The East Coast Greenway Is Stitching Together a 3,000-Mile Trail Network

A 3,000-mile network of biking and walking trails is being created on the East Coast, with already noticeable benefits for the communities it passes through. Writing in Reasons to be Cheerful, Ashira Morris describes the East Coast Greenway, which has been in development since 1991 and aims to connect existing and new trails to create a seamless coastal trail.

As Morris explains, “Greenways can be a simple low-tech solution to complex, intersecting issues” by improving safety for cyclists and pedestrians, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and providing public health ad economic benefits. “The paths that have been built along the East Coast Greenway have already transformed many former industrial areas and abandoned railway tracks into community hubs.” 

The East Coast Greenway Alliance, the nonprofit spearheading the effort, is working to help communities along the Greenway’s path secure funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and other sources to fund land acquisition and trail construction.

To address concerns about gentrification and displacement, “An inclusionary trail planning toolkit by the Alliance team and the Pennsylvania Environmental Council outlines best practices for centering community needs, including maintaining affordable housing along trails.”