The East Coast
Greenway
a trail connecting cities
TRAIL
HANDBOOK
v. 7.1 (April 2003)
East Coast
Greenway Alliance
135 Main St
Wakefield, RI 02879
www.greenway.org
ecga@greenway.org
FOREWORD
Congratulations! You are about to begin the designation process for a segment of the East Coast
Greenway. This Trail Handbook will help you understand the process by explaining ECGA priorities
and defining terms, roles, and responsibilities.
The ECGA Trail Committee has developed criteria and a process for nominating appropriate trails and
routes in your state to our Board of Trustees for designation as part of the East Coast Greenway. Simple
forms to help gather and submit data supplement this process.
All of the referenced forms can be found in the appendix. They are also available electronically on the
ECGA web site at www.greenway.org. Every effort has been taken to make the designation process
simple, flexible, and easy.
Volunteers, local communities and trail groups are currently hard at work on all parts of the route from
Key West, Florida to Calais, Maine. Thank you for taking part in this great project. Your dedication and
work to establish the East Coast Greenway is your gift to America.
David Dionne, President
September, 2002
The Parable of the Blanket
Creating a national policy for the East Coast Greenway is like knitting one sweater to fit hundreds of
diverse individuals, each with unique tastes and fashion requirements. One sweater would not fit all.
Happily our state committees share much in common. To avoid the mind boggling, impossible task of
knitting one sweater to fit everybody, the Trail Committee wove a blanket. Blankets are nice: they
provide warmth and can be folded into a number of interesting shapes. Generally, everybody will be
warm and happy.
Moral to the Parable: The flexible nature of our process should meet everyone’s needs.
Dave Dionne
1
INTRODUCTION
This handbook provides:
 Definitions of terms used by the Alliance.
 An outline of the trail designation process
 Samples of all necessary forms and documents.
Additional information on the East Coast Greenway and the process can be found in the Appendix:
 An overview of the East Coast Greenway.
 The roles and relationships within the Alliance (nationally and locally) that you will encounter
while working on the project.
 ECGA Board of Trustees implementation strategy and priorities for designating trail.
 A description of the process of identifying the state route.
The Trail Handbook is posted on the ECGA website, www.greenway.org (in the “Alliance Documents”
section). Check the web to ensure that you have the latest version. If you have additional questions
about the designation process, please contact the Alliance staff at ecga@greenway.org or 401-789-4625.
Information on trail and route standards can be found in a number of locations:



AASHTO (American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials):
www.transportation.org
MUTCD (Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices): www.mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov
Federal Highway Administration: www.fhwa.dot.gov/pubstats.html. Several relevant
publications can be found there in particular Improving Conditions for Bicycling and Walking: A
Best Practices Report and “Designing Sidewalks and Trails for Access”.
2
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Foreword
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Introduction
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Table of Contents
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Definitions
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ECG Trail Designation Application .
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ECG Trail Inspection Report .
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Appendices
I. The East Coast Greenway – An Overview
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II. Implementing the East Coast Greenway
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IV. Tracking Progress: Establishment of the ECG Trail System .
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Trail Designation Process
III. Trail Designation Roles
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V. Sample Request for a Letter of Endorsement .
VI. Post Designation Materials
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DEFINITIONS
ECG Corridor: The general route of the ECG adopted by the Alliance’s Board of Trustees to link the
23 major cities of the eastern seaboard of the United States. A swath twenty miles wide along this route
is the area within which the Greenway should be located, ideally as close to the centerline as possible.
ECG Spine Route: The specific route that falls within the ECG Corridor. Where close parallel trails are
feasible (e.g., along both sides of a river or alternate routes through a city), a multi-trail spine route may
be identified.
Alternate Routes: Additional off-road connections between points along the spine route that link
important destinations, including cities, scenic, historic or cultural regions, or significant attractions.
Alternate routes may provide a near-term link when the permanent trail appears to be a long-term
reality. Alternate routes may also address areas where the spine trail cannot accommodate all the
desired users.
Spur Trails: Trails that take a user off the Greenway to link them to important destinations. Spur trails
are not designated as part of the East Coast Greenway.
Classes of Trail: The Alliance recognizes four categories of trails or facilities. Criteria for each class
represent the minimum standards that must be met.
Class A (Permanent Designation)
 Off road.
 Publicly accessible year-round for multi-modal, non-motorized travel.
