As the sun sets on another breakthrough year, let's take stock of the amazing progress we've made. We added 24 beautiful new segments to the East Coast Greenway totaling 44 miles of further respite from car traffic and further connection with nature. Many of these segments closed key local gaps, creating the kind of connectivity that can transform their community's health and sustainability.
Hardworking staff, essential government agency partners, and generous volunteers posted Greenway signs on 250 more miles. We've now signed almost two-thirds of the total route, making Greenway adventures more accessible and easier to navigate. We are building bridges between cities and towns that bring people together throughout the Eastern Seaboard.
These improvements attracted record Greenway use. We hosted the most end-to-end cyclists ever and our first end-to-end walkers in 2018. And the progress inspired record support for our organization, so much that we are able to add two staff positions to accelerate our impact. Active events on the Greenway inspired people to get back on their bikes after decades of more sedentary living, helping them reach and maintain a healthier weight and other health goals.
Thank you for every bit of support you gave to the cause. Together, we can finish developing what will soon become the most popular park in America.
It's a beautiful sunset on 2018. I'm excited to see what is in store for us in this promising New Year!
Dennis
Dennis Markatos-Soriano, executive director
Read more from our January 2019 On the Greenway newsletter
