AVS. Arkitektúr verktækni skipulag - 01.12.2003, Síða 37

„An Urban Appalachian Trail“:
The East Coast Greenway
Paul Ojeda, Journalist
For many, America is synonymous
with the car. Images of suburban
moms driving their kids off to soccer
practice, or young adventurers seek-
ing opportunity „on the road“ quickly
come to mind. However, America
also has many areas, some quite
large, solely dedicated to hiking,
cycling and other non-motorised
activities.
One of the largest of these paths is
The Appalachian Trail, a continuous-
ly-marked footpath running about
2160 miles from Katahdin, Maine
down to Springer Mountain in
Georgia, through the Appalachian
Mountain range. Many smaller hiking
trails exist, yet remain under-utilised.
Seeing a need to join the various
foot-paths and hiking trails along the
East Coast, and to reacquaint an
increasingly-urbanised America to a
healthier lifestyle, runners and out-
door enthusiasts created The East
Coast Greenway Alliance in 1991.
The Greenway concept is to link
those already-existing smaller trails
with one continuous „spine route"
running from the US-Canadian bor-
der in Calais, Maine, down to Key
West, the southernmost tip of
Florida. The Greenway, once com-
pleted in 2010, will run longer than
the Appilacian Trail, 2,600 miles.
Currently, 20 percent of the project is
completed and another 30 percent is
in various stages of planning and
development.
This „interstate highway" will be at
least 80 percent off-road and run
through major metropolitan areas,
such as New York City and Miami.
The Greenway „spine" will connect
those urban areas to suburban ones
and onto rural areas that are over-
looked by many, offering a diverse
experience previously unavailable.
The route will also lead travelers to
many local historical and cultural
points, an attractive benefit not only
to residents but tourists as well.
The East Coast Greenway is a grass-
root, community-based orgainisation.
This is due to the fact that the
Greenway actually stitches together
already-existing trails that are owned
and operated by various local gov-
ernment agencies. Those localities
still have full jurisdiction over the
appearance and identity of their
trails, and are also responsible for
their maintenance. The East Coast
Greenway Alliance simply makes
sure the trails remain in a sufficient
quality to be enjoyed by long-dis-
tance users. Committees exist in all
east coast states along the route.
The U.S. Government has so far
spent approximately $400 million
developing the Greenway. The pro-
ject’s primary resource of funding is
through federal transportation pro-
gramming, the „TEA-21.“ Matching
funds provided by towns adjacent to
the Greenway make up another 20
percent. Additional donations and
sponsorship also helps.
Græni stígurínn við Hudson River á vesturhlið
Manhattan. I norðri er brú George Washington. /
Hudson River Greenway, on Manhattan's West
Side. To the north is the George Washington
Bridge.
So far, 23 United States Senators
and 43 Congressmen have signed
letters endorsing the East Coast
Greenway to President George W.
Bush, urging for support and finan-
cial assistance for the project.
Senators who endorse the
Greenway include Paul S. Sarbanes
(D-MD), Susan Collins (R-ME), Hillary
Rodham Clinton (D-NY), and Arlen
Spencer (R-PA). ■
East Coast Greenway Alliance Website:
www. green way. org
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avs 35