 Touring bike accessible with a relatively smooth, firm surface.
 Safe, with well-marked at-grade street and railroad crossings.
 Managed and adequately maintained by an established authority.
 Officially endorsed for inclusion in ECG by local managing authority.
Class B (Provisional Designation)
 Off road.
 Publicly accessible year-round for multi-modal, non-motorized travel.
 Scheduled to have the specific limitations upgraded and qualify as Class A trail within five
years.
 Safe, with well-marked at-grade street and railroad crossings.
 Officially endorsed for inclusion in ECG by local managing authority.
Class C (Interim Designation)
 A road with a bike lane or shoulder and with a parallel walking facility (path or sidewalk).
 A road suitable for the ECG intended audience.
 A bike route on a road that serves hikers and walkers without separate facilities as
determined by the State Committee and the ECGA Trail Inspectors.
 It is anticipated that Class C segments will be replaced by Class A trail, however in some
cases Class C segments may be permanent.
4
Class D (Temporary Segments Not Designated)
 Used to temporarily link the existing sections.
 Fall below the standard for Class C trail because they have no pedestrian facilities
 The facility for cyclists is only useable by skilled on-road cyclists.
 No reasonable route that would qualify as Class C is available.
 Not designated or signed as East Coast Greenway.
 May or may not have signage (bike route signage) specific to the East Coast Greenway.
Relocations: If a trail segment which more closely meets Alliance criteria becomes available, it may be
substituted for an earlier designated link, subject to the same designation review process. The earlier link
may be reclassified and serve as an alternate route, if appropriate; or it may be removed from the ECG
system. Substitution (and removal or reclassification) of a designated link will require agreement of all
the stakeholders.
Trail Managing Authority: Governmental agency, not-for-profit, private corporation or owner
responsible for providing a reasonable level of care to the trail and safety to its users.
5
Trail Designation Process
In the following sections you will find all the forms needed to designate trail segments for the East Coast
Greenway. All forms are on the web at www.greenway.org.
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The state Chair (or their designee) fills out the Trail Nomination form
The Trail Committee requires electronically submitted nominations.
The Trail Committee will review your information, assign an inspection team, and make
recommendations to the national board.
Forms and Documents

Trail Designation Application form
Filled out by the State Entity Chair and filed electronically with staff.

Trail Inspection Report
Filled out and submitted by the representatives of the Trail Committee who
inspect the trail.

Certificate of Designation
Presented to the Trail Managing Authority after the designation has been approved.
Designation Process
Follow these steps to designate the trail along your spine route.
Step 1. Secure a Letter of Endorsement
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Contact the organization with the authority to officially endorse the trail as part of the East
Coast Greenway.
Have a letter sent to the Alliance that stipulates:
 The agency and its endorsement
 Trail name and mileage
 Trail location (state and local)
 Agreement to install ECG trail markers
A sample letter requesting endorsement, along with a sample letter of endorsement that can
be modified by the trail manager, can be found in Appendix V
Step 2. Review the trail
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Conduct a preliminary inspection tour of the trail for completing the nomination form.
Photograph any sections that will be pertinent to the nomination.
Collect any printed material that will be submitted with the nomination.
Step 3. Complete the Trail Designation Nomination Form
6
Step 4. Submit the complete nomination package via email
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The Trail Designation Nomination Form
The Letter of Endorsement
A Trail Map
Trail Committee Process
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Assigned inspectors will review the trail and complete a report.
Trail Committee will review report and make a recommendation to the Board of Trustees for
appropriate action.
Follow-up
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Alliance notifies the trail manager of Board’s approval.
Arrange for the trail markers to be delivered to the trail manager.
Present the East Coast Greenway Designation Certificate to the Trail Manager.
7
East Coast Greenway Alliance / 135 Main Street Wakefield RI 02879 / 401.789.4625 / ecga@greenway.org
EAST COAST GREENWAY TRAIL DESIGNATION APPLICATION
BASIC TRAIL INFORMATION
NAME of NOMINATED TRAIL:
LOCATION
State:
County:
Segment owned by:
Segment managed by:
City:
Contact name/address/phone:
Contact name/address/phone:
TRAIL SEGMENT CHARACTERISTICS (please submit map of nominated trail)
Trail length:
Trail width:
Starting point:
Ending point:
(mark and label these points on the map submitted for this application)
Surfaces: % of each type (e.g., asphalt, concrete, crushed gravel, packed dirt, etc.); locate on map
Condition (by section if appropriate):
good
fair
poor
TRAIL CLASS INFORMATION
Is nominated segment a complete local trail or part of a larger local trail?
