You’ll soon be able to bike ride from Calais, Maine to Key West, Florida (and back) without running into any cars, courtesy of the much-discussed East Coast Greenway.
Under talks since the 1990s, the project, which consists of a 2,500-mile paved bike trail stretching across the country, will be funded by community organizations as well as federal and local government institutions (each state will have to build and maintain its stretch of path) and is headed by non-profit organization East Coast Greenway Alliance (ECGA).
The good news? Thirty percent of the path (about 850 miles) is already functional. The not-so-good news? The project has to connect 15 states and roughly 450 towns along the Eastern Seaboard.
As part of its slow-but-steady plan, the ECGA plans to construct an additional 200 miles of path by 2020, inching closer to the final goal of building a route that could be used not only by cyclists, but joggers and leisure walkers as well. The ECGA also expects for the path to be utilized in sections for leisurely rides, and not exclusively to traverse the country.
Pack yourself a couple of water bottles and get your bike gear in order because you're about to see the country in ways never experienced before.