Augusta ? From July 31 to August 6, 17 bicyclists are pedaling 337 miles from Calais to Portland on the East Coast Greenway, a 3,000-mile trail route that extends from the Canadian border in Calais to Key West, Florida. The bike ride is a Week A Year (WAY) tour hosted by the East Coast Greenway Alliance (ECGA) to help fundraise toward developing and improving the route.
The tour not only benefits the East Coast Greenway, but supports the communities the group visits. The ECGA estimates that the Maine Tour will bring more than $10,000 to local economies over the course of the week, primarily through hotel stays and restaurant meals.
Hailing from Maine, neighboring New England states and as far as Florida, the group of 17 riders and ECGA staff will explore the northern-most portion of the East Coast Greenway. Riders will enjoy the ECG?s longest continuous off-road route section, the soon-to-be 87-mile Down East Sunrise Trail, the popular Kennebec River Rail Trail and the scenic Androscoggin River Rail Trail.
On Friday, August 5th, representatives from Maine DOT met the riders at the head of the Kennebec River Rail Trail for a small press event, celebrating near completion of installing ECG wayfinding markers from Calais to Kittery.
The East Coast Greenway Alliance (ECGA) is the non-profit organization leading the development of the East Coast Greenway (ECG), a 3,000 mile trail route from Calais, Maine, to Key West, Florida. Headquartered in Durham, NC, the Alliance promotes the vision of connecting local trails into a continuous route; provides strategic assistance for states, counties, and municipalities that build local trail sections; officially designates trails as part of the ECG trail system; posts signage; and makes maps and guides to facilitate use of the Greenway.
The ECG passes through 15 states, connects 25 major cities along the Eastern Seaboard, and creates a safer environment for active-transportation users of all ages and abilities.