% of trail nominated as Class A trail
%
Class B trail
%
Class C interim route
%
Class D on-road route
%
Please mark map to show location of each class of trail, if more than one class is nominated.
When is Class B upgrade to Class A estimated to occur (if applicable)?
Trail is nominated as
Spine Route OR
Alternate Route, as approved in the latest State of the Trail
Report (STR) trail description
Trail is a modification to the approved route in the latest STR
Trail is a relocation from the STR route
If Alternate, please state reason(s) for this becoming part of the ECG:
links to important city
links to important tourism destination
links to high-quality scenic trail
provides alternate trail for users excluded from spine route (e.g., equestrians)
Offers near-term off-road option when spine route will be years in the making
If this trail is a modification to the STR approved route or a relocation, please provide (as an addendum to
this application) the date of the State Committee meeting at which this nomination was approved, the
minutes from that meeting, a list of all State Committee members present at the time of the vote, and a
complete list of State Committee members regardless of their presence at the meeting.
TRAIL/GREENWAY DESCRIPTION
If necessary, please provide any additional information pertinent to the designation of this trail.
What trails/routes does this segment link to at each end?
This information is to be collected by an ECGA state committee member for inclusion
in the designation application submitted to the ECGA Trails Committee. DO NOT give
this form to the trail management agency for completion. They have enough work to
do!
East Coast Greenway Alliance / 135 Main Street Wakefield RI 02879 / 401.789.4625 / ecga@greenway.org
EAST COAST GREENWAY TRAIL DESIGNATION APPLICATION
TRAIL MANAGEMENT INFORMATION
MANAGEMENT
Agency/Organization responsible for trail management:
Name & title of CEO:
Address:
Phone:
Fax:
email:
website:
Who is responsible for routine maintenance?
Number of people assigned to manage/maintain the trail:
Is any maintenance work contracted out?
Who provides for major repairs?
Provide a brief description of daily operations along the trail, including maintenance, security patrol,
programming and visitor assistance.
Is the trail fully accessible to emergency vehicles?
What emergency call system exists?
Are there security patrols? Y N
If yes, who provides this service?
Is there a “Friends of the Trail” or other support organization in place?
Please provide the name of
this organization, when it was formed, a chief contact name, address and phone number:
Describe the role they play:
SIGNAGE
Describe the signage system on the trail and who is responsible for making and placing signage:
Which of the following signs appear on the trail:
Trailhead signs
Blazes
Mileposts or signs indicating miles to given destination
Safety signage, warning signs
Information on points of interest, amenities
Interpretive signs
Rules & regulations
Emergency contacts
East Coast Greenway Alliance / 135 Main Street Wakefield RI 02879 / 401.789.4625 / ecga@greenway.org
EAST COAST GREENWAY TRAIL DESIGNATION APPLICATION
TRAIL USER INFORMATION
VISITOR TYPES SERVED (please check all that apply)
Walking/Jogging
Pets allowed
Mountain bikes
In-line skates
Wheelchairs
Equestrians
Motorized uses (please list)
Other (please list)
VISITATION
Annual number of user visits to the trail:
This number is based on a (check one)
hard count
If available, submit any user reports done for this trail.
Touring bikes
Cross-country skis
estimate
VISITOR AMENITIES (please check all that apply)
Amenity
#
Amenity
restrooms
retail food store
camping
restaurant/snack bar
bike rental/repair
overnight accommodations
natural areas
museums/historic sites
scenic overlooks
ranger station/visitor center
automobile parking
public parks/rec facilities
picnic areas
public art installations
drinking fountains
emergency services
public telephones
#
MAPS
Does a user map exist for this trail?
Yes
No
If yes, date of publication:
Please submit a copy.
VISITOR RESTRICTIONS
Please list restricted uses on this trail:
If available, submit a copy of the trail rules and regulations and any published trail visitor ethics.
Explain how they are conveyed to the public (e.g., signage, brochures, programs):
How are rules enforced and public safety ensured?
PHYSICAL RESTRICTIONS
Is the trail segment nominated currently open to public use for its entire length?
Yes
No
If not, explain:
Is there full wheelchair access to and on this trail?
