by providing pedestrian and bicycle connections between the Riverside and San Marco communities. Spanning the St. Johns River alongside Interstate 95, the Fuller Warren SUP includes two 6-foot lanes for east-west traffic and features two observation areas featuring panoramic views of the St. Johns River. Part of a $126 million project, the Fuller Warren Bridge SUP is a key segment of the proposed “Core-to-Coast” loop, a future complementary route of the East Coast Greenway connecting downtown Jacksonville with the surrounding neighborhoods.

The Underline Phase 2, Hammock Trail (Miami, Florida), 2.1 miles: Spanning from Coral Way to SW 19th Avenue, Phase 2 is a significant milestone for The Underline and the East Coast Greenway in South Florida. Phase 2 links the Brickell Backyard with the historic Roads, Shenandoah and Silver Bluff neighborhoods in the City of Miami. This expansion connects to Phase 1 of The Underline for 2.6 completed miles of an eventual 10-mile Greenway segment full of world-class amenities, including numerous crosswalk improvements, LED lighting, bike parking and repair facilities and 100,000 native plants and trees. This segment was originally designated in 2008 and redesignated in 2024 after the trail was widened and improved.

With your investment, the East Coast Greenway Alliance can advocate for the completion of even more safe, traffic-free Greenways from Maine to Florida. If you aren't already a supporter, please consider joining our team and helping grow the Greenway.