Begun in 1991, the East Coast Greenway (ECG) is the nation's first long-distance urban, shared-use trail for non-motorized users.  The 2,600-mile trail provides a safe pathway along the eastern seaboard, passing through 15 states plus Washington, D.C. and linking some 25 major cities from the Canadian border of Maine to Key West, Florida.  Now 20 percent complete, the route will consist entirely of trails that are locally owned and managed, forming a continuous, off-road route easily identified by the public through signage, maps, user guides, and common services.

 Who will use the Greenway?

Located in the nation's most densely populated region, the East Coast Greenway is easily accessible by an estimated 30 million people.  Often referred to as the 'urban Appalachian Trail', the Greenway serves people of all abilities, traveling through gentle terrain along scores of park paths, abandoned railroads, canal towpaths, and waterfront esplanades.  Patrons will include children walking to school, commuters bicycling to work, families, wheelchair users, and tourists looking to explore the East Coast in a leisurely and low-impact manner.
 

What is the First ECG Maine to Florida Tour?

Between September 12th and November 3rd a group of 10 cyclists will participate in the inaugural end-to-end bicycle tour of the East Coast Greenway from Calais, Maine to Key West, Florida, riding 60-plus miles daily for 53 days.  Currently the ECG is one of the most ambitious trail projects to be undertaken in the United States, yet it is not widely known amongst the general public.  This tour will promote greater trail awareness and provide funding to complete the Greenway through pledges raised by the participating cyclists.  About 20 percent of the route will be off road on completed ECG trail segments with the remainder on low-traffic connecting roads.

Who are the tour cyclists?

All of the cyclists riding from Maine to Florida are over the age of 50, making the ride of significant interest to advocates of active living for older Americans.  One cyclist, a 74-year-old Arizona man, was involved in a near fatal bicycling accident that left him with a broken back, neck, and hip.  One year later he got back on his bike and today cycles 5,000 miles annually. Other participants include a recumbent cyclist from Georgia, and a couple from New Jersey that rides a specially designed tandem bicycle with a front hand crank to accommodate Anne Kruimer who is paralyzed from the waist down, also from a near fatal accident.
 

For more information including a tour itinerary, visit our website at www.greenway.org or contact the East Coast Greenway Alliance's national office by phone/fax: (401) 789-4625; email: info@greenway.org; or post: 135 Main Street, Wakefield, RI 02879.