From our executive director: Reaching a new level of impact together

Hundreds of cyclists arrived in Philadelphia on the afternoon of Sunday, August 29, after two days of good weather, biking the East Coast Greenway from New York City. It was a joyous occasion full of camaraderie and adventure and it was a major step forward for our project. The ride was the biggest event in our organization’s history with 400 participants and partners raising $300,000 to advance the Greenway in our region’s most populated corridor. Based on our leveraging history, that level of fundraising will power our advocacy to new heights, spurring $15 million in public investment toward completing the Greenway. The funds already made a new hire possible, our first ever New York & New Jersey Coordinator Luis Diaz.

Riders were able to witness both the peace of completed Greenway sections and the need for more progress for us to achieve our dream of a continuous linear park from Maine to Florida. Check out this awesome recap video for a taste of the experience thanks to our amazing communications team. To keep our momentum up, we plan an even bigger ride from New York to Philadelphia next year on the weekend of May 14-15. Sign up here to get the first chance to sign up when registration goes live in October!

We were lucky that our ride took place in-between the terrible flooding from Hurricanes Henri and Ida, which remind us of the urgency of our work to tackle the climate crisis. I’m proud of what we are achieving together this year through our programs and our advocacy leadership pushing for Greenway Stimulus from federal and state leaders. Our navigation of these challenging times calls for inspiring each other to be resilient and hopeful for the future. 

We are building partnerships with amazing entities from REI, Global Impact Productions, Independence Blue Cross and the William Penn Foundation to Cabot Cheese, Amrita, and Burt’s Bees. As we grow and develop our organization together, we are rising to face the climate and public health crises in a way that builds an equitable future for all to enjoy.

Onward together,

Dennis Markatos-Soriano

Executive Director, East Coast Greenway Alliance