East Coast Greenway welcomes New Jersey & New York Manager Sofia Barandiaran

Based in New York City, Sofia Barandiaran joined the East Coast Greenway Alliance this month as its New Jersey & New York Manager.

In this role, Barandiaran carries region-wide responsibilities for all aspects of Greenway development, advocacy and state committee and volunteer engagement. She supports communities along the route in New Jersey and New York as they plan, build and maintain sections of the Greenway.

"I am thrilled and honored to support communities along the East Coast Greenway in New Jersey and New York as they develop segments of this transformative project. In this densely populated and highly diverse region, the East Coast Greenway has enormous potential to connect people with each other and with nature,” Barandiaran said.

“By improving access to active transportation, outdoor recreation, and green space in New Jersey and New York, I hope to help make our region more equitable and sustainable for decades to come."

“Sofia has the rare combination of private sector planning for trail and transportation projects in New Jersey and New York, as well as communications and advocacy experience for a leading bicycle-pedestrian nonprofit,” said the Alliance’s National Greenway Director Allison Burson. “She also brings significant on-the-ground knowledge of much of the trail network in the region, which will be a huge asset to the Alliance team.”

An urban planner specializing in sustainable transportation and environmental justice, Barandiaran joined the Alliance team from infrastructure consulting firm AECOM in New York. In this role, she supported an array of transportation projects using qualitative and quantitative analysis, community engagement and written and visual communication tools, including GIS-created maps.

Prior to joining AECOM, Barandiaran supported Alliance partner New Jersey Bike & Walk Coalition as the statewide advocacy group’s communications associate. She managed communications and the website for the organization, while also advocating for projects such as The Greenway, a transformative active transportation project underway and future segment of the East Coast Greenway in New Jersey’s Essex and Hudson counties.

Barandiaran, who also has held climate- and planning-focused positions in Massachusetts and California, earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies from Williams College and a Master of City and Regional Planning from Rutgers University’s Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy.

While at Rutgers, Barandiaran was part of a number of important academic and volunteer projects, including a visioning report for The Greenway and a bike network plan for Rutgers University - New Brunswick. She also gained valuable leadership experience as an EDF Climate Corps Fellow at the New York City Mayor's Office of Climate and Environmental Justice (MOCEJ) working on EJNYC, New York City's first comprehensive city-led study of environmental justice; as an intern with the Sierra Club; and as a member of the Piedmont (California) Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Commission.

She is always eager to get outdoors and can often be found cycling, walking or roller skating around New York City and the region.