East Coast Greenway Alliance / 135 Main Street Wakefield RI 02879 / 401.789.4625 / ecga@greenway.org
EAST COAST GREENWAY TRAIL DESIGNATION APPLICATION
TRAIL USER INFORMATION (cont’d)
RESTRICTIONS (cont’d)
What hours are the trail officially open for public use?
Is the trail gated or physically closed during off-hours?
Are the hours posted?
Please list any physical restrictions that exist on the trail:
Number of road crossings by type:
private drives,
medium traffic streets,
Very busy street or highway,
total. Please mark each of these on the map you submit, with a
green X for a private drive, a blue X for low traffic road, yellow X for medium, and red X for high traffic
crossings.
Are all street crossings well-marked, for both trail and road users, to ensure safety?
Miles (or feet) of proposed trail that are on-road:
Locate on map.
Number of bridges that are not safely passable:
Locate on map.
For each, indicate whether there is a safe, marked detour in place, and show on the map.
Describe and locate on map any other restrictions to safe, comfortable through-use of this trail:
Describe any physical improvements planned for the trail such as major repairs, repaving, or extensions,
and provide a projected schedule for this work, if available. If funding is in place, indicate amount, source
and purpose:
Does this trail have any national or state recognition (e.g., as a National Scenic Trail, part of a National
Heritage Corridor, as a state urban cultural park)? Please describe.
PUBLIC/PRIVATE EASEMENTS AND AGREEMENTS
Are any sections of the nominated trail on non-public or private land? This includes railroad property,
property belonging to nonprofit organizations, or private citizens, or on corporate or utility rights-of-way.
Yes
No
If yes, what agreements or easements exist that allow the trail to use private land? Submit a copy of the
agreement.
Please list and describe the mileage on private land and locate on map. Attach a list of private landowners
who allow the trail to use their property.
East Coast Greenway Alliance / 135 Main Street Wakefield RI 02879 / 401.789.4625 / ecga@greenway.org
EAST COAST GREENWAY TRAIL DESIGNATION APPLICATION
NOMINATOR INFORMATION
STATE COMMITTEE CHAIR NOMINATING THIS TRAIL SEGMENT
Name:
Signature (if submitted in hard copy; electronic submission is preferable):
Date:
Phone:
Email:
Please provide the names and phone numbers or email addresses of two individuals familiar with the
operation and physical conditions of this trail, who can accompany the field review team on their site visit:
EAST COAST GREENWAY TRAIL INSPECTION REPORT
________________________________________________________________________
Name of Nominated Segment:
State:
Is this along the
spine route, or the
alternate route?
Nominated for:
Class A
Class B (provisional)
Class C (interim) If Class C (in full or partially), see pg 2 of form
________________________________________________________________________
ECGA Inspector (note: each inspector is to complete their own form)
Name:
Phone:
email:
Date(s) of Inspection:
weather:
________________________________________________________________________
Inspector’s Recommendations
Percentage of this trail that you traveled:
%
Segment recommended for designation:
Class A
Class B
Class C
Designation conditions to convey to trail manager (e.g., surface problems, grade issues):
Segment not recommended for ECGA designation
Explain why:
Trail Reviewer Signature ____________________________________________________________
Name: ____________________
email: ____________________
Affiliation: ________________________________________
phone: _______________
NOTE: THIS SECTION IS ONLY FOR THOSE ROUTES WHICH ARE PARTLY OR FULLY ONROAD.
1. Is the starting point easy to locate?
yes
no
2. Is it near mass transit or parking?
yes
no
3. Are the directionals (L, R, X or S, and b) accurate?
yes
no
4. Are the distance figures accurate?
yes
no
Inspecting should include more than one rider with an odometer, so that differences in odometer
accuracy will be accounted for. Please make any mileage adjustments on the cue sheet provided
5. Is the ending point easy to locate?
yes
no
6. Is it near mass transit or parking?
yes
no
7. How about the actual road quality – width of shoulder, condition of road surface, volume of traffic,
etc. Please comment on pertinent line of the cue sheet being reviewed.
8. ECGA cue sheets are designed for use without maps. Are there any parts of this route that are
confusing and might benefit from inclusion on the sheet of a small map?
yes
no
If yes, please note on the pertinent line of the cue sheet.
