Six segments approved for Greenway designation

Over the first five months of 2020, six new trail segments - in four states and Washington, D.C. - have been approved for East Coast Greenway designation by the organization’s national Greenway Council.

The approved segments from north to south include: 

Providence, Rhode Island: Blackstone River Bikeway Gano Gateway, 0.25 miles: This asphalt segment of the Blackstone River Bikeway creates a seamless off-road connection from Providence’s popular India Point Park to Pittman Street along the Seekonk River.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Penn Treaty Park Path, 0.2 miles: This new section on the edge of the Fishtown neighborhood expands the Delaware River Trail south from Penn Treaty Park to Spring Garden Street as part of the regional Circuit Trails network. It features a new promenade with bench seating, scenic waterfront views and easy access to a recently upgraded playground, as well as river access via a new canoe/kayak launch.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Segment A of Cobbs Connector Trail, 0.5 miles: This segment extends the Cobbs Creek Trail in Southwest Philadelphia from 70th Street south to the historic Blue Bell Inn at Woodland Avenue. It connects nearby neighborhoods to the amenities of Cobbs Creek Park and improves safety along Cobbs Creek Parkway with a barrier-separated path through a narrow railroad underpass. The trail is a link in the Circuit Trails network and the Forge to Refuge Trail, ultimately connecting Valley Forge National Historic to the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge.

Washington, D.C.: Anacostia Riverwalk Trail, 0.5 miles: This trail segment consists of a promenade through the Southwest Waterfront Park and a traffic-separated bikeway and sidewalk along P Street SW, linking the Southwest Waterfront to the Navy Yard and major league sports venues Audi Field and Nationals Park. The Anacostia Riverwalk Trail will route over the new Frederick Douglass Bridge Path when completed in 2021 to connect with the historic Anacostia neighborhood and the rest of the Anacostia River Tributary Trail System of the greater Capital Trails Network.

Virginia: Prince William County, 6.5 miles: Located near Woodbridge and Neabsco, these trail segments are wooded paths that wind by parks, neighborhoods and Belmont Bay. These trails include the Belmont Bay Shared Use Path, Veterans Memorial Park Trail, Rippon Boulevard Shared Use Path, Rippon Landing Park Trail, Blackburn Road Shared Use Path and four segments of Route 1 Shared Use Path. Some of the segments also are part of the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail, a Mid-Atlantic corridor connecting trails and historic sites.

Florida: Debary to Blue Spring connector, 2.8 miles: This newly designated segment outside Deltona is part of the Spring to Spring Trail, which connects DeLeon Springs State Park and Gemini Springs State Park. This part of the trail begins south of Blue Springs State Park, a manatee refuge, and continues south through a lush natural Florida environment.