Bike Virginia is excited to bring the tour to Central and Eastern Virginia in 2014 and to partner with East Coast Greenway Alliance to improve cycling for the benefit of all. During the 2014 tour a portion of Bike Virginia’s event routes will coincide with The Alliance’s East Coast Greenway Route.
The East Coast Greenway vision is for a long-distance, urban, shared-use trail system linking 25 major cities along the eastern seaboard between Calais, Maine and Key West, Florida. It will serve non-motorized users of all abilities and ages. A 3,000-mile long spine route will be accompanied by 2,000 miles of alternate routes that link in key cities, towns, and areas of natural beauty. This green travel corridor will provide cyclists, walkers, and other muscle-powered modes of transportation with a low-impact way to explore the eastern seaboard.
Bike Virginia’s participants will travel along portions of the greenway’ envisioned route in Central Virginia which are currently on road. The ultimate goal is to have off-road facilities that stretch from the top of Virginia to the bottom as part of the multi-state route. The route is currently 17% off-road on separated paths.
A guide to cycling and walking on Virginia’s East Coast Greenway route is available for download. www.greenway.org/pdf/vaecgguide.pdf
“We have a long way to go in Virginia to make biking accessible for everyone and partnering East Coast Greenway helps us to make strides to bring better cycling to the state. It will be wonderful to one day have a series of connected multi-use paths that people can use to travel and recreate all along the east coast. This is important because there has been no greater time of need for healthy people, a strong economy, and a clean environment, all which can be helped through bicycling,” said Dr. Kim Perry, Executive Director of Bike Virginia.
East Coast Greenway Alliance’s Vision
The East Coast Greenway Alliance is providing promotional support for Bike Virginia’s June event and helping us teach communities about the benefits of safe places to bike for recreation and transportation.
According to East Coast Greenway Alliance Executive Director Dennis Markatos-Soriano, “As a national organization, we couldn’t achieve our vision of safe cycling to a healthy, sustainable, and prosperous future without strong state partners like Bike Virginia.”
Look for East Coast Greenway’s routes to be designated on the bike tour routes during the event, and be sure to meet the ECG staff at our June event.