APPENDIX I
The East Coast Greenway – An Overview
The East Coast Greenway will be the nation’s first long-distance, city to city multi-user trail. From
Maine to Florida, the Greenway will use a variety of facilities including waterfront esplanades, park
paths, abandoned railroad corridors, canal towpaths, urban pathways and other linear rights-of-way to
connect all the major cities on the eastern seaboard. Linking together our cities, towns and villages will
enhance opportunities for recreation, transportation, and exercise and provide a new means of exploring
the heritage of our nation’s most historic corridor.
The East Coast Greenway speaks to a number of important agendas: improving our quality of life,
expanding transportation choice, enhancing tourism, improving air quality and reducing roadway
congestion, and facilitating healthier life styles by making it easier to incorporate walking and cycling
into our everyday lives. When completed in 2010 the Greenway will join I-95, U.S. Route 1 and Amtrak
as an eastern seaboard transportation corridor – one that provides a safe green arterial route for muscle
powered travel.
With passenger rail links at many of Amtrak’s east coast stations and with easy connections to bicyclefriendly local transit as well as trails to airports, the Greenway will encourage more car-free travel. As
part of a multi-modal network, this spine route will provide a means for people to travel a short distance
from home to local destinations, to explore adjacent regions, or to travel for days to more distant
destinations.
The strength of our vision is the dual local/national nature of the Greenway. Trail segments will be
developed, owned, managed and maintained at the local level. Trails will retain their local identity and
character as they continue to function chiefly as community facilities. But as part of a continuous longdistance trail, they will assume and added value and bring visitors and tourism dollars to their
communities. Each trail will assume greater significance as part of a national millennium trail.
The East Coast Greenway is a trail for everyone. It is designed as a multi-user trail to serve a wide range
of non-motorized users. The vision for the Greenway has been developed and defined by the East Coast
Greenway Alliance Board of Trustees. The Greenway will make direct, off-road connections between
and through 23 major cities along the east coast. These cities define the spine route. In some states, an
alternate route will provide the option for linking important destinations that are a distance from the
spine route by providing additional off-road connections between points along the spine route.
Because the East Coast Greenway is national in scope but grassroots in implementation, it is critical to
develop cooperation and communication among the key players in order to establish the Greenway. The
volunteers organized on the state level must forge strong relationships with the state and local agencies,
organizations, municipalities and trail managers to successfully complete the trail alignment. At the
same time the volunteers must coordinate with the Alliance to get trail segments designated and made
part of the Greenway. Volunteers, trail groups and local communities from Key West to Calais are
currently hard at work. Much of their work has already become part of the East Coast Greenway.
APPENDIX II
Implementing the East Coast Greenway
The goal of the East Coast Greenway Alliance is to have the East Coast Greenway established by 2010
with 80% of the route Class A or B segments and the remaining portions interim connectors, Class C
segments.
The Board of Trustees of the East Coast Greenway Alliance has approved a five-year strategy (2002 2006) for “getting the Greenway on the ground.” During this time state volunteers are asked to focus on
activities that will get all uncompleted segments of the trail (spine route) into construction, engineering,
planning or design.
In 2002 the Alliance also adopted a recommendation to define a continuous route by using on-road
connections. In some cases, as in the state of Maine, these facilities qualify as Class C trail and will be
so designated. However, in some areas, to achieve a continuous route, on-road connections that do not
qualify as Class C may need to be used as temporary facilities. Facilities that do not qualify as Class C
will not be designated or signed East Coast Greenway.
There was also interest in creating a separate on-road component of the East Coast Greenway that would
provide a permanent on-road option for users who prefer that experience. The Trail Committee will
explore that concept.
Priorities for Designation
Very High:
High:
Low:
Designate all completed trails (classes A & B)
Designate interim connections (class C)
Convert on-road routes to off-road trails (class C to class A or B) and designate
Complete and designate alternate routes
The Board recognizes each state will have a different set of political realities when moving trail
segments through the designation process. If you are not sure where to concentrate your energy and
time, contact the Trail Committee.
APPENDIX III
Trail Designation Roles
National: ECGA Board of Trustees
 Establishes and promotes the vision of the East Coast Greenway.
 Maintains the viability and stewardship of the project.
 Creates polices and procedures to ensure a cohesive national process for linking trails and
facilities into a continuous route.
 Acts on the designation recommendations of the Trail Committee.
 Provides guidance and direction for the project.
 Creates an organizational structure vital to our success.
 Ensures the health of the overall organization.
State: Volunteers, organized on the state level (State Entity/ State Committee)
 Translate national policy into state action.
 Identify the corridor within the state border.
