The East Coast Greenway: Moving Forward in GA, SC & Beyond October 19, 2012 Augusta, GA

East Coast Greenway (ECG) Vision 2,900-mile urban Appalachian Trail Connecting 45 million people in communities from Key West, Florida to Calais, Maine Route designed for recreation & commuting Every mile to be safe & accessible to all – over a quarter of our greenway (800 miles) already meets that standard

Personal Goal: Complete it by Leo’s Graduation

Our Team The East Coast Greenway Alliance, our 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in the early 1990s leads the project We have 5 people on staff in RI, PA, NC, & FL Relies on a growing support network of 18,000 volunteers & members Support from REI, Tom’s of Maine, Cabot Cheese, & others

A Solution to Our Key Challenges Rising health costs High transportation costs Climate disruption & urban pollution High unemployment

GA/SC Route Status Over 45 miles of greenway Moved our HQ to the South to develop our regional base More than 10% of GA/SC population lives within ECG counties

South Carolina’s Route

Georgia’s Route

Key Highlights: Connecting important destinations like Savannah & Charleston Pawley’s Island, Beaufort & Bluffton Woodbine and Saint Mary’s

GA/SC ECG Heroes To-Date Myron & Cathy Skott of Alpharetta (biked our route 2004 & 2012) Jo Hickson of Coastal Georgia Greenway Terry Landreth of the Camden Bicycle Center Vonie Gilreath of Charleston on our Trail Council Jack Walker of Myrtle Beach

Challenges: Cultural & Political Network of Safe Routes Still marginal Change seen as a threat Demographics Real need to strengthen us to bike- partisan

What is the ECG Investment? Design & Construction a $2 billion public investment (over $100 million in GA/SC) Start with low-hanging fruit of full signage ($100k) & mobile app detailing directions & amenities (<$100k)

Progress in Last 20 Years Full East Coast Greenway developed Biking and walking trips have more than tripled to 12% of US trips With our population density, the Eastern Seaboard can lead the nation

Investment Well Worth It A $100 million investment can tap into over $100 million in annual health, fuel, and congestion savings We need to act today!

Goal for 2013 Raise $50,000 to hire a South Atlantic Coordinator & grow our volunteer base regionally We’re in touch with numerous partners in NC, but would love to team up with more friends and allies in SC and GA!

We Need You! East Coast Greenway vision only possible with a strong team We would love to work with you to fully sign the GA/SC route and add scores more miles of greenway in the years ahead

Thank You! Dennis Markatos-Soriano Executive Director (919)