| NEWS |
Wielding the scissors, Governor Lynch is all smiles at the trail opening. |
Windham Wows the Governor: Ribbon-Cutting Points Out Trail System Potential It's not every day the governor comes to town. But on September 16, 2006, a crowd of 350 welcomed Governor John Lynch to Windham, N.H., for the opening of 4.1 paved miles of the Windham Rail Trail. The Windham Middle School band played as dignitaries assembled and Governor Lynch acknowledged the hard work put into the project. "You all deserve a lot of credit," he said. "I'm hopeful this will be the start of a trail that goes all the way up to Concord." After cutting the ribbon, he joined in a short bike ride on the trail, while a Dixieland band entertained onlookers. The Windham Rail Trail is certainly a path worth celebrating. Shaded by white pines and hemlocks, the trail offers a varied landscape, with cuts through New Hampshire's famous granite and fills that raise the bed above the surrounding countryside. The rural trail also passes Mitchell Pond, where bird and aquatic life abound. The asphalt trail permits bicycling, walking, skateboarding and in-line skating, as well as cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in winter. A softer, five-foot stone dust shoulder accommodates joggers and equestrians. Motorized use is permitted only when the trail is snow-covered. More |
Windham Rail Trail Alliance President Mark Samsel points out trail sights to the governor, while his son Gregory leads the trio on the opening ride |
A hayride was also part of the entertainment. |
Photos trail opening © Mary Ann Horaj/Windham
Independent; riders on the Windham Rail Trail © Mary
Ann Horaj/Windham Independent; hayride © Mary Ann
Horaj/Windham Independent.
Independent; riders on the Windham Rail Trail © Mary
Ann Horaj/Windham Independent; hayride © Mary Ann
Horaj/Windham Independent.
New Hampshire Charitable Foundation supports ECG A $5000 grant was awarded to the ECGA by the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation toward the installation of ECG trail markers along our 18-mile route that currently follows Route 1A. The signage serves dual purposes: making the route easier to follow ECGA continues to work with local and state authorities to advance the off-road route that we expect will follow the bed of the Hampton Branch of the B&M Railroad. Over 4 miles of this 16-mile corridor are already abandoned and in state ownership. Rail-trail proponents are prepared to advocate for conversion to multi-use trail when abandonment procedures begin. Nov. 2007 newsletter ECG |
| JUNE 2008 The on-road route markers have been installed on Routes 1-A & 1-B. Some of the municaply owned detour roads may have not been posted yet. Please check the On-Road web page where there is a Google interactive map with the marked routes and photos. |
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
| Riding The East Coast - 3000 Mile Bike Route To Pass Through The Seacoast Written by Patrick Law Thursday, 15 May 2008 (From THE WIRE) Heading south from Badger’s Island in Kittery, Route 1 crosses the Memorial Bridge and cuts through downtown Portsmouth. Bicyclists have two options to cross the bridge: They can either dismount and walk their bikes, or they can take their chances on the metal grate roadway, which can spell the end for road bike tires. Soon that will change. When the bridge is rehabilitated next year, it will be outfitted with concrete to make for easy crossing. Memorial Bridge will become the first stretch of New Hampshire’s segment of the East Coast Greenway—a bicycle route that traverses the entire East Coast of the United States. more |
| New Hampshire Seacoast Greenway Inaugural September 20th, 2008 |
Celebrate the Opening of the East Coast Greenway in New Hampshire! Come join us on Saturday, September 20th, 2008 to celebrate the opening of the new on-road route for the NH Seacoast Greenway, New Hampshire's segment of the East Coast Greenway! The East Coast Greenway (ECG), often referred to as an urban Appalachian Trail, is envisioned to be an all-season, multi-use trail extending 3,000 miles through 25 cities along the East Coast from Calais, Maine to Key West, Florida (www.greenway.org). The NH Seacoast Greenway is the first border to border marked route for the ECG in any state, and runs 23.5 miles from the Seabrook to Portsmouth, mainly following Route 1A and 1B. For more information on the planning of the Greenway in New Hampshire, go to www.nhseacoastgreenway.org. Events to celebrate the Inaugural include two rides on the Greenway route, a family walk through Portsmouth, and a ribbon-cutting event beginning at Noon at Strawbery Banke Museum in Portsmouth. See event details below. Planning for the Greenway in New Hampshire has been a cooperative effort of SABR, the East Coast Greenway Alliance, the National Park Service, the Rockingham Planning Commission, and a regional advisory committee with representatives from coastal communities, three state agencies, and neighboring trails groups in Maine and Massachusetts. The opening of the on-road route is a stepping stone toward the envisioned off-road Greenway, which will support safe, healthy physical activity for all members of the community; provide a transportation alternative to the car for short trips; and offer economic development opportunities in the growing bicycle tourism market. |
Presented By:
|
Special Thanks to our Project Sponsors and Partners
- The NH Charitable Foundation - Piscataqua Region
- Aqua Communications
- Cuzin Richard Entertainment
- Kittery Trading Post
- Strawbery Banke Museum
- U.S. National Park Service
- Granite State Wheelmen
- Portsmouth Criterium
Hampton to Portsmouth Bike Ride (21.5 miles) - Meet at 9:30am at Hampton Beach State Park Wallis Sands to Portsmouth Bike Ride (9 miles) - Meet at 10:00am a Wallis Sands State Park Family Walk on Greenway Route in Portsmouth (1.5 miles) - Meet at Strawbery Banke Museum at 10:00am Dedication Ceremony at Strawbery Banke Museum - Beginning at Noon. Come early to enjoy acoustic guitar and entertainment from Todd Royce, courtesy of Cuzin Richard Entertainment; face painting for kids, info on the Greenway for everyone. Enter a raffle for a bicycle donated by Kittery Trading Post, with proceeds to support the Greenway. For more information contact Deb Chase at 603-964-9885 or d-chase@comcast.net. |