 Establish the spine route within the corridor.
 Advocate for the creation of satisfactory links where none previously existed.
 Coordinate with the local stakeholders.
 Works at the state and local level to create strong relationships with the ECGA.
Local: Stakeholders
(Communities, Parks, Trails, Departments of Transportation, Agencies, Organizations and
Municipalities)
 Coordinate the process of funding, planning, designing and constructing the physical projects.
 Manage and maintain the trail segments.
 Sign the ECGA Letter of Endorsement and agree to install ECG trail markers.
National Trail Committee
The ECGA Trail Committee is a standing committee of the Board of Trustees. The primary
responsibility of the Committee is to recommend trail that meets the criteria for being designated as
part of the East Coast Greenway. The Committee:
 Receives a “Recommendation for Designation”.
 Coordinates the inspection of nominated trail segments with representatives of the State and the
trail’s managing authority.
 Submits the recommendations of the Committee to the Alliance Board of Trustees.
The ECGA staff plays a vital role in the process and has a seat on the Trail Committee. The staff:
 Receives and reviews all trail nominations.
 Coordinates with the appropriate parties to put together a complete nomination package.
 Issues certificates and letters (post-designation) confirming designation.
 Provides trail-markers via the state entity to the local trail manager.
 Maintains official designation map, files and records.
APPENDIX VI
Tracking Progress: Establishment of the ECG Trail System
A. Benchmarks of Progress
The ECGA uses six benchmarks to track trail development progress for the spine route:
 Trail Route Identified
 Trail Route in Public Control
 Trail in or completed Planning or Design
 Trail Under Construction/Completed
 Trail Designated as ECG
(Note: these benchmarks are cumulative; i.e., a mile of trail “under construction” is also counted as “in
or completed Planning or Design”, “in Public Control”, and “Route Identified”.)
B. Trail Database
The ECGA maintains a database of all trails that currently are (or are anticipated will become) segments
of the East Coast Greenway. Information gathered includes the following:
Trail name
State
County
Town(s)
US Senators
US House District(s)
US Representative(s)
State senate district(s)
State senator(s)
State house district(s)
State representative(s)
MPO district
Spine
Alternate
Landscape
Length
Off road % (current)
Planned off road %
Off-road mileage
Designated ECG (miles)
Designated on-road
In construction/Complete
In/completed plan/design
In public control
Route identified
Off-road route not identified
Start pt (N-bound)
End pt (N-bound)
Landowner
Trail managing agcy
Contact
Contact phone
Trail friend group
Benchmark status
Current condition
Next step
Completion date
$ allocated
year allocated
source
date spent
purpose
trail Class
designation date
mileage
upgrade
Width (ft)
Road crossings (#)
# / condition of bridges
allowed uses
surface type
user data available
Letter of endorsement
Signage installed
Map for distribution
APPENDIX V
Getting Trail Endorsement: Sample Letters
December 5, 2000
Mr. P. Lamont Ewell
City Manager
City of Durham
101 City Hall Plaza
Durham, NC 27701
Dear Mr. Ewell,
I am writing to seek the endorsement of the City of Durham for designating the American Tobacco Trail
as important part of the East Coast Greenway trail system.
The East Coast Greenway is a trail that takes you along the Atlantic Ocean, through countryside and into
cities and towns, on a journey that celebrates the diversity, the beauty and the history of America.
Walkers, cyclists, and other trail users are beginning to do just this on the East Coast Greenway. This
route will be composed of locally owned and managed trail segments, like yours, which are being knit
together to form a continuous surfaced route of consistent quality, linking cities from Canada to the
Florida Keys. Our objective is a route that is 80% off-road using waterfront esplanades, rail trails, canal
towpaths, park paths, and parkway corridors.
Each local trail will retain its identity as an independent facility with a distinct local name and will
continue to function primarily locally for recreation, exercise and transportation. However, by becoming
part of the East Coast Greenway each trail assumes an additional identity and role as a long distance
route for touring. The East Coast Greenway promises to become the pre-eminent route on the eastern
seaboard for adventure touring by bicycle and foot, and an ideal facility for heritage tourism.
We believe that the East Coast Greenway will have an enormously positive impact on Durham. It has
been clearly demonstrated that community trails enhance our quality of life, improve our environment,
ease traffic congestion, promote wellness, and provide unique recreational opportunities for our citizens,
close to home where they can easily be accessed. All of these benefits are multiplied when local trails
are aligned with a national system. The added value of becoming part of the East Coast Greenway will
be the substantial economic impact from trail-related tourism for trailside businesses and the community
at large.
