New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Florida add Greenway segments

New additions to the East Coast Greenway in New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Florida were approved for designation by the East Coast Greenway Alliance’s Greenway Council in June. The four segments are poised to gain official designation at the Alliance’s next Board of Trustees meeting. 

From north to south, the new additions include: 

New Hampshire Seacoast Greenway, West End Yards Side Path (Portsmouth, New Hampshire), 0.3 miles: The West End Yards Side Path is the latest designation of the New Hampshire Seacoast Greenway, an in-development 17.2-mile trail that will connect Seabrook to Portsmouth and complete the East Coast Greenway in the state when finished. This 0.3-mile segment runs adjacent to the new West End Yards apartments and will eventually create a safe, traffic-free connection to the future New Hampshire Seacoast Greenway through downtown Portsmouth and to Maine’s Eastern Trail to the north. 

Upper Charles Rail Trail (Sherborn, Massachusetts), 0.3 miles: A segment of the proposed, 24-mile Upper Charles Rail Trail in Sherborn, 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 Whitney Street to the Holliston town line, the 0.3-mile stretch is 10 feet wide and features an excellent stone dust surface. The 6.7-mile Holliston Rail Trail was designated in early 2023, and a completed trail section in Milford to Mt. Pleasant Street will be designated part of the East Coast Greenway route in the very near future. When complete, the Upper Charles Rail Trail will meet the Bruce Freeman Trail connecting the towns of Milford, Holliston, Sherborn and Framingham.

Mattapoisett Rail Trail (Mattapoisett, Massachusetts), 0.5 miles: A new segment of the Mattapoisett Rail Trail completed the stunning “Shining Tides Mile” portion of the proposed 4.5-mile trail, which links to the Phoenix Rail Trail and Fairhaven, Massachusetts. The new segment features a scenic boardwalk and a short stretch on Goodspeed Island Road. The trail is part of the envisioned 50-mile South Coast Bikeway, which will link Rhode Island to Cape Cod.  

Jarboe Park (Neptune Beach, Florida), 0.3 miles: A reconfiguration of the East Coast Greenway route through Neptune Beach traverses Jarboe Park and connects to a brand-new Florida Department of Transportation signalized crosswalk across State Road A1A. The new crosswalk connects Jarboe Park to the popular First Street bicycle corridor and multiple beach access points throughout the city. The East Coast Greenway in Neptune Beach features nearly two miles of traffic-separated trails.