East Coast Greenway Alliance
The Pitch
The East Coast Greenway Alliance restored Philadelphia’s waterfront to make it an attractive, accessible natural space for residents and businesses, and established it as part of the East Coast Greenway.
The Problem
One of the most polluted riverfronts in the U.S., the Schuylkill Banks’ trail area was inaccessible to residents and made commutes across the city difficult for cyclists and pedestrians due to a lack of designated and interconnected walkways and bike paths.
The Process
- Routed the East Coast Greenway through the Delaware River Watershed, using public lands such as parks, green spaces, forests and waterfronts
- Established the East Coast Greenway and Circuit Trails network to connect 20+ public environmental centers
- Constructed bicyclist-pedestrian bridges, paths and cycleways along the East Coast Greenway
- Co-developed the Inclusionary Trail Planning Tool Kit with residents and other NGOs to include underrepresented voices in the planning process
- Collaborated with residents living near the East Coast Greenway to account for their needs, such as concerns about property value increases and preserving the region’s cultural heritage
The Impact
- Makes biking and walking trails accessible to residents of dense urban areas
- Provides an alternative route for movement across the city
- Increases local access to green space
- Connects residents to environmental centers with educational programming and stewardship activities
- Increases a sense of community ownership over Philadelphia’s natural environment
- The East Coast Greenway’s 5,800 acres of tree cover removes air pollutants, replenishes the water table, mitigates floods and creates extensive natural habitats and healthy ecosystems
- Saves over $3 billion in public health, transportation and housing costs (from lowering commuting costs, improving the health of Greenway users and increasing property values for residential and commercial properties)
- Will construct an additional 85 miles of the East Coast Greenway in the Delaware River Watershed; the infrastructure cost of $239 million for the trail will create fifty percent more jobs than a similar investment in highway infrastructure would