In 1999, the White House Millennium Council designated the East Coast Greenway as a National
Millennium Trail. As one of 16 nationally recognized trails we are striving to "honor the past and
imagine the future" as we complete the route from Maine to Florida. The American Tobacco Trail plays
a key role in the success of this national project. Additionally, the American Tobacco Trail has received
Community Millennium Trail status in its own right. I am enclosing a draft letter of acknowledgment,
which we are asking you to sign to indicate your approval of this designation. Also attached is an outline
detailing the benefits we can provide to the American Tobacco Trail and our simple expectations for
signage, maps and promotion of the trail.
Please take a few moments to review the attached letter. If appropriate you may sign and return it or
copy it to your agency letterhead. In either case, please call me with any questions or concerns you may
have.
Sincerely,
Charles A. Flink
State Committee Chair
East Coast Greenway Alliance
5318 Highgate Drive, Suite 231
Durham, NC 27713
919 484-8448
flinkc@aol.com
BENEFITS OF BECOMING PART OF THE
EAST COAST GREENWAY TRAIL SYSTEM
ADVOCACY
If the American Tobacco Trail is designated part of the East Coast Greenway system both the national
and local East Coast Greenway Alliance committees will, if requested, provide support for the trail in
seeking funding from national, state or local governments, foundations or other funding sources. We
will support your efforts to secure funds for general operations, trail improvements, trail maintenance,
visitor services, signage, and other appropriate trail expenses.
PROMOTION
If the American Tobacco Trail is designated part of the East Coast Greenway trail system, the East
Coast Greenway Alliance will promote the American Tobacco Trail nationally as a part of the East
Coast Greenway trail system by:
• developing a user map of the (name of trail) provided that funding becomes available as part of
a map series being produced to facilitate public use of the East Coast Greenway.
• including the trail in the GIS database/mapping system being developed for the network, and
when appropriate, promoting it in other East Coast
Greenway Alliance publications and in articles in local and national media
• providing for the use of the East Coast Greenway logo to mark the trail at
mutually agreed upon location(s)
• promoting you as an important partner and your trail as a vital link in a
National Millennium Trail
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
The East Coast Greenway Alliance will provide information and guidance, if requested, on trail issues
including but not limited to the following areas:
• safe trail design
• visitor safety
• general public relations and maintaining good relations with trail neighbors
• economic benefits of trails and greenways
• management and use of community volunteers, including youth group service
• projects, historical research efforts, flower bed and beautification
• projects, and citizen patrol programs
Chuck and Beth, you might want to include a copy of DOST's letter of support for this. I realize this has
probably been sent to the City Manager, however I don't want to take any chances that his office doesn't
put the two together.
Beth, you might want to qualify in the 2nd sentence. Is the trail owned by the City of Durham or
NCDOT?
The City Manager or the Parks and Recreation Dept. Head would reply using the following letter. Please
note that I've got a few questions in parenthesis that you would need to remove.
December 5, 2000
Mr. Charles A. Flink
North Carolina Committee Chair
East Coast Greenway Alliance
5318 Highgate Drive, Suite 231
Durham, NC 27713
Dear Chuck,
We are pleased to endorse the inclusion of the American Tobacco Trail in the East Coast Greenway
Trail System.
The American Tobacco Trail is a 3.2 (6.3 miles in the Spring) mile long paved trail owned by the City of
Durham and managed by the Durham Parks and Recreation Department. It is a public all-season trail
that runs from downtown Durham near the Durham Bulls Athletic Park south to Cornwallis Road. By
the summer of 2001, it will be complete to NC 54 in southern Durham. As envisioned, the American
Tobacco Trail will connect with other Durham greenways and trails as well as those of other
jurisdictions in the region.
As the agency responsible for the American Tobacco Trail, we hereby endorse the designation by the
East Coast Greenway Alliance of the American Tobacco Trail as part of the East Coast Greenway Trail
System. We agree to install and maintain trail markers that would be provided to us by the East Coast
Greenway Alliance.
Sincerely,
P. Lamont Ewell
City Manager
APPENDIX VI
Post-Designation Materials
a. Certificate of Designation. This certificate (scaled-down version pictured below) is to be
mailed to the Trail Managing Authority after ECGA designation is complete.