Massachusetts, Florida additions highlight new East Coast Greenway segments

Highlighted by the traffic-free additions of 5 miles in Florida and 3.6 miles in Massachusetts, the East Coast Greenway Alliance’s Greenway Council recently approved six new segments of the in-development Maine-to-Florida route. The six segments - two each in Florida and Massachusetts, plus key connections in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. - are poised to gain official designation at the Alliance’s next Board of Trustees meeting later this year. 

To date in 2023, 12 new segments have been added to the East Coast Greenway route. 

From north to south, the new additions include: 

Upper Charles Trail, Milford Section (Milford, Massachusetts), 2.3 miles: A third segment of the proposed, 24-mile Upper Charles Rail Trail in Milford, Massachusetts, was recently designated part of the East Coast Greenway’s reconfigured spine route in Massachusetts, which is now at 53 percent complete. Running from Mount Pleasant Street in Milford to the Holliston town line, the 2.3-mile asphalt segment connects with the 6.7-mile Holliston Rail Trail, which was designated in early 2023. When complete, the Upper Charles Rail Trail will meet the Bruce Freeman Trail connecting the towns of Milford, Holliston, Sherborn and Framingham.

Southern New England Trunkline Trail (Bellingham, Massachusetts), 1.3 miles: The South Bellingham section of the Southern New England Trunkline Trail (SNETT), part of the Massachusetts DCR trail system, was recently designated part of the East Coast Greenway’s reconfigured spine route in Massachusetts. The 1.3 mile, stone-dust surface section runs from South Main Street to Center Street. The 22-mile SNETT connects with the Air Line State Park Trail in Thompson, Connecticut, to the west and Franklin, Massachusetts, to the east.    

K&T Trail, Phase 2 (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), 0.6 miles: The K&T Trail is a 0.6-mile segment connecting Princeton Avenue and Magee Avenue along the rapidly expanding Delaware River Trail. The new segment links three riverfront parks for multipurpose recreational use. When completed, the Riverfront North section of the Delaware River Trail will stretch 11 miles to the Philadelphia-Bucks County border. 

Metropolitan Branch Trail, 8th Street NE Cycle Track & Sidewalk (Washington, D.C.), 0.5 miles: The newest addition to the Metropolitan Branch Trail is a separated cycle track and sidewalk combination stretching from Monroe Street NE to Franklin Street NE. This segment connects the Brookland Metro station and Monroe Street Market development to the southern traffic-separated section of the Metropolitan Branch Trail. Running from Union Station to the Maryland border, the 7-mile Metropolitan Branch Trail connects to the Anacostia River Trail and is part of a nearly complete 23-mile loop on the East Coast Greenway between Washington, D.C., and Prince George's County, Maryland.

Cape Canaveral Trail (Cape Canaveral, Florida), 1.8 miles: Featuring connections to amenities such as transit, water, bike repair stations, libraries and public beach access, the Cape Canaveral Trail runs 1.8 miles along Atlantic and Ridgewood Avenues to the Canaveral Port Authority, the busiest cruise port in the world. This new Greenway segment also offers a great vantage point for rocket launches from Kennedy Space Center. The Cape Canaveral Trail connects to an existing segment in Port Canaveral and will be added to the permanent route in the future when a safe connection along State Road 528 is in place. Right of way acquisition for the State Road 528 project is slated to begin in 2024. 

Boca Raton A1A Sidepath (Boca Raton, Florida), 3.2 miles: An additional 3.2 miles of the A1A Sidepath in Boca Raton has been added to the East Coast Greenway spine route in Florida. Running from Northeast Spanish River Road in the north to the bridge at the southern tip of Lake Boca Raton, the 4.5-mile, 10-foot-wide sidepath is separated from State Road A1A. The City of Boca Raton may soon conduct a feasibility study with the aim of widening the existing trail and improving user access.